Multicriteria analysis applied to the sustainable agriculture problem

SUMMARY

The aim of this paper is to present an operational approach to compare the relative sustainability of existing farming systems. Sustainability rests on the assumption that an equilibrium must exist among three domains: social, economic and ecological. If we are to look for a solution to the problem, we must face a multi-dimensional approach. We propose that multicriteria analysis, a multi-dimensional method, is an appropriate methodology to study the issue. As sustainability cannot be measured directly, the way out is to use indicators. We have performed a thorough analysis of four farming systems existing in Guaíra, SP, Brazil to validate the methodology. Thirty indicators of sustainability (ten ecological, ten social, and ten economic) were defined and used to perform the analysis. The results of the multicriteria analysis proved useful because of its capability of reducing the dimensionality of the problem. From the three dimensions of sustainability, a final score was derived that can easily compare the relative sustainability of each farming system.     

Application of analytical hierarchy process and geographic information systems in land-use suitability evaluation: a case study of Dümrek village (Çanakkale,Turkey)

This study used both analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and geographic information systems (GIS) to make a land-use suitability analysis for the village of Dümrek, NW Turkey. Primarily, alternative land uses for agriculture, meadow–pasture and forest were determined along with criteria for these alternatives and a hierarchical structure was produced and used to determine the weights of the criteria. Spatial data were identified by means of GIS and calculations were made using the suitability values specified and weights obtained from AHP. Suitability maps were then produced for the above land use alternatives. Subsequently, a synthesized suitability map was formed from these maps. According to the weights specified by AHP, the order of land use preferences among the alternatives for rural development of Dümrek was agriculture, forest and meadow. The synthesized suitability map showed that the areas allocated for forest and agriculture were close to the present ratios of use; however, meadow land, which does not exist at present, should be allocated as a land use to constitute 12.5% of the study area. Achieving sustainability in land use is possible by planners and administrators considering results obtained from land suitability mapping studies at the stage of allocating land uses. The method applied in this research is considered useful when taking policy decisions covering the evaluation of rural land use, particularly for subunits of the state administration.     

Biofuels and agriculture: a past perspective and uncertain future

The US corn ethanol industry has grown from virtually nothing in the early 1980s to over 14 billion gallons in 2011. Subsidies have been an important impetus for the industry, and they have existed in one form or another throughout the life of the industry. This paper provides (1) a brief look at the history of the linkages between energy and agriculture and how they have changed with biofuels; (2) a review of some of the major impacts of the US corn ethanol program; and (3) analysis of prospective impacts of cellulosic biofuels. There is no doubt that biofuels have brought about a new era for global agriculture. Historically, the prices of agricultural and energy products moved in response to supply and demand factors relevant to each market, but moved largely independent of one another. Corn ethanol has changed that, and today there is a link between crude oil and corn that is driven by the demand side. Since agricultural commodity prices are linked both on the demand and supply sides, the corn–crude oil link spills over to other agricultural commodities as well. Development of cellulosic biofuels has been much slower than hoped. The feedstocks are more expensive than initially believed. Conversion technologies remain uncertain and expensive. There are many uncertainties through the cellulosic supply chain, and government policy remains uncertain as well. Thus, the future of the cellulosic biofuels industry is, at this point, an open question.     

Sustainability aspects of vegetable production in the peri-urban environment of Bogotá, Colombia

Although the peri-urban region around Bogotá, Colombia contains a diversified horticulture sector, local vegetable production suffers from a critical lack of research and availability of un-biased, scientifically validated information on crop management. In this study, we identify current trends and deficiencies in fertilisation and pest management for local vegetable production. We relate pesticide type with target pests, evaluate temporal patterns in pesticide and fertiliser use for a key crop (i.e. spinach) and conduct basic nutrient budget accounting. Personal interviews with vegetable growers were combined with a detailed follow-up of management activities and soil nutrient profiles on pilot farms in two different peri-urban municipalities. Most (84%) vegetable growers relied on personal experience, and indicated a lack of unbiased information on fertiliser effectiveness and pesticide action spectra. The majority of farmers used pesticide mixtures on a calendar basis and commonly applied products below recommended doses. Soil nutrient accounts indicate insufficient fertilisation and a progressive depletion of key nutrients. Extraction rates for the principal vegetable crops exceeded by 33.6%, 20.5% and 93.0% soil nutrient availability of N, P and K, respectively. Organic products are included in local fertilisation schemes, with chicken manure as the principal source, at an average application rate of 6 t ha^?1. Our findings could help policymakers and local institutions set a research and extension agenda to promote sustainable peri-urban vegetable production and help secure peri-urban livelihoods while ensuring healthy and safe horticultural production.     

The livestock production system in a village ecosystem in the Rawain Valley,Uttarakhand, Central Himalaya

Animals in the Himalayan region are reared basically to supplement the family income and sustain crop production, and constitute an important component of the rural economy of the region. Given the ecological importance of the livestock production system in terms of intrinsic values as a life support system for local people and a contribution towards sustainable agriculture through its role in the maintenance of soil fertility, the present study was conducted. This paper describes and assesses the current status of livestock production systems, monetary input/output, status of available forest resources, current level of pressure on the livestock production system and recommends strategies for sustainable development of a livestock production system in the Rawain Valley of Central Himalaya.     

