Bio-economic evaluation of farmers’ perceptions of viable farms in western Kenya     

M.M. Waithaka  P.K. Thornton  M. Herrero  K.D. Shepherd 《Agricultural Systems》2006,90(1-3):243-271

Arable land in western Kenya is under considerable pressure from increasing human population. Rural households depend on farming for at least part of their livelihood, and poverty rates are among the highest in Kenya. Land is often depleted of nutrients, and for most farmers, access to inputs and markets is poor. There is a need to identify options that are manageable within the context of the farmer’s resource base and the household’s objectives that could improve farm household well-being. In this study we integrated qualitative informal participatory approaches with quantitative mathematical programming and biophysical simulation modelling. Households in four sub-locations in Vihiga District were clustered and pilot cases identified. Meetings were held with farmers to elicit their perceptions of what their ideal farm would look like, and how its performance might compare with their own farm’s performance. With farmers’ help, a range of scenarios was analysed, relating to changes in current enterprise mixes, changes in current farm sizes, and changes in prices of staples foods and cash crops. A considerable mismatch was found between farmers’ estimates of their own farm’s performance, and what was actually produced. There seems to be a threshold in farm size of 0.4 ha, below which it is very difficult for households to satisfy their income and food security objectives. Even for larger farms whose households are largely dependent on agriculture, the importance of a cash crop in the system is critical. There is a crucial role for extension services in making farmers aware of the potential impacts on farm revenue of modest changes in their farm management systems. We are monitoring nine households in the district, whose farmers have made some changes to their system in an attempt to increase household income and enhance food security.  相似文献   

Farmer participation in irrigation management: The case of Doroodzan Dam Irrigation Network, Iran   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Taher Azizi Khalkheili  Gholam Hosein Zamani 《Agricultural Water Management》2009,96(5):859-865

The importance of farmer participation in system design and management has been emphasized in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors affecting farmer participation in irrigation management using survey research. The study was conducted in Doroodzan Dam Irrigation Network in Fars province, Iran. Multistage stratified random sampling was used to collect data from 270 farmers as the research sample. Results reveal that farmers’ attitudes toward participation in irrigation management, attitudes toward personnel of the State Water Authority and the Agricultural Extension Service Centers (AESCs), family size, the problem perception, dependence on the dam for water, and educational background have influenced their participation in irrigation management. By contrast, contact with information sources, animal units, sociability, age and agricultural experience did not affect farmers’ participation. Moreover, based on farmers’ perspectives, unequal water distribution among farms, dissatisfaction with Water Authority operators and high water fees and charges were the main problems and obstacles toward farmer participation in irrigation management.  相似文献   

一种确定林业发展项目的有效工具(英文)     

马焕成 《林业研究》2003,(1)

在云南省绿春县的有些村庄,由砍柴造成的森林破坏是造成环境退化的主要原因。在黑河流域的上游,不断加剧的水土流失和河床抬升对下游上百万的人们构成威胁。尽管人们对森林破坏和土地的可持续利用、社区可持续发展之间的关系不是不了解,但当生存压力存在的时候就会忽略由此造成的对未来的影响。对于村民来说,他们已经意识到了他们的生存状况,并讨论解决的有效途径,而不是单纯等待外界的援助和干预。问题的关键是如何将这些变化和影响以一种直观和形象的方式向村民解释,并且让包括文盲在内的所有人都能理解。从这方面考虑,图形的东西比文字和数字分析更有优势。本文采用MIGIS(移动交互式地理信息系统的英文缩写,它包括两部分的内容,即PLA-参与式学习和行动和GIS-地理信息系统)在云南省绿春县哈尼族村寨来协助进行村民自发的造林规划。图6表1参16。  相似文献   

Institutional performance and participatory paradigms: Comparing two groups of watersheds in semi-arid region of India     

