Organic, Local & Sustainable Farming

There is growing evidence that low-cost open-source 3-D printers can reduce costs by enabling distributed manufacturing of substitutes for both specialty equipment and conventional mass-manufactured products. The rate of 3-D printable designs under open licenses is growing exponentially and there are already hundreds of designs applicable to small-scale organic farming. It has also been hypothesized that this technology could assist sustainable development in rural communities that rely on small-scale organic agriculture. To gauge the present utility of open-source 3-D printers in this organic farm context both in the developed and developing world, this paper reviews the current open-source designs available and evaluates the ability of low-cost 3-D printers to be effective at reducing the economic costs of farming.This study limits the evaluation of open-source 3-D printers to only the most-developed fused filament fabrication of the bioplastic polylactic acid (PLA). PLA is a strong biodegradable and recyclable thermoplastic appropriate for a range of representative products, which are grouped into five categories of prints: handtools, food processing, animal management, water management and hydroponics. The advantages and shortcomings of applying 3-D printing to each technology are evaluated. The results show a general technical viability and economic benefit to adopting open-source 3-D printing for any of the technologies, although the individual economic impact is highly dependent on needs and frequency of use on a specific farm. Capital costs of a 3-D printer may be saved from on-farm printing of a single advanced analytical instrument in a day or replacing hundreds of inexpensive products over a year. In order for the full potential of open-source 3-D printing to be realized to assist organic farm economic resiliency and self-sufficiency, future work is outlined in five core areas: designs of 3-D printable objects, 3-D printing materials, 3-Dprinters, software and 3-D printable repositories.

License: CC BY 4.0;
In this webinar, the heinous consequences Green Revolution ( that uses the Second World war's poisonous wastes as pesticides and chemical fertilizers with non-indigenous seeds) have been shown by the panelists (Aparajita Sengupta, Debal Majumdar, Tipu Mondal, Ankan Joardar, Nitai Mal, Goutam Majhi and Debaprasad Bandyopadhyay). They also envisaged the "alternative" (?) method of "traditional" farming (parampara cas) by theoretically and practically shunning off the costly buzz word "organic farming" that subscribes Green Capitalism. The panelists were suggesting an ecotopia-- they are advocating for partyless, moneyless, self-reliant, local resource based, dialogue-based participatory and green democracy in the context of facing the consequences of anthropogenic glocal (global+local) heating.

See also: https://www.academia.edu/37298945/POLYCULTURE_DEFEATING_THE_MODERN_LAB_STATE

Yuhui Qiao, Niels Halberg, Saminathan Vaheesan and S. Scott. 2015. “Assessing the social and economic benefits of organic and fair trade tea production for small-scale farmers in Asia: A comparative case study of China and Sri Lanka.” Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. Advance online publication, doi: 10.1017/S1742170515000162

Programming generally used in computer science that interrelate all the  components  such a way so that not only it proved  to be use friendly but also  fast in execution.
Same concept is taken in this paper about organic farming(OF)  by including all the components i.e. basic ideology of  OF,  all the components i.e. primary industry , relation of OF with social ( food security),economical(self sustainable)and  environmental issues ( climate resilience), infrastructure of  knowledge, research market and policy support and acceptance. These all factors used in programming for promotion of OF in India with projection of  converting half of the  country into OF within 5 years. A separate planning also suggested for  rainfed and irrigated area.
It can be a status paper for all who are interested in policy making, production, research, marketing , social development ,environmental conservation with organic farming not only in India but also several parts of the world.

