16 pages, Promoting healthier diets is strategic to solve the global societal challenge of excessive and unhealthy calorie intake that causes obesity and overweight and is responsible for chronic diseases that burden healthcare systems. The relationship between food and personal health is well established and in recent years it has originated a number of dietary recommendations from the World Health Organisation (WHO) focused on encouraging healthier diets. The environmental impact of food intake and of particular diets is a growing research area. However, neither research
nor public policies, in particular, have been able so far to establish a link between promoting healthier diets and their impact on enhancing environmentally healthier farming systems and the sustainability of rural landscapes. This paper addresses this gap by presenting a multidisciplinary literature review which combines evidence from nutrition and health sciences with that from environmental, agrarian and sustainability studies on the impacts of foods and dietary patterns on the environment, ecosystems and rural landscape. This integrate d review,
complemented with data analysis, highlights the Mediterranean diet as a healthier dietary pattern whose promotion could be beneficial to recover or maintain the sustainability of Mediterranean rural landscape. Hence, the second part of the paper focus on discussing the role of public policies in enabling the link between enhancing healthier diets and healthier farming systems in order to sustain rural landscapes since these play a key role in the sustainability of Mediterranean rural areas.
16pgs, Agricultural production is a challenging business in Argentina due to output variability, unfavorable government policies, and the absence of public risk management programs. Based on probit modeling and information surveyed from producers farming in the Humid Pampa, this paper studies the influence of (a) risk attitudes, (b) risk perceptions, and (c) socioeconomic factors on the probability of choosing five different risk management strategies. Besides confirming that some results previously found in the literature apply to the Argentine case, we find that local farmers have a particular understanding of specific risk management strategies. Some strategies usually applied to reduce risks, such as the use of futures markets or vertical integration are perceived by Argentine farmers as risk-increasing. Cost control is the
preferred strategy for risk-averse farmers. Policymakers and companies providing services should take into consideration the particular way in which Argentine farmers perceive and manage risks to build a common
language.
16 pages, Zimbabwe’s agro-ecological regions IV and V lie in low rainfall areas and food security is a perennial concern. Vertical coordination strategies and market institutions provide hope for building farmer resilience in regions affected by climate change in Zimbabwe. This study focused on four districts (Binga, Chiredzi, Hwange, Matobo) which are in regions IV and V. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 281 respondents. Probit and Multiple linear regression models were used to evaluate the determinants. Results show that contract farmers allocated more than 3 hectares to small grains agricultural enterprise. The research established that long distances to markets, access to credit, extension services and affiliation to farming groups are some critical determinants which influence market participation and yields sold.