《国际水土保持研究(英文)》2020,8(2):164-172

Watershed development programmes carried out in different agroclimatic conditions in India resulted in beneficial impact in terms of productivity enhancement and natural resources conservation, but less attention paid to institutional and participatory aspects. This paper explored the performance of various institutions regarding execution of watershed development programmes in semi-arid region of India. Recorded observations from documents maintained at watershed level and information collected through primary survey as well as focus group discussion with different types of stakeholders were used for analysis. The results indicated lacunae in participatory aspects during programme implementation process like monitoring activities, management of common property resources and equity. Gap in linkages and differential level of performance of various watershed level functionaries indicates the necessity for corrections in the structures and linkages pattern for sustainability of the infrastructure and institutions. The study also showed unequal priorities by the implementing agencies towards institutions, land and water resources development, production enhancement activities and fodder resources development as well as rationalities of technical, economic, financial, political and social aspects among the watersheds.  相似文献   

PRA参与式方法探讨广西食用菌生产问题     

郎宁 《广西农学报》2010,25(6):39-44

运用参与式农村评估方法,探讨分析广西食用菌生产发展的现状、问题及对策,得出结论,提出建议。  相似文献   

Forest School and its impacts on young children: Case studies in Britain     

Liz O&#x;Brien  Richard Murray 《Urban Forestry & Urban Greening》2007,6(4):249-265

As Forest School has become more widespread throughout Britain an understanding is needed of its impact. This paper outlines a two-phase evaluation project undertaken in Wales and England from 2002 to 2005. The evaluation was undertaken through a partnership between Forest Research and the New Economics Foundation. A methodology was developed to explore the impacts of Forest School on children and this was then used to track changes in 24 children at three case study areas over an 8-month period. The research highlights that children can benefit in a range of ways. Six themes emerged from the data of the positive impacts on children in terms of confidence, social skills, language and communication, motivation and concentration, physical skills and knowledge and understanding. Two further themes highlight the wider impacts of Forest School on teachers, parents, and the extended family. Contact with the natural environment can be limited for children and young people in contemporary society due to concerns about safety outdoors and issues of risk and liability. Forest School provides an important opportunity for children to gain access to and become familiar with woodlands on a regular basis, while learning academic and practical skills. The constructivist theory of learning seems to be particularly suited to the Forest School approach as children make meaning from their direct experiences. The participatory action research approach taken in this study promoted reflective practice amongst the stakeholders involved and provided them with a sense of ownership of the study, as well as an opportunity to learn from each other.  相似文献   

Predicting the rate of range expansion of an invasive alien bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) using a stochastic spatio-temporal model     

Taku Kadoya  Izumi Washitani 《Biological conservation》2010,143(5):1228-1235

To develop effective strategies for managing biological invasions, it is important to understand and be able to predict patterns of invasion and range expansion, and particularly the rate of spread and factors controlling this rate. To predict the spatial dynamics of invasion by an alien bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) in Hokkaido, Japan, we explicitly constructed a stochastic spatio-temporal model that incorporates immigration and establishment processes. Using a Bayesian approach, we parameterized the model based on spatio-temporal presence/absence data collected by citizen volunteers and used the model to predict control of the near-future spread of the bumblebee under several management strategies. The range expansion dynamics of B. terrestris were significantly negatively affected by two aspects of environmental heterogeneity: the land-use pattern (the proportion of woodland) and climate (the snow depth). Of the several spatial management strategies, suppressing the outlying (edge) colonies would be the most efficient strategy to reduce the bumblebee’s spread, irrespective of the level of effort, and would significantly slow the bumblebee’s range expansion during the next 30 years. The modeling approach employed in the present study will be broadly useful for studying real-world biological invasion problems, for which prediction of the progress of an invasion, even in the very near future, is urgently needed to support effective spatial management options and countermeasures. In addition, the model demonstrates that incorporating the dynamics of environmental heterogeneity is a fundamental requirement for prediction and risk assessment during biological invasions, especially in the context of recent rapid changes in the environment at regional and global scales.  相似文献   

