Adoption of Sustainable Agriculture Practices among Farmers in Kentucky, USA

Investigating the Constraints and Mitigation Strategies for the Adoption of Sustainable Land Management Practices in Erosion-prone Areas of Southeast Nigeria

The adoption of sustainable land management practices (SLMPs) is crucial to improve soil health, and farm yield, and potentially limit the degradation of agricultural and ecological systems. However, farmers still encounter diverse challenges when trying to implement SLMPs. Research on the potential mitigation strategies to address the complex challenges to the adoption of SLMPs in the developing countries context is limited. Accordingly, this study investigates the constraints to adopting SLMPs using household survey data collected from 480 sampled farmers in erosion-prone areas of southeast Nigeria. Also, through focus groups and interviews with key stakeholders in the land sector, the study investigates the potential mitigation strategies to address the constraints. Descriptive statistics were used to explore the characteristics of the farmers, while Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyse the constraints to the adoption of SLMPs. The qualitative data collected were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The PCA result identified economic/financial factors as the principal constraint to the adoption of SLMPs. Other barriers to the adoption of SLMPs in the study area include constraints related to the characteristics of the SLMPs, institutional constraints and constraints related to land property rights. Based on the stakeholders' perspectives, financial and economic support, improved R&D, knowledge exchange and advisory system, policy and regulatory solutions, and multi-stakeholder engagement are important strategies to tackle the constraints to the adoption of SLMPs. Insights from this study could help practitioners, conservation planners and policymakers design more targeted and effective interventions to promote the widespread adoption of SLMPs.

Assessing gender disparities in farmers' access and use of climate-smart agriculture in Southern Tanzania

The importance of common bean in Tanzania is increasingly challenged by climate change, which increases women's vulnerability and undermines the contribution of the crop to food security and rural livelihoods. This study assessed gender differences in the use of climate-smart agriculture technologies and practices among bean farmers in Tanzania. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used to collect data from 364 smallholder bean farmers. Descriptive statistics and a multivariate probit model were employed to analyse the determinants of farmers' adoption of climate-smart agricultural technologies and practices in common bean production. Results revealed that men dominated climate-adaptation decision-making processes at the household level because of their ownership and control over access to land, and access to agricultural support services. Older men farmers demonstrated a positive and significantly higher likelihood of adopting improved seeds (β = 0.026; p < 0.01), signifying they possess greater accumulated knowledge and wealth compared to women farmers and youths. Women farmers also had lower levels of education with fewer technological access contributing to their low uptake of climate-smart technologies, aggravating their vulnerability to climate change. Enhancing inclusive gender access to land and group-based approaches to information dissemination, and capacity building, would be relevant in enabling men, women, and young farmers to improve their adaptive and resilience capacities to climate change. Gender dynamics should be considered in designing climate-smart agriculture policies and implementation of climate-smart agriculture  programs and policies to improve farmers' resilience to climate change.

Effective Engagement Techniques Across the Agricultural Conservation Practice Adoption Process

Encouraging agricultural landowners to adopt conservation practices is crucial to enhancing ecosystem services in privately-owned farm landscapes. To improve engagement with landowners and increase adoption rates, much research has been dedicated to investigating how different psychological, social, economic, and political factors correlate with adoption. However, these studies largely measure adoption as a discrete, binary event. Doing so obscures sequences of landowner decisions and engagement techniques that conservation practitioners use to encourage landowners' progression through the adoption process. We report on two studies that contribute to the emerging literature on the agricultural conservation practice adoption process and the varying effectiveness of engagement techniques throughout. First, interviews with conservation practitioners in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, USA, yielded a preliminary model of the different stages in the adoption process and what techniques practitioners find effective at each stage. Second, an online experiment examined the effectiveness of a visualization intervention across two sequential outcomes in the adoption process, seeking further information and contacting a practitioner. Our results suggested that practitioners use a wide variety of engagement techniques, most of which are unique to a single stage in the adoption process, and that the effectiveness of the visualization technique varies substantially between different stages. Together these studies outline a suite of techniques that other practitioners may find effective at different stages of the adoption process, and suggest that research can better inform practice by accounting for variation in the effectiveness of different techniques across stages of adoption.

