Suchergebnisse

Food insecurity exacerbates malnutrition with irreversible consequences for children. Thus, we address the determinants of food security status with reference to women farmers, the determinants of access to irrigation technology as a critical determinant of food security and the effect of cooperatives on nutritional status. We used primary data from Kakamega, Kenya. Descriptive data analysis was applied together with regression analysis using logistic, probit and linear endogenous treatment models. Cooperative membership facilitates female farmers' access to productive resources like credit, thereby contributing to improved food security status. Though most female farmers are not members of cooperatives, the female members of cooperatives perform slightly better as determinants of food security status and are more food secure than female non-members. The limitations of cooperatives include the low percentage of farmers using irrigation and farmers' low nutritional status. Extension services positively impact irrigation, thereby calling for gender equality among field officers to enable communication with female farmers and for the formation of cooperatives that target women's needs. Governments, development agencies and civil societies should support cooperatives in their financial, technical and management issues to create awareness concerning family planning and offer access to credit and irrigation technology, resulting in increased food production, improved food security and nutrition status. ; Peer reviewed

AbstractAn of overview how agri‐environmental problems in 12 central and eastern european countries (CEECs) changed between 1989 and1998 is provided and related to changes in land ownership. Three groups of countries according to land ownership are identified. The change in environmental problems relating to soil, water, biodiversity, and landscape is described. Referring to quantitative data collected in the CEECs, the main trends and new problems that have emerged during the transition process are identified. Possible links between the organizational character of farms and environmental problems are suggested.

This paper estimates a quadratic stochastic frontier production function to examine the determinants of technical efficiency in rice farming in Bangladesh using the computer program FRONTIER 4.1. Primary data has been collected using multi-stage random sampling technique from twelve villages in north-central and north-western regions in Bangladesh. Rice cultivation displayed much variability in technical efficiency ranging from 0.16 to 0.94 with mean technical efficiency of 0.83 which suggested substantial gains in output with available resources and existing technologies. The analysis of the determinants of technical efficiency revealed that the age and education of the household heads, availability of off-farm incomes, land fragmentation, access to microfinance, extension visits, and regional variation were the major factors that caused efficiency differentials among the farm households studied. Hence, the study proposes strategies such as providing better extension services and farmer training programs, ensuring access to agricultural microfinance, reducing land fragmentation and raising educational level of the farmers to enhance technical efficiency.

This article introduces an exploratory framework which, on a conceptual level, suggests that the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment can contribute to the accessibility of responsible investment and encourage institutional investors to undertake it. By co-operating with leaders of global environmental governance and by engaging with investee companies in the field of the environment, responsible investment by institutional investors may help to improve the lack of coherence in global environmental governance. Adapted from the source document.

"Croatian farming systems have become more intensive in recent years. There is some evidence of rising NO3-N-levels in ground water. The aim of the paper is to find possible ways of preventing NO3-levels to rise in Croatian farming systems and their implications from the viewpoint of the manager. More specifically the purpose is to 1. Determine whether Croatian farmers exceed profit maximising levels of N-fertiliser use in maize cultivation and possible influence on NO3-N-levels. 2. To estimate the marginal abatement cost (MAC) at farm level of reducing NO3-N leaching through following economic instruments: a tax on optimal N-doses, a product tax and a N-fertiliser quota, all instruments corresponding to the same abatement level. Based on N-response experiments from field trials for maize N-response curves were derived. A sample of 20 family farms was used to calculate intensity, nutrient content in manure and the prices paid for N and obtained for maize. Profit maximising doses from the field trials were compared with nutrient use on farms. An effluent production function was estimated based on experiments with NO3-N contents in lysimeter water for the same treatments as in the N-response experiments. The results indicate that farmers use higher than optimal levels of N-fertilisers, if the technology and conditions of experimental fields could be applied on the farms and if manure is accounted for. Neglecting the N-content of the manure shows close to optimal nutrient levels. At profit maximising levels the NO3-N level is approximately 14 mg NO3-N/l (62 mg NO3/l) or clearly higher that the critical level stipulated by the nitrate directive (11.3 mg NO3- N/l or 50 mg NO3/l). If the N-content in the manure is taken into account the estimated NO3-N/l level in groundwater is about twice higher than the critical level stipulated by the Nitrate Directive. Through any of the three instruments a 76% NO3-leaching reduction could be obtained. However, it was concluded the quota has the lowest MAC (4.08 Euro/mg NO3-N/l or 0.92 Euro/mg NO3/l), followed by the N-fertiliser tax (16.16 Euro/mg NO3-N/l or 3.65 Euro/mg NO3/l) and the product tax in third place (41.25 Euro/mg NO3-N/l or 9.32 Euro/mg NO3/l). Management practices that may increase yield level and correspondingly NO3-leaching in the short and long run were identified. One way to achieve a quick improvement would be a system of cross compliance stipulating a code of good agricultural practices." (author's abstract)