Park, Sin-Ae (author), Cho, Moon-Kyoung (author), Yoo, Mung Hwa (author), Kim, Soo-Yun (author), Im, Eun-Ae (author), Song, Jong-Eun (author), Lee, Jin-Cheol (author), Jun, In Gun (author), and Konkuk University
Heavenly Brain Reactivation Institute
Horticultural Therapy Rehabilitation and Education Center
Agricultural Technology Service Center of Incheon
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2016-12
Published:
South Korea: American Society for Horticultural Science
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 16 Document Number: D10450
8 pages., Via online journal., The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of a horticultural activity program on the emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, and scientific investigation abilities and attitudes of kindergarteners. A total of 336 children aged 5 to 7 years in public and private kindergartens and day care centers in Incheon, South Korea, participated in a 24-session horticultural activity program. This program included indoor and outdoor activities such as planting seeds, transplanting plants, making and applying eco-friendly fertilizer, watering, harvesting, using plants to make crafts, and cooking with produce. It was designed to improve the emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, and scientific investigation abilities and attitudes of kindergarteners. Each session lasted an average of 50 minutes and was held once per week. The results of the study showed that the 24-session horticultural activity program improved the emotional intelligence, prosocial behavior, and scientific investigation abilities and attitudes of the children (P < 0.05). Satisfaction with the program was very high among both the children and their teachers and parents. Future studies should consider exploring the effects of horticultural activity programs on children in different age groups.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 196 Document Number: D08095
Notes:
John L. Woods Collection, NPF #501. Involves projects of the United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Population Fund. Published by Development Training and Communication Planning, UNDP Asia and Pacific Programme, Bangkok, Thailand. 6 pages.
15 pages, Food security and agricultural-led industrialisation are pivotal development objectives in Ethiopia. One of the main challenges this country faces is increasing agricultural productivity by integrating smallholder farmers into a high-value agricultural commodity supply chain. This paper examines an integrated project—the Agricultural Value Chains Project in Oromia (AVCPO)—that aims to improve the livelihoods of smallholders in the Bale Zone by involving them in the production of high-quality durum wheat and linking them to the pasta industry via farmers’ cooperatives. Using primary data collected in 2014 and retrospective information, this paper investigates the AVCPO’s effects on the quantity of cereal production, the share of cereals that have been sold through cooperatives, food security, and education. In order to account for potential violations of the exclusion restriction assumption, an instrumental variable approach is applied, together with three additional estimation strategies.
The results suggest that the project has had a large and positive effect on gross and net values of cereal production per hectare, as well as on the share of production sold to pasta makers through cooperatives. These benefits accrue equally to land-rich and land-poor farmers. Furthermore, our analysis suggests that the AVCPO has improved educational outcomes and reduced food insecurity, without affecting crop rotation practices. Overall, our findings point to the effectiveness of the project. Before replicating or scaling up this intervention, however, it is necessary to understand how to better involve poorer farmers and which adjustments are needed if the areas selected have a lower potential than Bale Zone.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 196 Document Number: D08096
Notes:
John L. Woods Collection, NFP #502. Involves projects of the United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Population Fund. Published by Development Training and Communication Planning, UNDP Asia and Pacific Programme, Bangkok, Thailand. 13 pages.
