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2. Advisory services and farm-level sustainability profiles: an exploration in nine European countries
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Herrera, Beatriz (author), Gerster-Bentaya, Maria (author), Tzouramani, Irene (author), Knierim, Andrea (author), and University of Hohenheim Agricultural Economics Research Institute Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019
- Published:
- Germany: Taylor & Francis
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 7 Document Number: D10258
- Journal Title:
- Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension
- Journal Title Details:
- 25(2) : 117-137
- Notes:
- 22 pages., Via online journal., Purpose: This study explores the use of advisory services by farm managers and its linkages with the economic, environmental and social performance of farms. Design/methodology/approach: Using cluster analysis we determined groups of farms according to their sustainability performance and explored the correlations between contacts with advisory services and a set of farm-level sustainability indicators. Findings: There exist significant differences in the number of farmers’ contacts with advisory services across countries, type of farms, farmers’ degree of agricultural education, utilized agricultural area, legal type of farm ownership and economic size of the farms. We identified three groups of farms that have different sustainability performance, are different in farm characteristics and relate differently to advisory services. The number of contacts with advisory services is positively related to the adoption of innovations, the number of information sources utilized and the adoption of farm risk management measures. We find no clear linear relationship between advisory services and environmental sustainability. Theoretical implications: This study derives hypotheses to analyze causalities between indicators of farm-level sustainability and advisory services. Practical implications: Results suggest the importance of taking into account the heterogeneity of farming systems for the design, targeting and evaluation of advisory services. In addition, results confirm the importance of selection of indicators that can be used in multiple sites. Originality/value: We used a harmonized indicator of advisory services and a harmonized set of farm-level sustainability indicators in nine different EU countries that could be used to evaluate the role of advisory services in the achievement of multiple objectives in different groups of farms in multiple sites.
3. Agriculture sector struggles to wade through the molasses of public opinion
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Dyck, Toban (author)
- Format:
- Commentary
- Publication Date:
- 2019-11-19
- Published:
- Canada: Financial Post, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 121 Document Number: D11105
- Journal Title:
- Financial Post
- Notes:
- Via online. 5 pages., "Industry in a frenzy, trying to decode the sludge of public opinion while still getting used to the idea this is something to take seriously."
4. Assessment of farmers on their knowledge regarding pesticide usage and biosafety
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Mubushar, Muhammad; (author), Aldosari, Fahad O. (author), Baig, Mirza B. (author), Alotaibi, Bader M. (author), and Khan, Abdul Qader (author)
- Format:
- Journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-03-06
- Published:
- Saudi Arabia: Scholars Middle East Publishers
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 207 Document Number: D13066
- Journal Title:
- Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences
- Journal Title Details:
- V.26, Iss.7
- Notes:
- 8 pages, Purpose Inappropriate application of pesticides is quite common in the study area, causing health issues and in some cases fatalities. The intent of the current study is to gauge the farmers’ level of knowledge on the safe usage of pesticides and biosafety to keep the famers healthy through the focused extension programs. Methodology The study is carried out in 41 union councils of Tehsil Sahiwal, District Sahiwal, Punjab, Pakistan. Data are collected through a cluster sampling technique by conducting face-to-face interviews. Statistical analysis is used to determine relationships and interpret them. Results The findings show that the majority of farmers (87.2%) earn their livelihoods from farming and 2.1% are traders. More than half of the respondents (51.8%) own small land-holdings with an area of 4–8 ha, with only 16.4% having a land area of more than 12 ha. The results also reveal that the majority of respondents obtain information from private agents and only about one third (34.4%) respondents get information on the safe usage of pesticides from the Department of Agriculture (Extension). The internet has emerged as a fast and reliable source of information in the new paradigm; however, only 14.4% of the respondents take advantage of this economical and fast information tool/medium. The findings also reveal that the farmers employ unhealthy and poor practices by not following the recommendations regarding the safe usage of pesticides. The study also reveals that more than half of the farmers (54.4%) use unsafe storage practices on their farms, and about 48.2% do not follow the instructions. Conclusions Inappropriate application of pesticides can have negative effects on human health and the adoption safety measures are necessary to avoid the harmful effects of pesticides. Due to high illiteracy in the area, farmers mainly seek advice of neighboring farmers, having ignorance on the biosafety issues. Variables like education level, land ownership, total land size and the trainings on safe pesticide usage significantly influence the knowledge level of farmers on the safe usage of pesticides. Recommendations Farmers do not follow the recommendations of the extension department or the instructions printed on pesticide bottles/containers, therefore educational (formal and informal) and training programs are necessary on the safe pesticide usage to upgrade their skills and expertise on safe usage of pesticides and the importance of biosafety.
5. Information needs of the female farmers in agricultural activities
- Collection:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center (ACDC)
- Contributers:
- Huda, Saiful (author), Kabir, Md. Rayhan (author), Tabassum, Sumaiya (author), Sonet, Md. Rubayet Al Ferdous (author), and Muhammad, Noor (author)
- Format:
- Online journal article
- Publication Date:
- 2019-01-11
- Published:
- Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology
- Location:
- Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 114 Document Number: D11006
- Journal Title:
- Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology
- Journal Title Details:
- 30(2): 1-11
- Notes:
- 11 pages., via online journal., The purposes of this study was to determine the selected characteristics of the female farmers, to determine the information needs of the female farmers in practicing agriculture and to explore the relationship between information need and selected characteristics of the female farmers. Data were collected using interview schedule from a sample of 50 farmers out of 100 farmers of target group and 50 farmers out of 100 farmers of control group selected random sampling procedure from the beneficiaries of PROTIC project of Dimala upazila under Nilphamari district. Besides the usual descriptive statistical parameter, Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) was used for the statistical analysis. The information needs were determined on 20 selected agricultural activities related information. It was revealed that the highest information needs was observed on ‘pesticides name’ in target groups. Lowest information needs was observed on ‘pond preparation’. In case of control groups the highest information needs was observed on pesticides name’ while lowest information needs was observed on ‘water quality management’ among the selected information of practicing agricultural activities. In target groups majority of the respondents (74 percent) mentioned medium information needs while 14 percent low and 12 percent high information needs. Among the control groups 62 percent farmers opined medium information needs while 16 percent mentioned about low information needs and 22 percent showed high information needs for practicing agricultural activities. In response to target groups it was observed that extension media contact and agricultural knowledge, annual income and aspiration while in response to control group farmers’ agricultural knowledge and aspiration are positively and age was negatively correlated with information needs of female farmers in practicing agriculture.