Indicators of sustainability as a tool in agricultural development: partitioning scientific and participatory processes

SUMMARY

Sustainable indicators have become popular tools by which policymakers can assess progress towards a more sustainable agriculture. Varying approaches to defining sustainability lead to disagreement about the value of indicators and yet some form of measurement is required so that society can judge the effects of policy. Environmental and social problems and their causes span national boundaries. An international framework for assessing agricultural activities, their effects and the pressures that drive those activities is therefore required. However, a guiding principle of the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development is that global problems require local action. Thus, indicators must provide information for policymakers as well as guidance for farmers and other practitioners. Many indicator programmes currently proposed do not provide this level of guidance as no evaluation as to what level of activity is sustainable has been agreed. A model is presented, to show how scientific and political or participatory approaches may be combined to meet the multiple objectives of involving people, maintaining scientific integrity and providing guidance for policymakers and practitioners alike.     

Assessing the relative impacts of the factors affecting MIS adoption process

Micro-irrigation systems (MIS) have been at the forefront of policy-making and social research in exploring determinants that could potentially impact the adoption of MIS technologies in the field to fulfil the basic aim of enhanced agricultural productivity and enriched nutritional quality of the produce with optimal adoption of natural resources. Therefore, this study was undertaken to determine why MIS technologies have not been adopted to the extent anticipated, so that suitable policy schemes, promotional schemes and socio-technical frameworks could be formulated for their enhanced adoption to enhance the socio-economic status of the farming community in the Dahod district of Gujarat State, India. A study of 350 non-MIS (NMIS) and 350 MIS farmers was conducted to identify factors affecting the MIS adoption process. The logit model was fitted using XLSTAT software (XLSTAT 2014.1.04) to the explanatory variables (determinants) of the MIS adoption process. Type III analysis and ANOVA were conducted to test the relative significance of the explanatory variables adopted. It was found that total income had the highest weight (or beta coefficient, i.e. 0.625) followed by total land area (0.546), motor horsepower (0.499), dependency ratio (0.397), and education (0.295) and age of household head (0.207). Furthermore, to assess the efficacy of the logit model, the ROC curve was also developed and the AUC was found to be 0.881, and therefore the model was considered to discriminate well in identifying the factors affecting the MIS adoption process. The study found that higher total income and education level increase the likelihood of MIS adoption and agricultural water management, and therefore special training programmes on installation, as well as repair and maintenance, of MIS systems and agricultural water management can be planned at the institutional/organisation level. The total cultivable area is also one of the important determinants in MIS adoption, and therefore the adoption of MIS schemes should not be restricted to large farmers only, but rather should be extended to both small and marginal farmers.     

Facilitating resilient rural-to-urban sustainable agriculture and rural communities

ABSTRACT

This article contributes to efforts to validate a common set of parameters and principles of sustainable agriculture. Comparisons between alternative forms of sustainable agriculture and rural-to-urban community resilience are investigated. Conclusions are drawn between multiple sustainable/alternative agriculture systems and evaluated. A set of common baseline parameters and principles is proposed as a method of evolving a common structural framework for strengthening sustainability of agriculture and rural contexts. Concepts of rural-to-urban community sustainability are proposed, supporting sustainable agriculture contexts as rural and urban. In the twenty-first century, agriculture is becoming more diversified and less typified as a rural occupation. Urban agriculture is expanding as the need for fresh, affordable, accessible agriculture produce increases in urban areas. Evidence supports symbiotic relationships between sustainable agriculture and rural/urban communities, although some claim this relationship has not been clearly defined.

This article investigates sustainable agriculture from two perspectives. We ask ‘what are common parameters and principles of the various forms of sustainable agriculture,’ and ‘why urban-to-rural context.’ Organic agriculture parameters and principles are proposed as a conceptual framework toward establishing baseline parameters and principles for sustainable agriculture. Best management parameters of urban and rural sustainable agriculture in the United States and the United Kingdom are examined for their potential to develop a strengthening framework of parameters and principles of agriculture and rural-to-urban sustainability. These results are compared and evaluated for their effectiveness in redefining current sustainable agriculture practices, and their value in strengthening sustainable agriculture symbiosis with rural-to-urban community systems.     

低碳农业评价指标体系的构建及对广东的评价

本文对低碳农业评价指标体系的构建进行深入探讨,主要从农业生产要素产出效率、能源利用低碳化水平、农业生产方式低碳化水平、农业碳汇效应4个维度构建指标体系,并运用德尔菲法、加乘混合合成法确立综合指标评价值及设定低碳农业发展水平的等级评价标准,以此为科学量化评价农业低碳发展水平提供一个简便工具,实现对低碳农业评价由定性描述向定量分析的转变。在此基础上,将该评价指标体系应用于对广东省低碳农业发展综合评价的实证研究,以期为农业决策者制定和实施科学的低碳发展政策提供依据。研究结果显示,2006-2010年广东省低碳农业发展水平与低碳农业发展要求尚有较大差距,处于从较高碳发展水平向中碳发展水平迈进的阶段;“农业生产方式低碳化水平”成为广东农业低碳发展的最大制约性因素;与全国其他9省区比较,广东省低碳农业发展综合指数属于中等偏下的位次。由此可见,当前广东省高碳化的现代农业发展模式,成为阻碍低碳农业发展的最大因素;而坚持现有耕地的有效保护与合理拓展有效耕地面积,并因地制宜地提高农地的复种指数,对增强广东种植业的碳汇效应,保护和改善生态环境具有关键性的作用。     

农业发展与环境协调性评价及其影响因素分析

利用中国1997~2009年间省际面板数据,在方向性距离函数模型的框架下测度农业环境技术效率,评价农业发展与环境的协调程度,并考察其演变的时空特征和驱动机制.结果表明:农业发展与环境协调性整体偏低,并且研究期内呈现波动状态;不同省(市)环境与农业发展协调性差异较大,其空间分布与经济发展水平、农业生产条件存在着对应关系;经济发展水平、农业结构变动、农业基础设施投资、农业资源禀赋和农业环境管理政策等因素对农业发展-环境协调性产生重要影响,这应是农业环境管理政策创新的重点.     