Abstract:
Many perennial plants are often huge biomass producers capable of capturing the solar energy and producing valuable nutrients, plants that represent food source for many herbivores. Some plants have toxic properties to some animal species whereas to others they represent a priority in herbivore’s diet. We investigated the influence of Armoracia rusticana and Symphytum officinale upon the development of one of the most farmed and consumed terrestrial snails Helix aspersa Muller (Cornu aspersum), an excellent animal protein source for humans. The experiments took place in town of Băişoara, Cluj County, Romania in the June – August 2010 interval. The adult Helix aspersa Muller snail populations in the witness lots display a survival mean rate under extreme heat wave and drought conditions of just 6.50 ± 1.29 while the population in the experimental lots with Armoracia rusticana and Symphytum officinale presented higher survival mean rate of 14.00 ±0.82 and 16.75 ±1.50 respectively. As far as prolificacy, the witness enclosure batches accounted for 100 ±5.72 while the batches in experimental enclosures accounted for 248.00 ±8.29 and 140.00 ±5.10 respectively. We included the fitness component test, as an indicative of snail’s vitality and energetic condition, measuring their crawling mean speed and the mean heart bit rate of new born baby snails that have similar body weights. While the heart bit rate differences between the different batches were not significant, the mean speed presented significant differences directing us to the conclusion that plants such as Armoracia rusticana and Symphytum officinale not only represent valuable nutritive foods to Helix aspersa Muller adults and youngsters but also have protective values against stress conditions such as severe drought and prolonged heat waves. Such plants can represent an additional assurance for an efficient and ecological snail farming technology as an important source of quality animal protein for human consumption, capable to deliver a high quantity of animal protein from a given land surface, representing a venue towards sustainable agro-economical development.

ÖZET
Sağlıklı gıda tüketim talebi bir bireyin en doğal hakkıdır. Bu talebin karşılanması amacıyla başta organik tarım olmak üzere alternatif yetiştiricilik sistemleri geliştirilmiştir. Organik tarımın yerel kültür ve mekan ile ilişkisi literatürde üzerinde durulmayan konulardır. Bu araştırma, literatürdeki bu boşluğu doldurmak amacıyla Aydın ve Van illerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmada organik tarım sektöründe faaliyet yürüten paydaşlara yönelik anket ve derinlemesine görüşmeleri içeren karma yöntem uygulanmıştır. Araştırma organik tarım ile kültür, mekan ve kalkınma (KMK) dinamikleri arasındaki ilişkinin açıklanması üzerine odaklanmaktadır. Bu ilişkinin bütüncül perspektiften açıklanmasında KMK Modeli geliştirilmiştir. KMK Modeli organik tarımın anlaşılmasında temel bir argüman olarak ileri sürülmektedir. Elde edilen bulgular ortaya koymaktadır ki organik tarım ile her iki yörenin kültürü arasında bir bağlantı vardır. Bu bağlantı tarımsal pratiklerde ve bilgi aktarımında ortaya çıkmakta ve tarımsal dirençle ilişkilidir. Ayrıca organik tarım mekanları altı başlık altında kavramsallaştırılmıştır. Organik tarım kırsal kalkınmaya ürün satışından ziyade devlet teşvikleri aracılığıyla katkı sunmaktadır. Türkiye’de organik tarım sektörü henüz istenilen gelişimi yakalayamamıştır. Bunun temel nedeni üretici ve tüketicinin organik tarım konusundaki bilgi ve bilinç düzeyinin yetersizliği ile organik ürüne ilişkin güven sorunudur. Ancak belirlenecek doğru politik stratejilerle sektördeki yanlışlıkların düzeltilmesi şimdilik mümkün görünmektedir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Organik Tarım, Kültür, Mekan, Sürdürülebilir Kırsal Kalkınma, Organik Tarım Politikası, Tarımsal Direnç, KMK Modeli

ABSTRACT
Demand for healthy food consumption is a basic right for a person. For covering this demand, several alternative farming systems, especially organic farming, are developed. Relations of organic farming with local culture and space are research gap. For filling research gap this thesis is conducted in Aydın and Van Provinces (Turkey). A mixed method including survey and in-depth interview technics which are applied on stakeholders in organic farming sector are carried out. Research mainly focuses on explanation of relations between organic farming and culture, space and development (CSD) dynamics. CSD Model is developed to understand this relation in holistic perspective. The model is put forwarded as basic argument for having a clear understand about organic farming. The findings clarify that there is a link between organic farming and local culture in research areas. This link is shown through farming practices and transmission of local farming knowledge. Also organic farming spaces are conceptualised under six subjects. Organic farming contributes to rural development via farming incentives, contrary to production sell. Organic farming sector in Turkey have not able to access desired trend yet. Basic reason for it is that knowledge and consciousness level of farmers and consumers are not enough. Also there are a issue of trust against to organic food. However; it is possible to overcome these mistakes in organic farming sector, thanks to suitable political strategies.
Keywords: Organic Farming, Culture, Space, Sustainable Rural Development, Organic Farming Policy, Farming Resilience, CSD Model.

