This article presents a case study of the Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (France) archipelago in order... more This article presents a case study of the Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (France) archipelago in order to identify the network and flow of agricultural resources within the circumpolar northern hemisphere known as a “boreal ecosystem” or “boreal ecozone”. We emphasize that climate and the existence of food insecurity within wealthy nations should be factored into conceptualizations of food sovereignty and food justice. The self-governing territory’s remote distance from the mainland exemplifies food system challenges faced by rural communities with short growing seasons, high transportation costs, and complex natural resource governance. Subsistence agriculture is possible, but infeasible from a practical perspective. Saint-Pierre and Miquelon’s food system is historically based in abundant fishing. Community residents otherwise rely on imports. We conclude that there is opportunity for rural communities in boreal ecozones to attain spatial food justice if food security goals are balance...
The market for conservation easements provides a way to ensure the continued existence of open sp... more The market for conservation easements provides a way to ensure the continued existence of open space amenities where rural communities face development pressure. The object of this research is to identify factors affecting land trust agents’ preferences for conservation easements and to investigate preference heterogeneity among those potentially involved in easement acquisition. Stated choice surveys were sent to land trusts’ personnel (agents) across the Intermountain West. Models were segmented by attitudinal data from land trust agents regarding their organizations’ provision of ecosystem services versus their sense of place or place attachment when considering conservation easement choices. Four separate random utility models were estimated. Results indicated that preference heterogeneity for conservation easements exists across land trust agent segments. Such knowledge provides insights into factors which may affect potential demands for conservation easements in this ev...
Food sovereignty encompasses the right of humans to have access to, and to produce, healthy and c... more Food sovereignty encompasses the right of humans to have access to, and to produce, healthy and culturally appropriate food. Food sovereignty exists within the “social” pillar of sustainability and sustainable food production. Over time, and as a result of colonialism and neo-liberal food regimes, Indigenous food system patterns in boreal regions have been disrupted. Imports make local food production economically infeasible. The intersection of food sovereignty and international trade is understudied. Food insecurity cycles are likely to perpetuate without deliberate action and government intervention. Policies that facilitate local access, and ownership, of agriculture and food processing facilities may foster food sovereignty. Indigenous community governance, and agricultural practices, are critical to restoring environmental and social sustainability.
This paper estimates the shadow price of CO2 from burning crop residue in the Chinese agricultura... more This paper estimates the shadow price of CO2 from burning crop residue in the Chinese agricultural sector and explores the policy implications for decision makers. Using a parametric translog directional distance function, we evaluate the technical efficiency and shadow prices of CO2 reduction for 7 major maize provinces in China from 1996-2013. Our results show that crop yield, cost of total inputs, and percentage of burnt crop residue account for 30%, 10% and 20% of the inefficiency, respectively. The shadow price of CO2 from burning crop residue is estimated to range from 0-1.368 yuan/ha (or US$210.5/t) with an average of 0.496yuan/kg (or US$76/t). Further analysis indicates that the average efficiency will increase by 9% if conservation practices are adopted by assuming 10% decrease in yield and 50% decrease in burnt crop residue under conservation practices compared to conventional practices. The shadow prices in these two cases imply that the whole society will benefit if the ...
It is well established that the global practice of burning crop residues, such as orchard biomass... more It is well established that the global practice of burning crop residues, such as orchard biomass, harms human health and the environment. A bioeconomy for orchard biomass may reduce open burning, facilitate the recovery of nutrients that improve soil health, and boost economic growth. We present a techno-economic analysis for converting orchard waste into biochar, a charcoal-like substance that shows promise for improving soil health, but that is considered an experimental product with emerging efficacy and limited market demand. We impute values derived from a cost analysis of biochar production in California's Central Valley into a regional economic input-output model to demonstrate economic growth and a bioeconomy for biochar made with orchard waste. Results from a stochastic Monte Carlo simulation show a probable range of biochar production costs between $448.78 and $1,846.96 (USD) Mg-1, with 90% probability that costs will range between $571 and $1,455 Mg-1. A sensitivity analysis shows that production costs are most responsive to biochar production rates. A modifiable Excel-based biochar enterprise budget that includes fixed and variable biochar production costs is provided as Supplementary Material. The regional economic analysis demonstrates positive economic growth as defined by job creation, labor compensation, value-added product, and gross output. Stochastic cost estimates and net positive regional economic impacts support economic feasibility of a circular bioeconomy for waste orchard biomass when coupled with governmental policy initiatives. Results may contribute to developing a circular bioeconomy for biochar and orchard biomass in the study region and elsewhere in the world.