Willingness to adopt green house gas mitigation measures: Agricultural land managers in the United Kingdom

Rapid uptake of greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation measures is central to reducing agricultural and land use emissions and meeting the UK Net Zero policy. The socioeconomic challenges and barriers to uptake are poorly understood, with yet unclear structural pathways to the uptake of GHG mitigation measures. Using an online survey of 201 agricultural land managers across the UK, and applying multiple linear regression and stepwise regression analysis, this research established farm and farmers' factors influencing perceptions and willingness to adopt GHG mitigation measures. The results consistently show that farm sector, farmers' business perception, and labour availability influence willingness to adopt GHG mitigation measures. Based on the farmers' qualitative feedback, other barriers to adoption include costs and concerns for profitability, lack of flexibility in land tenancy contracts, poor awareness and knowledge of the application of some GHG mitigation measures, perception about market demand e.g bioenergy crops, and scepticism about the future impacts of adopting varying GHG mitigation measures. In the midst of the ongoing net zero transition, this study identifies existing barriers to the uptake of GHG mitigation measures, and specifically, a substantial gap between farmers and the science of GHG mitigation measures and the need to incentivise a farm and farming community-led policy interventions to promote adoption of GHG mitigation measures.

Good agricultural practices (GAP) adoption intensity and production constraints in apple orchards of western Nepal

The declaration of 'Fruits Decade 2016/17-2026/27' and the enaction of the 'NepalGAP Scheme' by the Government of Nepal has redirected increased public investments to promote apple production and marketability in the western high hills of Nepal. This study explores major good agricultural practices (GAP) related to orchard management, factors influencing their adoption intensity, and key underlying constraints to production using cross-sectional survey data from apple growers in Dolpa district, Nepal. The results showed that farmers mostly adopted GAP such as frequent weeding, intercropping, and nutrient management in apple orchards. Based on the negative binomial regression estimates, household characteristics such as gender of the orchard owner, experience, and number of literate household members were found influential in determining the GAP adoption intensity. The analysis of the problem severity index implied that apple production is mostly constrained by limited access to production inputs and transportation. The findings provide useful insights to the farmers and policymakers regarding the current scenario of GAP adoption along with the diversity of barriers that severely limits the realization of apple production potential in western Nepal.

The road to green innovation in agriculture: the impact of green agriculture demonstration zone on corporate green innovation

Agricultural green transformation is crucial for addressing environmental issues like pollution and soil degradation. However, limited attention has been given to its determinants in the existing literature. This study extends the "Porter hypothesis" in agricultural economics and discusses the institutional factors influencing green transformation in Chinese agricultural enterprises from the perspective of environmental regulations. Using data from 2007 to 2020, we examine the impact of the green agriculture demonstration zone (GADZ) policy on green innovation in Chinese A-share listed agribusinesses. The results show that the policy significantly improves green innovation, leading to a 9.9% increase in patent applications. We also find that the GADZ promotes green innovation in agricultural businesses through two economic mechanisms, reducing financial risks and enhancing media attention. In addition, the policy's effect is influenced by property rights, information disclosure quality, and financial resources. Our findings offer valuable insights for promoting green innovation and high-quality agricultural development in emerging economies.

Sustainable agricultural practices for food security and ecosystem services

The notion of food security is a global phenomenon that impinges on every human. Efforts to increase productivity and yields have historically degraded the environment and reduced biodiversity and ecosystem services, with the significant impact on the poor. Sustainable agriculture-farming in sustainable ways based on an understanding of ecosystem services-is a practical option for achieving global food security while minimizing further environmental degradation. Sustainable agricultural systems offer ecosystem services, such as pollination, biological pest control, regulation of soil and water quality, maintenance of soil structure and fertility, carbon sequestration and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient cycling, hydrological services, and biodiversity conservation. In this review, we discuss the potential of sustainable agriculture for achieving global food security alongside healthy ecosystems that provide other valuable services to humankind. Too often, agricultural production systems are considered separate from other natural ecosystems, and insufficient attention has been paid to how services can flow to and from agricultural production systems to surrounding ecosystems. This review also details the trade-offs and synergies between ecosystem services, highlights current knowledge gaps, and proposes areas for future research.

Increasing the adoption intensity of sustainable agricultural practices in Europe: Farm and practice level insights

Understanding what influences the adoption of multiple sustainable farming practices, a concept we call adoption intensity, is critical to the sustainable development of our food system. Drawing on a survey of European farmers, and using structural equation modelling, we found dispositional influences important for adoption intensity at the farm-level but not as important for adoption intensity across all aspects of farm management. Productivity objectives were negatively associated with adoption intensity, but value chain support was positively associated, indicating the important role of the supply chain at the farm level. Participation in agri-environment schemes was not associated with farm-level adoption intensity but did have a positive association with adoption intensity in three farm management categories. These results have important implications for sustainable agricultural policy development and highlight the need to consider different incentives based on the scale of the change to be achieved.