"In my article defending Lo Cascio’s interpretation of the Augustan census figures and the consequent high estimate for the population of Italy under Augustus (comparable to the population of Italy ca. 1800), I deliberately avoided any comment on the level of agricultural productivity in Roman Italy. Nor did I address in any detail the possible defence of the Beloch-Toynbee-Brunt population hypothesis based upon estimates of the agricultural carrying capacity of Italy. One could argue that one is unlikely, using Greco-Roman agricultural methods, to be able to feed a population comparable to that of 19th century Italy, particularly given that anthropometric evidence suggests a level of nutrition for Roman Italy that would not be attained in Early Modern Italy until the mid-20th century. I find this argument unconvincing, however, and I will canvass a few of the arguments against it in my contribution to this colloquium. Pleket’s ground-breaking comparative analysis of Roman and Early Modern agrarian history, and evidence for a significantly higher level of agricultural intensification in the Mezzogiorno during the Roman period cast doubt on Brunt’s pessimistic model of Roman agriculture. In my talk, I will briefly outline some of my own and others’ recent agronomic research on the high productivity of Roman mixed farming and animal husbandry, pointing out how archaeozoological and archaeobotanical evidence contradicts the conventional view of the poverty of Greco-Roman farming.

The core of my paper will place the model of Toynbee and Brunt into a broader comparative perspective by examining the influence upon their picture of a conscious or unconscious analogy with English agrarian capitalism of the long 18th century, as typified by the enclosure movement and the Highland clearances. The orthodox interpretation of most Classical historians, influenced by Brunt’s pessimistic estimate of the productivity of farming by small-holding owner-occupiers, is based, I will argue, upon an uncritical acceptance of the hostile (and often self-interested) ideological attacks on peasant farming by the exponents of the English model of vast concentrated landholdings and large scale commercial tenant farming using landless labourers. I intend to examine this prejudice in the light of the critique of the Genevan economist Sismondi, using evidence for the productivity of 16th century English, and 17th and 18th century Dutch peasant farming as well as that of small holders in North America. I wish to show that the model of diversified intensive small-holdings idealized by the Romans and advocated by the Gracchi is in fact highly productive and commercially viable. I will show that the methods outlined by Cato the elder, and those later advocated, based on Hellenistic and Carthaginian agronomic practice, by Varro and Columella are well adapted for small-holders.

In addition, I wish to briefly address some weaknesses in the modern interpretation of the phenomenon of latifundia and the concentration of land-holdings contrary to the Licinian Sextian laws. Critical problems emerge in the conventional view as soon as one situates it within a broader historical perspective. Our ancient epigraphical and archaeological evidence argues strongly for the continued viability of small farms in the Gracchan period and beyond, a marked contrast with the profound proletarianization of the English rural populaton revealed in Bateman’s survey of landed property in Victorian England. Further, I will argue that the attitudes of wealthy Romans towards the acquisition and management of landed property strongly favour relatively small capital intensive farms rather than large or extensive estates, and will have placed far less pressure than is typically allowed upon the land available for small-holders. The Gracchan agrarian reforms can be seen as the acceleration of a long-standing and relatively uncontroversial Roman tradition of providing land grants to poor or landless farmers, so dramatically different from the adamant opposition of the English landed interest to the acquisition even of small garden plots by their labourers. The alarm of the Roman optimates ought therefore to be seen in terms of the broader political implications of the aggressive use of tribunician legislation to relax their grip on power, coming as it did, in the context of the successful popularis campaign to introduce the secret ballot, which had succeeded only a few years earlier, in 139 BC. Finally, I will argue that Rosenstein's critique of the Brunt thesis is even more compelling if one corrects for the low population estimate and pessimistic estimate of the productivity of peasant farms. It is highly likely that paid military service, supplemented with booty from successful campaigns, would have served as an important safety-valve to cushion the impact of the chronic land-hunger of Roman and Italian small-holders."