This article presents a case study of the Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (France) archipelago in order... more This article presents a case study of the Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (France) archipelago in order to identify the network and flow of agricultural resources within the circumpolar northern hemisphere known as a “boreal ecosystem” or “boreal ecozone”. We emphasize that climate and the existence of food insecurity within wealthy nations should be factored into conceptualizations of food sovereignty and food justice. The self-governing territory’s remote distance from the mainland exemplifies food system challenges faced by rural communities with short growing seasons, high transportation costs, and complex natural resource governance. Subsistence agriculture is possible, but infeasible from a practical perspective. Saint-Pierre and Miquelon’s food system is historically based in abundant fishing. Community residents otherwise rely on imports. We conclude that there is opportunity for rural communities in boreal ecozones to attain spatial food justice if food security goals are balance...
The market for conservation easements provides a way to ensure the continued existence of open sp... more The market for conservation easements provides a way to ensure the continued existence of open space amenities where rural communities face development pressure. The object of this research is to identify factors affecting land trust agents’ preferences for conservation easements and to investigate preference heterogeneity among those potentially involved in easement acquisition. Stated choice surveys were sent to land trusts’ personnel (agents) across the Intermountain West. Models were segmented by attitudinal data from land trust agents regarding their organizations’ provision of ecosystem services versus their sense of place or place attachment when considering conservation easement choices. Four separate random utility models were estimated. Results indicated that preference heterogeneity for conservation easements exists across land trust agent segments. Such knowledge provides insights into factors which may affect potential demands for conservation easements in this ev...
Food sovereignty encompasses the right of humans to have access to, and to produce, healthy and c... more Food sovereignty encompasses the right of humans to have access to, and to produce, healthy and culturally appropriate food. Food sovereignty exists within the “social” pillar of sustainability and sustainable food production. Over time, and as a result of colonialism and neo-liberal food regimes, Indigenous food system patterns in boreal regions have been disrupted. Imports make local food production economically infeasible. The intersection of food sovereignty and international trade is understudied. Food insecurity cycles are likely to perpetuate without deliberate action and government intervention. Policies that facilitate local access, and ownership, of agriculture and food processing facilities may foster food sovereignty. Indigenous community governance, and agricultural practices, are critical to restoring environmental and social sustainability.
This paper estimates the shadow price of CO2 from burning crop residue in the Chinese agricultura... more This paper estimates the shadow price of CO2 from burning crop residue in the Chinese agricultural sector and explores the policy implications for decision makers. Using a parametric translog directional distance function, we evaluate the technical efficiency and shadow prices of CO2 reduction for 7 major maize provinces in China from 1996-2013. Our results show that crop yield, cost of total inputs, and percentage of burnt crop residue account for 30%, 10% and 20% of the inefficiency, respectively. The shadow price of CO2 from burning crop residue is estimated to range from 0-1.368 yuan/ha (or US$210.5/t) with an average of 0.496yuan/kg (or US$76/t). Further analysis indicates that the average efficiency will increase by 9% if conservation practices are adopted by assuming 10% decrease in yield and 50% decrease in burnt crop residue under conservation practices compared to conventional practices. The shadow prices in these two cases imply that the whole society will benefit if the ...
It is well established that the global practice of burning crop residues, such as orchard biomass... more It is well established that the global practice of burning crop residues, such as orchard biomass, harms human health and the environment. A bioeconomy for orchard biomass may reduce open burning, facilitate the recovery of nutrients that improve soil health, and boost economic growth. We present a techno-economic analysis for converting orchard waste into biochar, a charcoal-like substance that shows promise for improving soil health, but that is considered an experimental product with emerging efficacy and limited market demand. We impute values derived from a cost analysis of biochar production in California's Central Valley into a regional economic input-output model to demonstrate economic growth and a bioeconomy for biochar made with orchard waste. Results from a stochastic Monte Carlo simulation show a probable range of biochar production costs between $448.78 and $1,846.96 (USD) Mg-1, with 90% probability that costs will range between $571 and $1,455 Mg-1. A sensitivity analysis shows that production costs are most responsive to biochar production rates. A modifiable Excel-based biochar enterprise budget that includes fixed and variable biochar production costs is provided as Supplementary Material. The regional economic analysis demonstrates positive economic growth as defined by job creation, labor compensation, value-added product, and gross output. Stochastic cost estimates and net positive regional economic impacts support economic feasibility of a circular bioeconomy for waste orchard biomass when coupled with governmental policy initiatives. Results may contribute to developing a circular bioeconomy for biochar and orchard biomass in the study region and elsewhere in the world.
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