Suchergebnisse

Genetic diversity of traditional food crops is declining in the Pacific Islands. Background information on the evolution of the diversity of these crops is provided, socioeconomic reasons for this loss are outlined, the economic consequences of this loss are analysed, and the economic benefits and costs of conserving crop varieties is examined. The potential economic benefits foregone by failing to conserve a crop variety are shown to depend on the nature of the demand function for the crop's production. The economics associated with the conservation of crop diversity by in situ and ex situ methods are discussed.

Radon gas arrives the indoors from different sources and very important in human life because it is harmful on the human population. Radon concentrations were measured in some crops samples from the local market by Suez government, Egypt, using alpha track detector from the type of CR-39. The values of the annual effective dose varied from 1.94 - 1.21mSvy-1. The obtained results indicate that the values of annual effective dose lower than the recommended limit of ICRP. We conclude that there is no health hazard due to radon gas, when used in eating of the food crops samples in this study. This work will help to provide an important database about the radiation hazard from food crops, which used in our houses.

Radon gas arrives the indoors from different sources and very important in human life because it is harmful on the human population. Radon concentrations were measured in some crops samples from the local market by Suez government, Egypt, using alpha track detector from the type of CR-39. The values of the annual effective dose varied from 1.94 - 1.21mSvy-1. The obtained results indicate that the values of annual effective dose lower than the recommended limit of ICRP. We conclude that there is no health hazard due to radon gas, when used in eating of the food crops samples in this study. This work will help to provide an important database about the radiation hazard from food crops, which used in our houses.

AbstractWe investigate the supply response for main staple food crops in Sub‐Saharan Africa over the period 2005−2013 using an innovative dataset recently developed by FAO's "Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies" (MAFAP) programme. Relying on dynamic panel techniques, we observe that acreage, production and yields respond to price signals, even if with a limited intensity. Moreover, we find that direct price incentives arising from border protection, government interventions in domestic markets, and price shocks at the border stimulate farmers' supply. We also show that omitting transaction costs from the analysis leads to underestimation of the price elasticity of supply. Conversely, using wholesale instead of farm gate prices as proxy for producer prices leads to overestimation of this price elasticity.

Ensuring food security today in Cameroon is a key but not an easy task for government. This is because the country is experiencing high rural exodus and urban growth rates. The result is a continual reduction of the agricultural labour force in the face of an increasing demand for food. Women food crop entrepreneurs can play an important role in filling the gap created by this phenomenon. The activities of these female entrepreneurs have given rise to a booming food crop enterprise within the informal sector of the Fako Division, Cameroon. The informal sector is accommodating lots of women whose gender profile disqualified them from formal sector activities. Unfortunately, these female entrepreneurs cannot operate effectively because of problems inherent to the informal sector, especially following the implementation of the structural adjustment program in Cameroon, and the absence of an enabling socio-economic environment, particularly in Fako. This study however, observes that because female food entrepreneurs have very few employment alternatives, they are forced to implement coping strategies, which although vital in maintaining them in the sector, do not usually measure up to the challenges. But since the activities of these women have impacts beyond micro levels, government and other agents of development cannot afford to abandon these women.

Most soybean oil consumed in China is made from imported genetically modified (GM) soybeans, while livestock are fed imported GM soy meal and GM corn. However, no GM food crops are allowed to be planted in China at present. That puts China in a confusing situation where GM foods can be eaten but cannot be grown. Many studies suggest that it is partially due to Chinese consumers&rsquo ; and government officials&rsquo ; opposition to GM technology. This is the first study that examines different stakeholders&rsquo ; and journalists&rsquo ; attitudes toward the commercialization of GM non-food crops and GM food crops and investigates the attitude gaps with respect to these crops. From 2015 to 2016, surveys were conducted face-to-face and by email with 1730 respondents, including 1460 consumers, 54 farmers, 70 journalists, and 146 agricultural officials. We find that nearly 60% of respondents are supportive of the commercialization of GM non-food crops, but less than 30% of respondents support the commercialization of GM food crops. Around 50% of respondents have no confidence in the government&rsquo ; s management of biotechnology, while only 17% have confidence in the government&rsquo ; s management. Those with lack of confidence in the government&rsquo ; s management are less likely to support the commercialization of GM crops.

Commercialisation of agriculture has long been considered an important driver of intensification, production, food security and farm incomes in Africa. This article investigates whether commercialisation is able to increase the intensification and yield of banana and legumes in central Africa. The study utilises survey data from 480 smallholder farmers in selected regions in rural Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The findings show a positive effect of commercialisation on improved seed varieties use and food crop yields, even after controlling for an endogeneity problem. There is no strong evidence of commercialisation effect on fertilizer use among the sampled farm households. Apart from commercialisation, better education, larger farm sizes, access to markets and credit facilities, good roads and extension contacts are necessary for farmers to increase input use and crop yields. Overall, these findings suggest that programmes targeting to increase smallholder farm productivity through commercialisation will only work if they consider production and marketing conditions surrounding the target households.

Abstract This study aimed to measure yield gaps and the potential gains in production and revenue from mitigating these gaps for the four main food crops in Brazil and worldwide (rice, maize, soybean, and wheat). Based on the concepts of potential yield, observed yield, and yield gap, and data from the 2017 Brazilian Agricultural Census, a parameter for the potential yield of each crop was defined at the microregional level, and yield gaps and potential gains in production and revenue resulting from reducing these gaps were measured. The results showed that reducing yield gaps in Brazil for the analyzed crops may lead to an expansion in supply of these food products by almost 10% of the volume achieved in 2017, or the equivalent of 19 million tons. The greatest potential gains in yield and production were found for maize, 13.2%, valued at about US$ 1.7 billion (at 2017 prices). Soybean showed the lowest potential for gains in percentage terms (5.5%), but these gains would represent US$ 1.8 billion, the highest value among the crops analyzed.

This book contains 21 chapters presenting the most comprehensive, accurate and informative view of the spread of improved crop cultivars in Africa south of Sahara. The importance of the diffusion and adoption of different crop cultivars and the impacts of the use of these improved cultivars are also discussed.