Improving Hill Farming: From Maize Monocropping to Alternative Cropping Systems in the Thai Highlands

Lately, the Hill Pond Rice System (HPRS) is being promoted as a form of alternative farming systems in selected northern provinces of Thailand, in which the land conversion is designed to maximize rainwater harvesting in farmland consisting of forest trees, water reservoirs, paddy fields, and high-value crop cultivation to serve environmental and livelihood needs. This study employed the double-hurdle model and the tobit technique to investigate the farm-level factors associated with land conversion from maize monocropping to the HPRS using primary data collected from 253 households in Nan, Chiang Mai, Tak, and Lampang Provinces. It was found that education, farming knowledge, understanding benefits of the HPRS, access to water sources, access to advis, and workforce sharing raised the likelihood and extent of farmland conversion into the HPRS. In contrast, perceived complexity of the HPRS, experiences with negative shocks, and land tenure security lowered the likelihood and extent of land conversion. The findings suggest that on-farm collective action should be promoted to mitigate labor constraints in implementation and that access to equipment should be enhanced through HPRS advisors’ visits.

Practices and Barriers to Sustainable Urban Agriculture: A Case Study of Louisville, Kentucky

As urban populations increase, there is growing interest in developing innovative technologies, sustainable urban farming practices, policy measures, and other strategies to address key barriers in urban agriculture that impede improved food security and sustained urban livelihoods. We surveyed forty urban farmers and gardeners (growers) in Louisville, Kentucky, for base-level information to assess their agricultural practices and the various factors or key barriers that could influence such practices. Secondary objectives were identifying areas where practices could be improved, and identifying opportunities for research, outreach, and incentives for urban growers to transition to more sustainable and higher-yielding practices. The majority of these urban growers were white females, were more diverse than Kentucky farmers, and attained a higher degree of education than Kentucky residents as a whole. Most were engaged in urban agriculture for non-commercial reasons, and 11% were full-time urban growers operating farms for profit. Smaller farms were less likely to be operated for profit or have farm certifications than medium-sized or larger farms (Chi-squared = 14.459, p = 0.042). We found no significant differences among farm sizes in terms of whether growers rented or owned the land they were on (Chi-squared = 9.094, p = 0.168). The most common sustainable practices recorded were composting (60%), crop rotation (54%), polyculture (54%), organic farming (49%), and low or no-till (46%). The least common practices were alley cropping (5%), plasticulture (3%), and hydroponics (3%). Small farms were less likely to use crop rotation than medium-sized or large farms (Chi-squared = 13.548, p = 0.003), and farms responding to the survey in the latter part of the data collection were less likely to use compost than expected based on responses from the early part of data collection (Chi-shared = 5.972, p = 0.014). Challenges faced by these growers included limited space, accessibility to farm certification, presence of pests and diseases, and lack of record keeping and soil testing for fertility and contamination. Our study documents the need for more farm certification, education, outreach, training, research, investment, innovative ideas and solutions, collaboration among stakeholders, and better access to land through favorable urban policies and local support.

Adoption of sustainable agriculture practices by citrus farmers and its determinants in the Jordan valley: the case of Northern Ghor

The agricultural sector in the Jordan Valley plays an important role in the economic system and that the region is essentially Jordan's food basket. The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices is widely recognized as essential to ensure agricultural sustainability. This study analyzed factors influencing citrus farmer's adoption of sustainable agricultural practices (SAPs) in the Northern Ghor of Jordan valley. The study used a quantitative approach. Simple random sampling was adopted to select 115 farmers in the study area. A multiple regression analysis was applied to identify factors influencing the sustainability of citrus farming practices. The study found that the largest proportion 44.4% of the citrus farmers had a fairly high adoption rate of SAPs while 13.0% of ones had high adoption of SAPs. In addition, the study revealed that age of farmer, Farm experience, primary education, and tertiary education were factors that affected farmers SAPs adoption. Policy recommendations are proposed to enhance the implementation of sustainable agriculture practices by the citrus farmers in the Northern Ghor of Jordan valley.

