scholarly journals Potential Energy Recovery Using Micro-Hydropower Technology in Irrigation Networks: Real-World Case Studies in the South of Spain

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Crespo Chacón ◽  
Juan Antonio Rodríguez-Díaz ◽  
Jorge García Morillo ◽  
John Gallagher ◽  
Paul Coughlan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Excess Pressure ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Water Efficiency ◽  
The South ◽  
Additional Energy ◽  
Energy Demands ◽  
Irrigation Networks ◽  
Pressurized Irrigation

The agricultural sector is one of the most significant users of water resources worldwide. Irrigation infrastructure has been modernized in recent years in many regions dedicated to agriculture, transitioning from traditional open channels to more efficient on-demand pressurized irrigation networks. Despite improvements in water efficiency, the modernization of these networks has led to increased energy demands of the irrigation sector. Several negative consequences have been linked to additional energy requirements of pressurized networks, such as the rising cost of irrigation water. Other consequence linked has been the excess pressure in certain locations that could be used to recover energy from these networks. This paper studies the excess pressure in pressurized irrigation networks and the conversion of this excess to usable energy by means of small-scale hydropower turbines. Twelve irrigation networks located in the South of Spain have been modelled, quantifying the excess pressure available for power generation. Over 1 GWh per annum has been estimated that could be recovered.

Hydro-power energy recovery in pressurized irrigation networks: A case study of an Irrigation District in the South of Spain

2018 ◽  
Vol 204 ◽  
pp. 17-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. García Morillo ◽  
A. McNabola ◽  
E. Camacho ◽  
P. Montesinos ◽  
J.A. Rodríguez Díaz
Keyword(s):  
Energy Recovery ◽  
Irrigation District ◽  
The South ◽  
Hydro Power ◽  
Irrigation Networks ◽  
Pressurized Irrigation

scholarly journals The new National Development Plan (2011) and the need to create jobs through agriculture: Is the South African olive industry ready for the challenge?

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Jean Taylor ◽  
Doreen Atkinson
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
National Development ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Growth Potential ◽  
Development Plan ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The South ◽  
National Development Plan ◽  
Potential System ◽  
Olive Industry

This paper provides a scan of the South Africa commercial olive industry between 2008 and 2012 and argues the case for greater industry cohesion in this small agricultural sector. The National Planning Commission’s National Development Plan (NDP, 2011) has identified the olive industry as one of the country’s many small-scale, labour- intensive agricultural sectors with strong growth potential, and which must be supported to enable it to create new jobs. This paper argues that increased government support, linked to the new National Development Plan (2011), will be needed to enable the olive sector to contribute to national development objectives and create jobs. The olive producer association, SA Olive, functions as a cartel of private sector producers, without significant plans for the rapid up-scaling of the industry. While the number of commercial growers has steadily increased, black growers are under-represented, as are black entrepreneurs involved in processing and distributing olive oil and table olives. The article notes the absence of co-operative decision-making between the olive industry and government on issues of shared concern, and considers the concept of ‘corporatism’ as a potential system of interest representation for the olive industry. Corporatism would allow greater trust between government and the commercial olive sectors to be fostered. The paper discusses the example of Australia, where collaboration between business and government has contributed greatly to promoting the olive industry.Key words: Arid areas, Karoo, National Development Plan, SA Olive, development crops, commercial olive industry

scholarly journals Small-Scale Agriculture as a Panacea in Enhancing South African Rural Economies

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Mfaniseni Wiseman Mbatha ◽  
Mfundo Mandla Masuku
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
South African ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The South ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Rural Economic Development ◽  
Rural Economies ◽  
The Government

The small-scale agricultural sector is considered as an indispensable role player in improving the South African rural economies by means of enhancing sustainable rural livelihoods. This paper critically assesses the contribution of small-scale agriculture in enhancing the South African rural economies. The South African Government have numerous agricultural interventions as an approach to improving rural livelihoods. Despite various policies and interventions that have been in place to ensure that small-scale agriculture improves rural economies; there is still a dearth of research in understanding small-scale agriculture dynamics that affect rural economies. Some of the essential aspects of the findings reveal that rural communities in South Africa regard small-scale agriculture as a source of income generation and enhancing food security. These findings highlight the negative effects on the South African small-scale agriculture suffering from insufficient productivity, infertility of soil, insufficient water and climate change. The poor access to markets and inadequate financial support services were identified as the major constraints that hinder small-scale agriculture to contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and rural economic development. The small-scale agricultural sector should come up with self-sufficient interventions to avoid dependence on the Government and other stakeholders.

scholarly journals Small-Scale Agriculture as a Panacea in Enhancing South African Rural Economies

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6(J)) ◽  
pp. 33-41
Author(s):  
Mfaniseni Wiseman Mbatha ◽  
Mfundo Mandla Masuku
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
South African ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Rural Livelihoods ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The South ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Rural Economic Development ◽  
Rural Economies ◽  
The Government