The following paper contributes to the ongoing sustainability research on the Greek island of Samothraki. The research conducted for this paper aims to understand the landscape of tourists’ food supply, since this has significant effects on the island’s sustainability. The food offered in restaurants, the perception of restaurant owners and food preferences of tourists were explored through interviews. Even though the restaurants use local ingredients from Samothraki to a certain degree, increased food demand and variation in seasonal products make it difficult to serve only local ingredients throughout the tourist season. Olive oil, goat and sheep meat and their dairy products, fish and seafood, as well as honey and wild vegetables are mainly purchased from local producers. Other ingredients are provided only partly locally, and many are imported. One of the obstacles that emerged was the insufficient local food production, another the legal situation when purchasing from local farmers. A close social network and capital largely influences the possibility to purchase local food. The EU subsidy system was also mentioned to counteract diverse local food production and sales. To enhance local food production, collaboration between restaurants and farmers should be promoted. Our findings show that the current legal situation not only prevents an increase in local food production, but it also drives producers to find illegal solutions for collaboration. Further research concerning local food production and sales, and the connection with EU regulations, is recommended.

There are impressive developments in agriculture since the 1950s. Satellite technology, and aviation, for example, has become natural elements. Robots and autonomous systems such as Greenbot are in-breaking right now.

At the same time the industry is facing increasing global challenges; challenges which cannot be met by improvements alone. One such challenge is soil compaction leading to lower yields. The key to prosperity for both companies and the sector as a whole is innovation.

This booklet presents a definition of the term innovation and a new innovation matrix that can help business developers as well as researcher to analyse phenomena that are presumed to be innovations. The innovation matrix has two dimensions: originality and Adoption and was developed by Per Frankelius at Linköping University.

The booklet also presents part of the Swedish ecosystem in agricultural innovation. The secret behind Sweden’s innovation successes is collaboration between companies, institutes, advisory bodies and universities. Platforms for new contacts, dialogue and co-production of innovative processes play an important role as well. Some researchers talk about the green sector’s ecosystem for innovation. Among the companies that are mentioned in the booklet are Scania (engines to combines), Energifabriken (fossil-free business), Ålö (loaders), Metsjö (traillers), Trelleborg (tires), Överum (plows, seeders etc) and Väderstad (harrows, seeders and many more kinds of agricultural machinery).

Some of the proactive Swedish companies and organisations that are helping to drive future agriculture were joining forces under the banner of Sweden Innovation Power. They attended the global Agritechnica exhibition in Hanover on 8 -14 November 2015 in the Sweden Innovation Power pavilion. These were ED Biogas (biogas reactor), Gothia Redskap (machinery for organic farming and mix farming), Torpa Gård (event organizer), JTI - Swedish Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering (institute), Smartplanes (drones), SSAB (high strength steel) and Vreta Kluster (meeting arena). The pavilion was coordinated by the trade fair organisation Elmia alongside the research project Grönovation (Greenovation) at Linköping University.

The last part of the booklet is a discussion around future farming. It is argued that world farmers are entering a fourth revolution. The meaning of this is slightly different from the meaning of the so-called Agriculture 4.0. Besides digital technology and sensors, the fourth revolution according to this booklet is characterised by service dominant logic and much more business development in contrast to the “production paradigm” that has been central in about the last hundred years.

For more information see www.gronovation.com.

Climate change is projected to increase the seasonality in river flows in the great river systems of Himalaya and impose challenges to regional food production. Since climate change increases the uncertainty in local weather patterns, people’s ability to maintain local agricultural production will probably depend on how flexible the local farming systems are to adjust to unpredictable changes. The objective of this paper is to investigate the flexibility of one such farming system which is located in Mustang, Nepal, Himalaya. Defining flexibility as “uncommitted potentialities for change” following Gregory Bateson, the paper identifies opportunities for change in the farming system, as well as factors that constrain flexibility. Further developing the concept of flexibility, it is suggested that flexibility may be analyzed in terms of scope, type and temporal flexibility. Although there are several underexploited resources in the studied farming system, the present situation is not regarded as one of irrational and suboptimal exploitation of resources. Instead, unexploited resources imply opportunities for change, which provide the system with flexibility to rapidly adjust agricultural production to varying and uncertain conditions of production.