基于熵信息扩散理论的中国农业水旱灾害风险评估

农业水旱灾害是制约中国农业生产的重要因素。针对信息扩散理论模型存在的不足,论文构建了评估中国农业水旱灾害风险的熵信息扩散理论模型,依据1985-2013年数据资料,运用熵信息扩散理论模型对中国大陆30个省、市、自治区（重庆包含在四川中计算）的农业水旱灾害进行了风险评估,根据农业水旱灾害风险评估结果对中国农业水旱灾害风险进行了综合对比分析。评估和分析结果表明：中国面临着较大的农业水旱灾害风险压力;中国农业旱灾风险明显大于农业水灾风险;农业水旱灾害空间风险特征明显;农业水灾高中风险区域主要集中在长江中下游地区和东北地区,农业旱灾高风险区域主要集中在中国北部地区和东北地区,总体上看,中国农业水旱灾害的空间分布格局是南方地区易出现水灾,而北部地区易出现旱灾,东北地区面临水旱灾害重叠的双重压力。     

依靠科技进步 发展低碳农业

在全球携手应对气候变暖、减少温室气体排放的背景下,发展低碳经济是解决气候变化与经济发展矛盾的有效途径。通过描述气候变化、固碳减排对粮食安全、土壤碳汇、森林固碳、资源循环利用等影响和促进作用,深入分析发展低碳经济与可持续发展的关系,探讨如何在农业领域内开发高效循环生产体系,从而实现农业生产过程的固碳减排目的。由此,提出发展低碳农业是实现低碳经济的目标之一,它是一个复合技术体系,涉及了绿色农业、循环农业、生态文明、可持续发展理念。必须通过科学技术的突破,改造、提升低碳农业技术,改变农业现有的＂高能耗、高污染＂的生产状况,实现低碳生产、生活方式的转变。最后提出发展现代的低碳农业产业经济的对策和思考。     

Footedness and Mounting—Short Review and Two Case Studies

Footedness is a personal quality like handedness. Footedness may be associated with moving ability during mounting, dismounting, and jumping movements. Occupational accidents have occurred during movement at different working levels, during the use of access and exit systems, and during the mounting of vehicles. Aging can also affect accident risk and body laterality. For example, falling accidents on stairs are common among the elderly. One reason for accidents may be that the structure of the access system or stair system is unsuitable for individual moving patterns depending partly on body laterality. Footedness and the way the feet are used may be contradictory to the demands of the moving situation, especially during uncommon or rapid situations. This contradiction may trigger disturbance during moving. The aims of this pilot study were (a) to review the literature briefly and (b) to describe the use of the dominant and nondominant foot by farmers and the elderly when mounting a tractor and stairs, respectively. The study also gives ideas for future studies based on both (a) and (b).     

内蒙古农业灌区夏、秋浇的氮磷流失变化

通过对内蒙古农业灌区引黄灌溉的2次主要大规模灌溉（夏浇、秋浇）的跟踪监测,研究了农业灌区的氮磷流失情况.分析了2次灌溉期的各引水渠和排水渠中总氮（TN）、氨氮（NH4＋-N）、硝氮（NO3--N）、总磷（TP）、溶解性无机磷（DIP）、溶解性有机磷（DOP）、颗粒磷（PP）的变化情况.研究表明：夏浇时,由于植物吸收、灌水量小等因素,基本不产生污染.而秋浇期间,由于灌水量大、土地裸露成为非点源污染产生的主要时期.在对第8排域的TN、TP的连续监测中发现,排干沟中的总氮总磷含量基本维持在4.16mg.L^-1和0.1725mg.L^-1,且氮为主要的污染控制因子;排干沟中的N/P为24,排入乌梁素海中极易引起水华发生.结合河套农业灌区的自然条件、耕作方式等因素,综合分析了河套灌区在夏浇及秋浇时期的非点源污染产生过程及污染特点.为该地区非点源污染管理和控制提供科学依据.     

Validation of an agricultural non-point source （AGNPS） pollution model for a catchment in the Jiulong River watershed, China

This study tested and evaluated the agricultural non-point source(AGNPS)model for the Wuchuan catchment, a typical agricultural area in the Jiulong River watershed, Fujian Province. China. The AGNPS model was calibrated and validated for the study area with observed data onten storms. Thedata on eight stormsin 2002 were used for calibration while data on two stormswere used for validation of the model. Considering the lack of water quality data over a long-term series, a novel method, comparing an internal nested catchment with its surrounding catchment, was used to supplement the less long-term series data. Dual calibration and validation of the AGNPS model was obtained by this comparison. The results indicate that the correlation coefficients were 0. 99 and 0. 98 for runoff, 0. 94 and 0. 95 forthe peak runoff rate of the large catchment and the small catchment, respectively, and 0. 76 forthe sediment of the small catchment only. Each pair of correlation coefficients is homogeneous for the same event for the two catchments. With the exception of the sediment yield and particulate phosphorus, the peak nmofr rate and other nutrients were well predicted. Sensitivity analysis showed that the Soil Conservation Service curve number and rainfall quantity were the most sensitive parameters, which resulted in high output variations. Erosivitv and other parameters had little influence on the hydrological and quality outputs.