Improving inferences about private land conservation by accounting for incomplete reporting

Private lands provide key habitat for imperiled species and are core components of function protectected area networks; yet, their incorporation into national and regional conservation planning has been challenging. Identifying locations where private landowners are likely to participate in conservation initiatives can help avoid conflict and clarify trade-offs between ecological benefits and sociopolitical costs. Empirical, spatially explicit assessment of the factors associated with conservation on private land is an emerging tool for identifying future conservation opportunities. However, most data on private land conservation are voluntarily reported and incomplete, which complicates these assessments. We used a novel application of occupancy models to analyze the occurrence of conservation easements on private land. We compared multiple formulations of occupancy models with a logistic regression model to predict the locations of conservation easements based on a spatially explicit social-ecological systems framework. We combined a simulation experiment with a case study of easement data in Idaho and Montana (United States) to illustrate the utility of the occupancy framework for modeling conservation on private land. Occupancy models that explicitly accounted for variation in reporting produced estimates of predictors that were substantially less biased than estimates produced by logistic regression under all simulated conditions. Occupancy models produced estimates for the 6 predictors we evaluated in our case study that were larger in magnitude, but less certain than those produced by logistic regression. These results suggest that occupancy models result in qualitatively different inferences regarding the effects of predictors on conservation easement occurrence than logistic regression and highlight the importance of integrating variable and incomplete reporting of participation in empirical analysis of conservation initiatives. Failure to do so can lead to emphasizing the wrong social, institutional, and environmental factors that enable conservation and underestimating conservation opportunities in landscapes where social norms or institutional constraints inhibit reporting.

Factors Influencing the Adoption of Agricultural Practices in Ghana’s Forest-Fringe Communities

Two-thirds of rural Ghanaians are farmers, and farming is almost the only income source for Ghana’s forest-fringe communities. Some farmers adopt some agricultural practices to augment their operations while others do not. We examined the factors that influence farmers’ adoption and intensity of adoption of agricultural practices, namely, chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, improved seeds, animal manure, and crop rotation. We surveyed the agricultural systems and livelihoods of 291 smallholder households in forest-fringe communities and developed a multivariate model (canonical correlation analysis) to test the degree to which social, economic, and institutional factors correlate with adoption and intensity of adoption of the above practices. We found that 35.4% of the farmers do not adopt any of the practices because they perceive them to be expensive, not useful, and difficult to adopt. The rest (64.6%) adopt at least one of the practices to control weeds, pests and diseases, and consequently increase crop yields. Our results indicate that farmers that perceive the aforementioned practices to be more beneficial, cultivate multiple plots, and have access to extension services adopt more of the practices. Farmer age and distance to source of inputs negatively correlate with adoption and intensity of adoption of agricultural practices. Almost two-thirds each of adopters and non-adopters do not have access to agricultural extension services and this could pose threats to the sustainability of the forest reserves within and around which the farmers cultivate. Educating farmers on agricultural practices that are forest-friendly is critical in the forest-fringe communities of Ghana. The correct application of practices could double outputs and minimize threats to forests and biodiversity through land-sparing.

The sustainability of rice farming practices in Tidal swamplands of South Sumatra Indonesia

Tidal swamplands are considered the national food security platform in Indonesia. Residues from the excessive chemical input used in the rice production affecting the environment, farmers’ health, and the safety of the product. Similarly, one can expect that excessive chemical use in tidal swamplands can also threaten rice production system sustainability. This study aimed to assess and identify factors influencing the sustainability of rice farming practices in tidal swamplands of South Sumatra, Indonesia. A survey was carried out to obtain information through direct interviews with 150 farmers in Muara Telang, South Sumatra, Indonesia. The Indonesia rice check was employed as indicators to assess the sustainability of rice farming practices in tidal swamplands. A percentage index was to categorize the sustainability status. A regression analysis with the Tobit model was applied to identify factors influencing the sustainability of rice farming practices. The result showed that the average sustainability index was 25.53%. It indicated rice farming practices in tidal swamplands tend to be unsustainable. The significant factors influencing the sustainability of rice farming practices were farmer’s education and household size. A policy recommendation is proposed to enhance the implementation of sustainable agriculture practices by the rice farmers in tidal swamplands.

