10 pages, This research endeavor, conducted in year 2019-20, explores farmers’ perception regarding
climate change and the impacts of socioeconomic indicators affecting these perceptions in
district Mardan, KP-Pakistan. For this purpose, total of 140 sampled respondents, seventy
from each village were selected for primary data collection. Ordered probit model was used to
quantify the determinants of climate change perception. Demographic characteristics revealed
that average age of the respondents was 44.42 years, with average schooling, household size,
farming experience and farm size of 7.73 years, about 9.96 members, 27.90 years and 3.1
acres, respectively. The study findings indicated that age, education, household size, farming
experience, total income and nature of land significantly (p < 0.05) affect farmers’ perception
of climate change specifying that younger farmers perceive climate change impacts more as
compared to older farmers, while experienced were more likely to perceive than inexperienced.
Educated farmers perceived changes in climate more than less educated or uneducated. Small
holders perceived more than big landlords, rain-fed farm holders perceived more than irrigated
farm holders, high income farmers perceived more than low income farmers, owners perceived
more than owner-cum tenants and tenants and small families perceived more than big families.
The study recommended climate change awareness programs through government and nongovernment organizations, i.e. education programs, farmer field schools (FFS), agricultural
extension agencies to bridge the farmer- research gap, government role in realistic land reforms,
establishment of farm services centers (FSCs), climate information centers and diversify farm
income opportunities.
14 pages, Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the U.S. and other countries around the world saw a dramatic increase in the number of people starting pandemic gardens. In this article, the authors use rhetorical framing analysis to explore how news coverage of this gardening boom presented the illusion of control framed around the themes of economics, food sovereignty, physical and mental health, and community and connection. It concludes with a discussion of how these four themes offer an overly-optimistic view of gardening that deemphasizes sustainability, focuses on processes over harvests, and ignores food chain inequities.
18pgs, Can the power of digital communications create opportunities for overcoming generational renewal problems on farms? This interdisciplinary review explores the reported impacts of digital communication on career initiation into farming from a global perspective via the lens of career theories. Seventy-three papers were synthesized into two domains: (1) the impact of digital communication interactions on farming career initiation, and (2) the dynamics of digital communication initiatives that create opportunities to inspire youth into farming. The finding shows that the mainstream literature primarily aims to support the continuity of farming careers but pay little attention to the potential of digital communication to attract youth into farming. This review argues that career communications for farming receives insufficient attention, and could be better integrated into agricultural communications strategies by using the potential of digital communications. Study concludes that while economic and geographic factors, as well as societal and cultural norms, lead to negative perceptions on farming careers, there are three pathways that may contribute to breaking down these negative perceptions. Firstly, taking the changing nature of career motivations, such as the trend towards sustainable farming linked to self-fulfillment, among today’s youth into consideration is essential. Secondly, highlighting technological advances in digital agriculture practices, like geographical flexibility or innovation capacity of farming, for example, is important to increase awareness about new opportunities in the profession. Lastly, communication campaigns with targeted groups (e.g., young females) play a role to change the negative perceptions of the rural way of life and the farming profession.