Organic farming is the sector that most easily perceives new trends in the sustainable rural development process and the ecological approach to agriculture. In addition, it faces a number of social, economic, administrative and environmental problems. The increasing role of organic production within the European Union has led to a thorough study of the problems facing the sector. At the same time, Bulgaria recorded the largest increase of organic farming areas from all countries in the European Union for the period between 2010 and 2016. On the other hand, the tendencies for negative socio-economic development of rural areas, including the lower levels of economic activity, alter the potential of the sector of organic farming in the country. The article aims to show that organic farming is a successful alternative that contributes through its innovativeness and higher added value to the attractiveness of the sector and the engagement of younger producers. The results demonstrate that organic farming could boost rural competitiveness and support the socio-economic development of those areas

Dans le prolongement de l’éditorial de Décisions Marketing : « La proximité est-elle une nouvelle mode du marketing ? », cet article interroge la pertinence managériale du concept de proximité en vente directe de produits alimentaires. Via des études empiriques menées dans trois circuits - l’AMAP, le Point de Vente Collectif et le marché – nous montrons qu’il est pertinent de diagnostiquer la proximité perçue par les consommateurs car elle influence positivement la confiance à l’égard des circuits étudiés et permet de les discriminer. Une fois l’intérêt du concept démontré, des recommandations sont formulées autour de deux interrogations : quels types de proximité encourager et comment développer la proximité perçue en vente directe.

In line with the Editorial of Décisions Marketing “Is proximity a new marketing trend?”, the aim of this article is to question the managerial relevance of the concept of proximity within the context of direct selling of food products. Through empirical studies in three supply chains - French CSA (AMAP), farm shops and direct selling on markets- we show the interest of assessing perceived proximity since it has a positive influence on consumers trust towards the studied supply chains and allows to discriminate them. The relevance of the concept of proximity being supported, recommendations are then emphasized on two points: which kinds of proximity to encourage and how to enhance proximity in food direct selling.

In recent years, farmers’ markets have been rapidly spreading due to their ability to meet the needs of consumers who are guided by ethical, responsible and green values. By purchasing fresh, organic and local products at farmers’ markets, consumers satisfy their current concerns for nutrition, health, well-being and a return to a “normal” way of living, while also supporting local farmers. Several studies have investigated this phenomenon from either an economic or from a rural-agricultural point of view. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the first stream of studies, and it particularly aims at analyzing the behavior of shoppers who frequent farmers’ markets. Through an empirical analysis conducted on shoppers at three Italian farmers’ markets, this study identifies the profile of such shoppers and determines the reasons for their satisfaction at farmers’ markets. Using a regression analysis, this study suggests and successfully tests the impact of a factor known as “perceived customer-company-territory interaction” (CCTI) on shoppers’ satisfaction. CCTI registers the perceived (intangible) value created through the social-economic interactions among customers, local companies (farms) and their territory. Thus, we found that the shoppers’ satisfaction was not only influenced by tangible aspects, such as the product quality and the comparative price convenience, but that satisfaction is also influenced by the complementary impact of an intangible factor, CCTI. The findings in this study might assist in the development of useful and strategic insights to manage this “new” phenomenon. In particular, the study offers suggestions to several players, including public policy makers, public organizations, farmers’ markets’ organizers and traditional retailers.

This article explores how food system localisation efforts in Metro Vancouver, Canada, intersect with tensions in the global agri-food system, including racial inequalities. Drawing on archival research, participant observation of local food marketing and policy-making, and interviews with local food movement participants, policy-makers, and Chinese-Canadian farmers, we explore factors that have influenced the emergence of a food system comprised of at least two parallel food networks, both of which challenge dominant modes of food production and distribution. An older network consists of roadside stores and greengrocers supplied by Chinese-Canadian farmers. A newer, rapidly expanding network includes farmers' markets and other institutions publicly supported by the local food movement. Both networks are “local” in that they link producers, consumers, and places; however, these networks have few points of intentional connection and collaboration. We conclude by considering some of the subtle and surprising ways food justice is, and is not, being realised in the Metro Vancouver local food system.