Socio-economic determinants and impact of adopting climate-smart Brachiaria grass among dairy farmers in Eastern and Western regions of Kenya

The sustainability of the livestock sector in sub-Saharan Africa is negatively affected by limited access to high-quality fodder in adequate quantities. The effects of climate change further exacerbate feed availability. Therefore, there is a need to develop feasible cost-effective strategies for improving the year-round feed supply. Improved planted forages such as Brachiaria grass have been recommended as one of the strategies of alleviating feed scarcity, especially in drier agro-ecological zones. This study analyses the socio-economic determinants of adoption and the impact of adopting Brachiaria grass for feed sufficiency and increased milk production. Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method was used to assess the determinants and impact of the adoption of Brachiaria grass. Empirical results indicate that the adoption of Brachiaria grass led to a significant increase in milk production by 27.6% and feed sufficiency by 31.6%. The positive impact of Brachiaria grass is consistent with the role of agricultural technologies in improving the productivity, income, and welfare of smallholder farmers. The adoption of Brachiaria grass is influenced by age of farmer, tropical livestock unit (TLU), type of animal breed, perceived benefits of the technology, access to extension, and farmer group membership. The study recommends holistic policy approaches that promote the widespread adoption of Brachiaria grass. There is also a need for an effective information dissemination pathway for Brachiaria grass.

Prospects and constraints in smallholder farmers' adoption of multiple soil carbon enhancing practices in Western Kenya

Most smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are adversely affected by low soil fertility, land degradation and climate change-related shocks such as drought. These problems lead to low productivity and low household income. In addition, the adoption of soil carbon enhancing practices remains low in Western Kenya. This study analyses the factors that influence the probability and extent of adoption of soil carbon enhancing practices in Western Kenya utilizing plot-level information, socioeconomic characteristics and external supporting factors. Multivariate probit model and generalized ordered logit were utilized to assess the adoption of multiple soil carbon enhancing practices and the extent of adoption respectively. Results indicate that the adoption of soil carbon enhancing practices is correlated, suggesting interrelation in farmers' adoption decisions. Both the multivariate probit model and generalized ordered probit results indicate that the probability and extent of adoption of soil carbon enhancing practices are influenced by plot-level characteristics, literacy level, access to agricultural credit, agricultural group membership, participation in the market, and gender of the household.

Potential of blockchain technology in supply chain management: a literature review

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on blockchain technology, present some trends and consider its potential value in supply chain management (SCM).

Design/methodology/approach

Papers that contained the word “blockchain” in their titles, keywords or abstracts were selected for conducting trend analyses.

Findings

The blockchain technology is rapidly making inroads in many industries and there is tremendous potential to eliminate intermediaries and to make SCM more efficient.

Research limitations/implications

This analysis is limited to 299 papers from the EBSCO database through December 2018.

Practical implications

This paper highlights the imperative role of blockchain technology that has created a discourse in the world of innovation and technology. This work will help academics to further the understanding of blockchain technology.

Social implications

Blockchain technology will provide transparency to consumers.

Originality/value

This paper presents the first review of blockchain technology and delves into its value in SCM. This work will help researchers in identifying the areas where blockchain is the most desirable and can be implemented.

Modeling farmers' responsible environmental attitude and behaviour: a case from Iran

There is an increasing concern over the environmental degradation caused by agricultural activities especially in developing countries which mostly linked to farmer's behavior. Thus, this study aimed to model the responsible attitude and behavior of Iranian farmers in respect to environment. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used as a basis for identification of the main determinants of the farmers' responsible environmental behavior. A survey of 400 farmers in the Hamedan Province, selected through a multistage stratified random sampling method. Data was gathered using a questionnaire which its validity and reliability were confirmed by a panel of agricultural and environmental experts and calculated Cronbach's alpha (0.65 ≤ α ≤ 0.80), respectively. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the strength of relationship between the constructs and test the overall model fit. Results of study showed that "using animal manure in the farms" was the most important behavior which farmers are responsibly doing to respect their environment but their least attention is given to "disposing cans and bottles after spraying." Also, the fitness indices of the model revealed that the TPB partially supported the farmers' responsible environmental behavior as perceived behavioral control and environmental attitude positively influenced the farmers' responsible environmental behavior but there was not observed any significant influence by subjective norm. Among the additional incorporated constructs, environmental awareness, ethical commitment, and environmental concern significantly had a positive influence on farmers' behavior by mediating role of the environmental attitude. The inclusion of new constructs in the TPB model was supported through improving the predictive power of the modified model in predicting farmers' responsible environmental behavior.