The small-scale agricultural sector is considered as an indispensable role player in improving the South African rural economies by means of enhancing sustainable rural livelihoods. This paper critically assesses the contribution of small-scale agriculture in enhancing the South African rural economies. The South African Government have numerous agricultural interventions as an approach to improving rural livelihoods. Despite various policies and interventions that have been in place to ensure that small-scale agriculture improves rural economies; there is still a dearth of research in understanding small-scale agriculture dynamics that affect rural economies. Some of the essential aspects of the findings reveal that rural communities in South Africa regard small-scale agriculture as a source of income generation and enhancing food security. These findings highlight the negative effects on the South African small-scale agriculture suffering from insufficient productivity, infertility of soil, insufficient water and climate change. The poor access to markets and inadequate financial support services were identified as the major constraints that hinder small-scale agriculture to contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and rural economic development. The small-scale agricultural sector should come up with self-sufficient interventions to avoid dependence on the Government and other stakeholders.

Exploring the South African Government Communication on Land Expropriation without Compensation

2020 ◽  
Vol 72 (1-3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lungisani Moyo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Food Security ◽  
South African ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
South African Government ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
The South ◽  
Land Expropriation ◽  
African Government ◽  
Government Communication

ABSTRACT This paper used qualitative methodology to explore the South African government communication and land expropriation without compensation and its effects on food security using Alice town located in the Eastern Cape Province South Africa as its case study. This was done to allow the participants to give their perceptions on the role of government communication on land expropriation without compensation and its effects on South African food security. In this paper, a total population of 30 comprising of 26 small scale farmers in rural Alice and 4 employees from the Department of Agriculture (Alice), Eastern Cape, South Africa were interviewed to get their perception and views on government communications and land expropriation without compensation and its effects on South African food security. The findings of this paper revealed that the agricultural sector plays a vital role in the South African economy hence there is a great need to speed up transformation in the sector.

scholarly journals The Socio-Economics Factors in Family Farms with Different Economic Sustainability Levels from Central and Eastern Europe

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8262
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży ◽  
Marta Guth ◽  
Adam Majchrzak ◽  
Andreea Cipriana Muntean ◽  
Silvia Stefania Maican
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Economic Sustainability ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
Small Family ◽  
Generational Changes

Economic sustainability plays an important role in shaping conditions for economic growth and social development. The importance of answering the question about the level of sustainability of family farms results from the fact that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, apart from exceptions (e.g. the Czech Republic and Slovakia), are characterized by a fragmented agrarian structure. Hence, the main goal of this article was to answer two questions: 1) whether the countries of Central and Eastern Europe differ in the level of economic sustainability of small family farms; and 2) whether the same socioeconomic factors impact similarly on the level of economic sustainability of small family farms from countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The study was based on surveys conducted in small family farms: in 2018 from Poland (672 farms) and in 2019 in four other countries (Lithuania; 999 farms, Romania; 834 farms, Serbia; 523 farms, Moldova; 530 farms). The publication includes a critical analysis of the literature, structure analysis and correlation analysis. The results show the occurrence of large differences between the economic sustainability of small family farms from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The research indicates that the larger the area of a small-scale family farm, the greater its economic sustainability. The productivity of these farms increases with their economic sustainability. The results also prove a negative relationship between the age of the farmer and the economic sustainability of their farm in all analysed countries. These trends were found in all analysed countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The results of the analyses support the conclusion that agricultural policy instruments aimed at increasing the economic sustainability of small family farms should lead to: land consolidation, a decrease in the age of farm owners through generational changes, and a decrease in employment in agriculture, which would lead to a reduction in labour input in the agricultural sector.

scholarly journals How Do Women Overcome Gender Inequality by Forming Small-Scale Cooperatives? The Case of the Agricultural Sector in Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1797
Author(s):  
Amber Theeuwen ◽  
Valérie Duplat ◽  
Christopher Wickert ◽  
Brian Tjemkes
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Business Relationships ◽  
Female Farmers

In Uganda, the agricultural sector contributes substantially to gross domestic product. Although the involvement of Ugandan women in this sector is extensive, female farmers face significant obstacles, caused by gendering that impedes their ability to expand their family business and to generate incomes. Gender refers to social or cultural categories by which women–men relationships are conceived. In this study, we aim to investigate how gendering influences the development of business relationships in the Ugandan agricultural sector. To do so, we employed a qualitative–inductive methodology to collect unique data on the rice and cassava sectors. Our findings reveal at first that, in the agricultural sector in Uganda, inter-organization business relationships (i.e., between non-family actors) are mostly developed by and between men, whereas intra-organization business relationships with family members are mostly developed by women. We learn that gendering impedes women from developing inter-organization business relationships. Impediments for female farmers include their restricted mobility, the lack of trust by men, their limited freedom in communication, household duties, and responsibilities for farming activities up until sales. Our findings also reveal that these impediments to developing inter-organization business relationships prevent female farmers from being empowered and from attainting economic benefits for the family business. In this context, the results of our study show that grouping in small-scale cooperatives offers female farmers an opportunity to overcome gender inequality and to become economically emancipated. Thanks to these cooperatives, women can develop inter-organization relationships with men and other women and gain easier access to financial resources. Small-scale cooperatives can alter gendering in the long run, in favor of more gender equality and less marginalization of women. Our study responds to calls for more research on the informal economy in developing countries and brings further understanding to the effect of gendering in the Ugandan agricultural sector. We propose a theoretical framework with eight propositions bridging gendering, business relationship development, and empowerment and economic benefits. Our framework serves as a springboard for policy implications aimed at fostering gender equality in informal sectors in developing countries.