The increasingly demand of chicken meat in Nigeria has prompted more poultry farming with consequent effect on increased utilization of organic wastes (e.g chicken manure) as fertilizers. Organic wastes contain varying amounts of water, mineral nutrients & organic matter. While the use of organic wastes as manure has been in practice for centuries word-wide. A field experiment was conducted at the experimental garden of the Department of Agric Education, Federal College of Education, Katsina between the month of June-July, 2014 to study of effect of varying levels of poultry manure obtained from battery cage and deep letter systems on the growth and yield of Amaranthus cruentus. The treatments consisted of 3-levels each of poultry manure (0, 10 and 15 t ha-1), the treatments were arranged in Randomised complete block design (RCBD) and replicated three times. The parameters studied were plant height; number of leaves, stem girth and leaf area/plant. The result showed that application of poultry manure obtained from deep litter system at the rate of 15 t ha-1 increases the growth performance of Amaranths.

A plethora of ethical issues in livestock agriculture has emerged to public attention in recent decades, of which environmental and animal welfare concerns are but two, albeit prominent, themes. For livestock agriculture to be considered sustainable, somehow these interconnected themes need to be addressed. Ethical debate on these issues has been extensive, but mostly started from and focused on single issues. The views of farmers in these debates have been largely absent, or merely figured as interests, instead of being considered morally worthwhile themselves. In this paper the relevance for ethical debates of the ways farmers discuss and engage with moral concerns is explored. The variety of norms that figure in contemporary farming practices is sketched in its multifarious complexity, illustrated by ethnographic fieldwork, and systematized in terms of “orders of worth.” Reviewing the practical arguments and commitments of farmers within this framework reveals that farming practices are subject to mixed motives, in which an amalgam of types of concerns play a role. Recognition of the peculiarly entangled nature of the ethics of farming practices could counter the tendency in policy making, technological innovation, and ethical thought to compartmentalize our moral landscape. Understanding farming practice as the integration of a mosaic of concerns in the light of a variety of moral experiences would foster public appreciation of positions of farmers in debates on improving the sustainability and societal acceptability of livestock agriculture.

As committed environmentalists, organic farmers can feel pressured abandon their traditional resistance to using chemical pesticides because of the supposedly overwhelming, imminent threat posed by 'invasive species'. I un-simplify the invasive species issue and offer a short argument against bowing to that pressure.

There is increasing concern about human health and environmental contamination risks associated with the extensive use of mineral fertilizer. Organic matter is a fundamental in soil, but dynamic component of soils that influences the many chemical, physical and biological properties that regulate soil productivity. Objective of using humic substances in plant is to balance vegetative and reproductive growth as well as to improve yield. This experiment was conducted to complete randomized block design with four replications at Islamic Azad University Shahr-e-Qods Branch, Tehran, Iran. In this study, field trials were conducted to evaluate the influence of Humic Acid on the development and yield of yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.). Results showed that the Humic Acid significantly improved the development and yield. The finding may give applicable advice to eco farmer and agricultural researchers and the objectives of this study were to effect of Humic Acid on Essential oil and Flowering shoot yields in yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.).

There has been particular interest in ‘alternative’ food over the last 10 years, with many policymakers and researchers throughout the Minority World following a growing number of consumers and producers in supporting organic farming and a host of ‘alternative’ food networks. To date, there has been a  tendency for theory and policy to emerge somewhat divorced from the grounded practices and  experiences of producer-suppliers themselves within these networks. Urging a shift from ‘alternativity’ to ‘sustainability’ as a more critical and valuable tool to analyse food networks, this paper draws upon in-depth ethnographic research with small-scale producer-supplier case studies in south Wales and  Southern Ontario. In so doing it explores often overlooked voices and stories within sustainable food discourses. Focusing on the value of farmer-led understandings and responses, the paper highlights important implications for policymakers and consumers and outlines future research on sustainable food networks.

