Agroecology for a Sustainable Agriculture and Food System: From Local Solutions to Large-Scale Adoption

Annual Review of Resource Economics, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 15(1), P. 351 - 381

Published: July 12, 2023

Agroecology is often considered as the ultimate and most comprehensive solution to many challenges of agricultural food system, also referred agri-food system. This review investigates what extent agroecology can become mainstream model for transforming agriculture toward more sustainable resilient systems within given economic political context. We find that enhancing will require a fully integrated multiscale approach from farm region globe. The must consider relevant processes relationships, actors stakeholders well drivers, sustainability indicators, respective assessment methods across all scales. Giving specific attention drivers related economy, technology, policy we point out needs be economically viable farmers other system actors. In particular, new emerging technologies digitalization breeding should consideration in agroecological transformation. stress need an analytical operational framework adequate design suggest six areas needed support large-scale adoption agroecology.

Language: Английский

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CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in crop breeding for climate change resilience: Implications for smallholder farmers in Africa

Journal of Agriculture and Food Research, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 16, P. 101132 - 101132

Published: March 28, 2024

Food insecurity and malnutrition, compounded by climate change, are seriously threatening the growing African population. Unpredictable precipitation patterns droughts contributing to declining crop productivity. Efforts increase agricultural productivity include adoption of crops that resistant change engaging in resilient agriculture. Currently, CRISPR-Cas9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats - associated protein) technology is being used breeding practices improve traits such as drought tolerance, nutrition disease resistance. The aim this review explore use developing for mitigation food hunger attendant implications small holder farmers Africa. A comprehensive systematic search peer reviewed articles three bibliographic databases, PubMed, Web Science Google Scholar, was conducted identify documents relevant applications CRISPR-mediated genome editing improvement context. literature shows CRISPR-Cas has been harnessed enhance resilience nutritional content various crops, combatting biotic abiotic stresses. CRISPR-assisted strategies can help smallholder low-middle income countries Africa adapt without loss. By harnessing technology, benefit from with improved yields stress resistance thereby security sustainable agriculture on continent.

Language: Английский

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Return to Agrobiodiversity: Participatory Plant Breeding

Diversity, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 14(2), P. 126 - 126

Published: Feb. 10, 2022

Biodiversity in general, and agrobiodiversity particular are crucial for adaptation to climate change, resilience human health as related dietary diversity. Participatory plant breeding (PPB) has been promoted its advantages increase selection efficiency, variety adoption farmers’ empowerment, being more socially equitable gender responsive than conventional breeding. In this review paper we concentrate on one specific benefit of PPB, namely, increasing by describing how the combination decentralized with collaboration farmers is able address diversity agronomic environments, which likely because location specificity change. Therefore, while PPB particularly suited organic agriculture, light importance it should also be considered a opportunity agriculture.

Language: Английский

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Current Trends in Organic Vegetable Crop Production: Practices and Techniques

Horticulturae, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 8(10), P. 893 - 893

Published: Sept. 29, 2022

Organic farming is a holistic production management system that promotes and enhances agroecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles soil activity, consequently, it an efficient promising approach for sustainable agriculture within circular green economy. There has been rise in the consumption of organic vegetables last years because their organoleptic properties, higher nutritive value lower risk chemical residues harmful to health. The recent scientific evidence regarding use major elements responsible vegetable crop indicates plant material, nutrition, disinfection, pest, disease weed management. These techniques are focus this study. In general, main outcomes review demonstrate great effort innovation research carried out by industry, researchers farmers order reduce environmental impact established innovative horticultural practices while satisfying requirements consumers. However, research-specific studies should be different systems pedoclimatic conditions achieve highest efficiency these practices.

Language: Английский

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“A shared human endeavor”: farmer participation and knowledge co-production in agroecological research

Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 7

Published: July 24, 2023

Farmer participation in the co-production of knowledge has been claimed to have many benefits, including its capacity address intensiveness and ecological specificity that underpins agroecology. The complexity agroecological systems until now presented considerable challenges researchers looking develop research practices adaptable commensurate with integrative ambition As agroecology general, cannot be delivered a one-size-fits-all approach, each case needing designed on basis numerous factors, especially needs, objectives, capacities diverse participants. This article presents conceptual framework explore farmer co-construction Through an exploration three UK-based participatory projects we better understand practical opportunities for deepening knowledge. Using combination field notes, interviews, survey data, concludes by offering reflections ways co-design based type knowledge(s) produced, types envisaged, as well needs participants themselves. is offered tool guide early stages design order balance complex changing their collaborators.