scholarly journals Factors that Inhibit Sustainable Adoption of Industry 4.0 in the South African Manufacturing Industry

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1013
Author(s):  
Whisper Maisiri ◽  
Liezl van Dyk ◽  
Rojanette Coeztee
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Education System ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Youth Unemployment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The South ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Cultural Construct ◽  
Sub Saharan

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) adoption in the manufacturing industry is on the rise across the world, resulting in increased empirical research on barriers and drivers to I4.0 adoption in specific country contexts. However, no similar studies are available that focus on the South African manufacturing industry. Our small-scale interview-based qualitative descriptive study aimed at identifying factors that may inhibit sustainable adoption of I4.0 in the country’s manufacturing industry. The study probed the views and opinions of 16 managers and specialists in the industry, as well as others in supportive roles. Two themes emerged from the thematic analysis: factors that inhibit sustainable adoption of I4.0 and strategies that promote I4.0 adoption in the South African manufacturing industry. The interviews highlighted cultural construct, structural inequalities, noticeable youth unemployment, fragmented task environment, and deficiencies in the education system as key inhibitors. Key strategies identified to promote sustainable adoption of I4.0 include understanding context and applying relevant technologies, strengthening policy and regulatory space, overhauling the education system, and focusing on primary manufacturing. The study offers direction for broader investigations of the specific inhibitors to sustainable I4.0 adoption in the sub-Saharan African developing countries and the strategies for overcoming them.

scholarly journals The South Georgia Wave Experiment: A Means for Improved Analysis of Gravity Waves and Low-Level Wind Impacts Generated from Mountainous Islands

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (5) ◽  
pp. 1027-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Jackson ◽  
A. Gadian ◽  
N. P. Hindley ◽  
L. Hoffmann ◽  
J. Hughes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
The South ◽  
South Georgia ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Wave Experiment ◽  
Realistic Representation

AbstractGravity waves (GWs) play an important role in many atmospheric processes. However, the observation-based understanding of GWs is limited, and representing them in numerical models is difficult. Recent studies show that small islands can be intense sources of GWs, with climatologically significant effects on the atmospheric circulation. South Georgia, in the South Atlantic, is a notable source of such “small island” waves. GWs are usually too small scale to be resolved by current models, so their effects are represented approximately using resolved model fields (parameterization). However, the small-island waves are not well represented by such parameterizations, and the explicit representation of GWs in very-high-resolution models is still in its infancy. Steep islands such as South Georgia are also known to generate low-level wakes, affecting the flow hundreds of kilometers downwind. These wakes are also poorly represented in models.We present results from the South Georgia Wave Experiment (SG-WEX) for 5 July 2015. Analysis of GWs from satellite observations is augmented by radiosonde observations made from South Georgia. Simulations were also made using high-resolution configurations of the Met Office Unified Model (UM). Comparison with observations indicates that the UM performs well for this case, with realistic representation of GW patterns and low-level wakes. Examination of a longer simulation period suggests that the wakes generally are well represented by the model. The realism of these simulations suggests they can be used to develop parameterizations for use at coarser model resolutions.

scholarly journals The Identification of Factors Affecting the Use of Pressurized Irrigation Systems by Farmers in Iran

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Momvandi ◽  
Maryam Omidi Najafabadi ◽  
Jamal Hosseini ◽  
Farhad Lashgarara
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Water Productivity ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Path Coefficient ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Statistical Research ◽  
Irrigation Systems ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Pressurized Irrigation

Climate change and water scarcity are the most important challenges of the agricultural sector, and pressurized irrigation systems (PISs) are one of the most significant ways to improve agricultural water productivity. The main purpose of this research was to identify the factors affecting the use of PISs by farmers. The statistical research population was a total of 2396 Iranian model farmers. The Cochran formula was used to determine the number of statistical samples. Accordingly, this comprised 331 people. The methodology of the study was mixed method research. The structural equation modeling technique, Mann–Whitney U, and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that the personal characteristics, tendency, attitude, self-efficacy, subjective norms, governmental support, environmental tensions, and technological features were the most important factors which influenced the farmers. It was found that all of these variables had a positive and significant relationship with the using of PISs by farmers, and they were able to predict 52% of the behavioral changes (R2) of the farmers. Among these variables, the attitude, with a path coefficient (β) of 0.48, had the highest impact on the using of PISs by the farmers.

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