西南丘陵区农民生计多样性研究   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

李天阁  高鹏  张亚冉  王涛 《安徽农业科学》2010,38(2):1052-1055

为了更真实地反映农民生计多样性的变化，选取地理位置相对偏远且经济落后的西部丘陵区作为调研区域，采取参与式农村评估法进行实地调查，广泛听取农民的意见，采用重点和随机抽样相结合的方法，根据经济发展水平，将调查区域确定在重庆市云阳县和酉阳县2个贫困县的4个村内，探讨了贫困地区农民生计多样化对农民生活水平的影响，以及由此引起的农民与土地关系的变化。选择重庆市云阳县和酉阳县4个村185户农民为调查对象，从农户的家庭规模、年龄结构、文化程度、收入构成、农户类型等基本情况以及土地利用情况对农民生计多样性进行调查统计。将农民的生计方式细分为务农、打工、做生意、教师、跑运输、企业主、公务员和其他8类，从不同生计方式的收入差异、生计方式与收入水平关系、生计方式与经营土地面积关系3个方面对农民生计方式变化情况进行了分析。研究表明，农民生计多样性对增加农民收入起到主要作用，是提高贫困地区农民生活水平的重要举措，随着生计方式的多元化，土地收益不再是家庭收入的主要来源，农民对土地的依赖度逐渐降低。  相似文献   

Smallholders’ perceptions of goat farming in southern Benin and opportunities for improvement     

Dossa LH  Wollny C  Gauly M 《Tropical animal health and production》2007,39(1):49-57

To be successful, initiatives to improve smallholder’s goat production should directly address the needs and objectives of the keepers while promoting rational use of local genetic resources. This paper identifies the objectives, constraints and needs of goat farmers in southern Benin and discusses their relevance to the development of improvement programmes. Between November and December 2005, structured questionnaires, focus group discussions and participant observation were used to collect information from 38 goat farmers in two selected locations. Goats were kept mainly for sale whenever cash was needed. Traits related to reproduction, to behaviour, to health and to meat production were considered equally important and were ranked very highly by goat keepers. Increased net income per flock through increased number of marketable animals is the derived breeding objective from the trait analysis. Disease outbreaks resulting in high mortality, poor housing, and feed shortages were, in descending order, the most important problems. It was concluded that the development of initiatives to improve management practices is an overriding priority. It will lead to increases in productivity in the short term and foster farmers’ participation in the development of long-term improvement strategies, which should include selection and controlled mating.  相似文献   

Breeding crops for reduced-tillage management in the intensive, rice–wheat systems of South Asia     

A. K. Joshi  R. Chand  B. Arun  R. P. Singh  Rodomiro Ortiz 《Euphytica》2007,153(1-2):135-151

The importance of reduced tillage in sustainable agriculture is well recognized. Reduced-tillage practices (which may or may not involve retention of crop residues) and their effects differ from those of conventional tillage in several ways: soil physical properties; shifts in host–weed competition; soil moisture availability (especially when sowing deeply or under stubble); and the emergence of pathogen populations that survive on crop residues. There may be a need for genotypes suited to special forms of mechanization (e.g. direct seeding into residues) and to agronomic conditions such as allelopathy, as well as specific issues relating to problem soils. This article examines issues and breeding targets for researchers who seek to improve crops for reduced-tillage systems. Most of the examples used pertain to wheat, but we also refer to other crops. Our primary claim is that new breeding initiatives are needed to introgress favourable traits into wheat and other crops in areas where reduced or zero-tillage is being adopted. Key traits include faster emergence, faster decomposition, and the ability to germinate when deep seeded (so that crops compete with weeds and use available moisture more efficiently). Enhancement of resistance to new pathogens and insect pests surviving on crop residues must also be given attention. In addition to focusing on new traits, breeders need to assess germplasm and breeding populations under reduced tillage. Farmer participatory approaches can also enhance the effectiveness of cultivar development and selection in environments where farmers’ links with technology providers are weak. Finally, modern breeding tools may also play a substantial role in future efforts to develop adapted crop genotypes for reduced tillage.  相似文献