黑龙江海伦农业区冬春PM2.5和气态污染物污染特征

2011~2012年冬春期间(11月到翌年4月),通过设置在海伦农田生态系统国家野外科学观测研究站内的在线监测仪器获取了PM2.5和气态污染物(NOx、O3和SO2)质量浓度的时间变化,同时结合地面气象资料和HYSPLIT后向气团轨迹模型分析了该地大气污染物的污染水平、可能来源及传输过程.结果表明:观测期间PM2.5、NOx和SO2的24h均值(范围)分别为(54.7±45.7)(8.0~217.8),(23.0±11.5)(4.5~59.6), (10.0±10.3)(0.3~56.0)μg/m3, O3的日最大8h平均值(范围)为(62.4±18.7)(24.1~173.5)μg/m3,其中除O3在4月份超过国家一级标准8d外,其它气态污染物均未超过国家一级标准;PM2.5超过国家二级标准的天数为40d,占整个观测期间的22.5%.PM2.5和SO2各月质量浓度变化较大,最高值出现在12月份,是冬季采暖的高峰期.NOx、PM2.5和SO2日变化呈双峰型,峰值出现在07:00和17:00左右;O3为单峰型,峰值出现13:00~15:00.通过对海伦地区72h内HYSPLIT后向气团轨迹模拟结果和该站点的气象数据进行分析,表明该农业区大气污染受本地源和区域输送共同影响,偏南气流易造成污染物积累,而偏北气流有利于污染物扩散.     

促进植物生长根圈细菌(PGPR)的研究现状

有机农业提倡与自然共存不破坏平衡,而自然界的土壤中存在许多可促进植物生长的植物根圈微生物(plant growth promoting rhizobacteria,PGPR),此类微生物可分泌促进植物生长的物质,并可诱导植物产生抗性基因,增强植物抗病.PGPR可产生有机物质促进植物生长,改善土壤肥力,增加可溶性磷及铁,诱发植物抗病、克服逆境、增强营养吸收,固氮或防治病害等,在有机农业上有助于植物增产,改善农业对化学肥料的依赖,生产出健康的作物.参25.     

Is current agronomy ready to promote sustainable agriculture? Identifying key skills and competencies needed

The quest for agricultural sustainability generates the need to develop functional support schemes aimed at supplying farmers with knowledge, information and appropriate solutions, thus smoothing the transition towards sustainable agriculture (SA). In this vein, it is expected that agronomists have to play a key role, plotting the course for a sustainable farming future. Nevertheless, a critical question is whether agronomists possess the skills and competencies needed to motivate and guide this transition process. Two studies were designed to examine which clusters of agronomists’ skills and competencies determine their ability to promote SA. Study 1, using data from a sample of farmers, revealed that agronomists’ level of knowledge on issues pertaining to SA, their networking capacities, facilitation competencies, and communication skills affect their ability to guide the transition towards sustainable farm production. Study 2, drawing on data from a sample of agronomists, confirmed the pivotal role of sustainability knowledge, facilitation skills and networking competencies on the aptitude to promote SA. Both studies uncovered that agronomists display low to moderate levels of these skills. Taken together, these results point out the need to reorganize agronomic (formal and lifelong) education in order to equip agronomists with new competencies and to enable them to effectively promote SA.     

Large carnivore hunting and the social license to hunt

The social license to operate framework considers how society grants or withholds informal permission for resource extractors to exploit publicly owned resources. We developed a modified model, which we refer to as the social license to hunt (SLH). In it we similarly consider hunters as operators, given that wildlife are legally considered public resources in North America and Europe. We applied the SLH model to examine the controversial hunting of large carnivores, which are frequently killed for trophies. Killing for trophies is widespread, but undertaken by a minority of hunters, and can pose threats to the SLH for trophy-seeking carnivore hunters and potentially beyond. Societal opposition to large carnivore hunting relates not only to conservation concerns but also to misalignment between killing for trophies and dominant public values and attitudes concerning the treatment of animals. We summarized cases related to the killing of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos), wolves (Canis lupus), and other large carnivores in Canada, the United States, and Europe to illustrate how opposition to large carnivore hunting, now expressed primarily on social media, can exert rapid and significant pressure on policy makers and politicians. Evidence of the potential for transformative change to wildlife management and conservation includes proposed and realized changes to legislation, business practice, and wildlife policy, including the banning of some large carnivore hunts. Given that policy is ultimately shaped by societal values and attitudes, research gaps include developing increased insight into public support of various hunting policies beyond that derived from monitoring of social media and public polling. Informed by increased evidence, the SLH model can provide a conceptual foundation for predicting the likelihood of transient versus enduring changes to wildlife conservation policy and practice for a wide variety of taxa and contexts.     

新疆农用拖拉机排放清单及特征研究

分别应用参数本土化的NON-ROAD模型和生态环境部发布的《非道路移动源大气污染物排放清单编制技术指南》估算了新疆1993—2018年农业生产用拖拉机PM₁₀、PM_2.5、HC、NO_x和CO等污染物排放清单.同时,结合NON-ROAD模型特性、排放清单和区域现状,从定量和定性2个维度剖析了2种排放清单编制方法的适应性和污染物排放演变态势.最后,基于3种不同方法对污染物排放的潜在影响因素进行分析.结果表明：①基于参数本土化的NON-ROAD模型在建立特定区域排放清单方面具有一定参考价值.②1993—2018年新疆农用拖拉机污染物排放呈现出平稳上升、波动、快速增长、平稳、下降等不同态势,总体上,1993—2017年污染物排放增加25156.69 t,但在2018年出现较大幅度下降,同时单位功率排放也明显下降,表明近年来采取的强有力排放控制措施在抑制大气污染物排放方面的成效明显.③2006年之后大中型拖拉机年均排放总量占比为70.9%,小型拖拉机年均排放占比为29.1%,短期内随着时间的推移两者的差距将越来越大,揭示大中型拖拉机是污染物排放控制的关键.④对污染物排放影响因素的定量分析结果发现,农业经济发展水平对区域污染物排放总量变化起决定性作用.本研究在建立污染物排放清单、污染物排放影响因素定量分析及区域污染物排放治理政策制定方面有一定参考价值.