Soil amendment using organic fertilizer has been used widely to dispose animal waste, reduce environmental pollution and improve soil and fruit quality. The objective of this two-year study was to assess the influence of organic and conventional systems on growth, marketable yield, head quality (chlorogenic acid and cynarin concentration) and soil chemical properties of globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus). Cultivars used were De-serto, Lulu, Romolo, 11-018, 12-179, Green Globe Improved and Imperial Star. Fertilizers were applied to both conventional and organic soil through drip irrigation system. In both years, significant differences were found across cultivars and soil type. Although cultivar response to soil system treatments were inconsistent across the two growing seasons, the cv. Imperial Star had the lowest marketable yield and head quality. Artichoke grown in the conventional field had higher plant height and width, chlorophyll content index (SPAD), leaf area index (LAI), stomatal conductance (gs), photosynthesis (Pn) and marketable yield. Conversely, artichoke head quality from the organic field was higher than conventional. Organic system increased chlorogenic acid by 31% and cy-narin by 12% compared to the conventional system. In fact, after two years of soil amendment, organic fertilizer improved soil respiration-CO 2 (soil health indicator) by 20-fold compared to chemical fertilizer (conventional field). Overall, based on this two-year study we suggest organic farming as the best system to improve soil and head quality of globe artichoke, but it may not be the best option for farmers when yield is the primary target short-term.

This study was conducted at the College of Agricultural Studies, Sudan University of Science and Technology Farm to evaluate the residual effect of the recommended dose of Sevin, a carbamate insecticide, and Malathion, an organophosphate insecticide, on the growth of jews mallow and soil. Two doses of each insecticide (recommended 1.9kg/ha and higher 2.8kg/ha, respectively) in addition to a control without pesticide were used in two separate experiments. The experimental units were in completely randomized design with four replications. The parameters measured were (plant height, leaf area, root length and shoot fresh and dry weight) for jews mallow growth and pH, total nitrogen, extractable phosphorus and electric conductivity (Ece.) of the soil. The result showed that, the recommended dose of both pesticides (Sevin and Malathion) has significant positive effect on all growth parameters. The recommended dose gave the highest plants (72 and 76cm), leaf area (171.7and 220 cm2) and shoot fresh and dry weight (7.3, 2.2, 7.4 and 2.7g) compared to the control or the highest dose for Sevin and Malathion , respectively. The total nitrogen percentage was significantly affected by both
pesticides. The soil pH and electric conductivity (Ece.) were not significantly affected.

In a current climate of environmental, social and economic inequality it is imperative that designers contribute towards sustainable development. South Africa has a dual economy as a result of ingrained economic division which poses a challenge for designers when designing for the developing sector because they predominantly form part of the developed sector of society. The most pervasive method adopted for design interventions of a developmental nature, especially when designers are from a different context to the intended users, is User-Centred Design. This paper proposes the addition of an intentional designer influence or ‘nudge’ throughout the design process as well as in the final products use in order to address global and national agendas, and ensure more resilience in the product intervention. A case study of the design and development of single-household farming kit is used to explore the application of this approach. In the case study a vital aspect for the resilience of the kit is the system upon which it relies: the South African food chain/s. A decentralized model is encouraged through the use of the designers influence on the end users and this ultimately results in a more resilient product.

Agro-environmental schemes (AES) aim to counteract declining biodiversity on farmland and to improve ecosystem services, such as pollination and pest regulation. Studies show, however, that an involvement in AES does not lead to any substantive cognitive or motivational change in farmers’ behaviour. Hermeneutic studies have tried to explain these modest effects by analysing farmers’ mentalities and behaviour. This article contributes to these studies by using self-identifications and stories of 16 Swedish farmers about nature and AES to create a typology of different farmers’ valuations. In pursuit of this objective the article establishes a conceptual link between these hermeneutic studies and so-called farming style analysis (FSA). The study lays bare latent points of friction between the views of these farmers and more conventional sociocultural notions about nature and nature conservation.