Language: Английский

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Diversity as a Plant Breeding Objective

Agronomy, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(3), P. 550 - 550

Published: March 8, 2024

This review paper addresses the importance of increasing agrobiodiversity to cope with climate change and, at same time, providing a sufficient amount healthy food. is in agreement messages from ecology and medicine indicating advantages biodiversity general particular for planet our health. Plant breeding considered be one causes decline agrobiodiversity, therefore, this illustrates alternatives commonly used approach based on centralized selection. The first alternative decentralized participatory breeding, which adapts crops both different agronomic environments client preferences, representing an “option by context” model research. second evolutionary more dynamic strategy than plant because it merges decentralization ability mixtures populations biotic abiotic stresses evolve, thus adapting associated changes spectrum pests. A crop capable evolving as environment around evolves appears most ideal way responding agricultural biodiversity.

Language: Английский

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Adapting perennial grain and oilseed crops for climate resiliency

Crop Science, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 63(4), P. 1701 - 1721

Published: April 5, 2023

Abstract Climate change is threatening the status quo of agricultural production globally. Perennial cropping systems could be a useful strategy to adapt agriculture changing climate. Current and future perennial row crop have many varied applications these can respond differently than annuals challenges resulting from climate change, such as shifting ranges plant, pathogen, animal species more erratic weather patterns. To capitalize on attributes that assist in our ability world, it important we fully consider component parts agroecosystems their interactions, including species, genotype genotypic variance, environment environmental adaptive management strategies, farm socioeconomics. We review current state grain oilseed crops for integration into summarize potential support multiple benefits adaptation change. then propose plant breeding incorporates complexity common domestication traits they relate improvement highlight digital technologies advance goals. Evaluation genetic gain during development new improved using research designs span an gradient captures forecasted shift region, which demonstrate by reanalyzing existing data. Successful deployment depends grower adoption, scalability, sustainable modifications markets supply chains.

Language: Английский

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How the Seed of Participatory Plant Breeding Found Its Way in the World through Adaptive Management

Sustainability, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 14(4), P. 2132 - 2132

Published: Feb. 13, 2022

Participatory plant breeding (PPB), where farmers and formal breeders collaborate in the process, can be a form of agricultural niche innovation. In PPB, new varieties are commonly adopted by involved shared through seed networks, but few released commercialized; thus, variety remains innovation, used within limited network beneficiaries. PPB is increasingly emerging to address needs organic Global North, yet barriers implementation institutionalization limit ability embed into commercial channels distribution. This case study project US explores, lens adaptive management, critical points release an sweet corn variety, which expanded innovation beyond environment. The authors show how evolving actors’ roles, expanding participants, leveraging opportunities that emerged during process aided shifting institutional market norms restrict system. They further demonstrate distribution system did not access informal networks; instead, it created ripple effect stimulating additional, decentralized breeding, efforts.

Language: Английский

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Small-scale coffee farmers’ perception of climate-adapted attributes in participatory coffee breeding: A case study of Gayo Highland, Aceh, Indonesia

Open Agriculture, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 8(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2023

Abstract Small-scale coffee farming in Indonesia faces low productivity due to poor practices and low-quality planting materials. It highlights the need for improved varieties that meet farmers’ preferences. Given vulnerability of climate change, participatory breeding programs involve collaboration between researchers farmers develop a climate-adapted variety are essential. This study used survey data from Gayo Highland, Aceh, Indonesia, investigate perception importance climate-related attributes variety, including those developed through program, determinant factors. The result shows rated as least important (average score 0.36) compared others, such (1.57) quality (1.22), resistance pests diseases (0.96), input-use efficiency (0.57). finding suggests lack awareness among about issues farming. estimation results also indicate extension activities have negative association with perceptions attributes. recommends inclusive targeted campaigns increase concern, awareness, knowledge threats change strengthening advisory services.

Language: Английский

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Developing high-quality value-added cereals for organic systems in the US Upper Midwest: hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding

Theoretical and Applied Genetics, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 135(11), P. 4005 - 4027

Published: May 28, 2022

There is an increased demand for food-grade grains grown sustainably. Hard red winter wheat has comparative advantages organic farm rotations due to fall soil cover, weed competition, and grain yields. However, limitations of currently available cultivars such as poor disease resistance, hardiness, baking quality, challenges its adoption use. Our goal was develop a participatory hard breeding program the US Upper Midwest involving farmers, millers, bakers. Specifically, our goals include (1) evaluation genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) genotypic stability both agronomic quality traits, (2) development on-farm trials well sensory evaluations genotypes bakers' perspectives in process. Selection early generations diseases protein content followed by multi-environment agronomic, disease, traits three locations during five years, evaluations, trials, evaluations. GEI substantial most but no repeatable environmental conditions were significant contributors making selection critical trait. Breeding lines had similar performance on-station compared commercial checks, some more stable than checks performance. These results suggest that can be developed using approach under management. Crop improvement explicitly targeting sustainable agriculture practices with table are achieve long-term crop production. KEY MESSAGE: We describe focused on developing adapted systems high-end artisan approaches.

Language: Английский

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