Liberalisation and/or globalisation and its supposed effect on agriculture play an important role in debates about the future of agriculture. In this discussion, liberalisation and globalisation often manifest themselves as irreversible trends, which will have an unequivocal effect on agricultural practices. In this article I want to show, by making use of a research conducted in rural Australia, that this notion neglects the specific capacities and strategies of actors at local level. As starting point, the different theoretical positions held in the scientific debate on liberalisation/globalisation will be discussed, with special reference to the farming styles theory. More information is given on the theoretical and methodological features of this specific research. Next, the political and economic context of Australia will be explained. Followed by a description of the dimensions of farm development and their significance in practice. Furthermore, the research findings are presented by making use of the theoretical concept of farming styles. Finally, the conclusions of this research are discussed with special emphasis on the specific local strategies of actors, which develop as reactions to processes of liberalisation and globalisation.

Agriculture is under a severe crisis in India. Most Indian farmers are either small or marginal and survive on subsistence farming. 70 percent of the country depends on agriculture and related livelihoods. Majority of landholdings are less than 1 hectare. The burden of increasing cost of production and declining state procurement at remunerative prices has resulted in reduced farm incomes.  The policy-induced shift from “food first” to “trade first” and production of food grains for the market has exposed Indian farmers to the volatile world of commodity market. The lack of employment opportunities and reduced income have resulted in an unprecedented reduction in per capita availability of food grains for the rural poor, pushing a huge section of almost three quarters of the rural population below “the poverty line”. Endemic hunger (i.e. chronic under nutrition) is high both in families without assets like land or livestock, as well as in families with small land holdings without access to irrigation.
The widespread phenomenon of farmers’ suicide in almost every part of India constitutes a cruel testimony to the destitution among farmers and increasing agrarian crisis. Since 1995, more than 250,000 farmers have committed suicide. The NSSO survey (July 2005) revealed that nearly 40 percent of farmers would like to quit farming, if they have the option to do so. Agriculture is not economical for small farmers anymore, since s/he does it out of compulsion. Despite this, there is a constant attempt by policy makers, influenced by neoliberal policies of international institutions (like the World Bank and the WTO), to push for corporate driven, export oriented agriculture which has rendered small farms unviable. This is manifested in indebtedness, increasing farmer suicides and indifference towards farming.
In order to make small farms viable, ensuring community control over natural commons like seeds, water and land is vital. Neoliberal policies promoted by the World Bank, the IMF, the Asian Development Bank and other IFIs are pushing for privatization and commodification of commons on the basis of an illusion that scarce resources must be exclusively held and valued by private individuals in order for their use to be efficient, and for their allocation/ distribution to be conducted simply and cheaply via market mechanisms. There is an alarming rise in land and water grabbing across the region, spurred by large-scale agricultural, industrial and infrastructure investments, real estate booms, urbanization and extractive industries. Equally alarming is the monopolization of genetic resources, mainly seeds, which are the foundation of agriculture and the first link in the food chain. As landscapes are privatized, and their resources commodified and sold to distant markets, communities are being dispossessed of their land, resources and livelihoods. With the loss of their homes, their lands, their commons, the livelihoods of the landless become precarious, and distress out-migration to the slums of the cities increases.
As a viable response, small scale farming and agroecological practices have thrown open several debates across the globe. The issues revolving around investments, technology and markets are getting bigger than ever. Food- nutrition –livelihood security along with food sovereignty and climate change are slowly but surely emerging as a response to the economic-social-cultural and ecological crisis brought by global capitalism. How do these work in capitalist economies? What are the negotiations with the changing climate conditions and challenging market conditions? How equitable are these practices for nature and people ?
Case studies presented here are lived experiences of small farmers in India who are breaking hegemonic practices (since the Green Revolution) to improve soil’s health through non-chemical inputs, increase productivity, balance biodiversity and be food sufficient with the changing climatic conditions.  This booklet is an attempt to highlight the advantages of agro ecological practices for small and marginal farmers. We travelled far and wide to understand how farmers are growing what they want to grow, preserving indigenous and local seeds, eating nutritious and healthy food, increasing the quantity of their produce and increasing their income by selling in markets. These local practices are not just ways of thinking or alternatives; they are based on knowledge and practices of the communities and people. They contain insights that when appropriately applied can help farmers and communities in promoting local food, adapt better to climate change and enhance production to increase incomes and balance biodiversity.