scholarly journals Is the Greening Instrument a Valid Precedent for the New Green Architecture of the CAP? The Case of Spain

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5705
Author(s):  
Carmelo Díaz-Poblete ◽  
María Carmen García-Cortijo ◽  
Juan Sebastián Castillo-Valero

The Common Agricultural Policy 2014–2020, set up in 2015 and extended until 31 December 2022, introduced a payment instrument called Greening. The aim of Greening was to encourage agricultural practices that are beneficial for the environment while also contributing to economic and territorial dynamism. The purpose of this article is to study the effect that Greening has had in Spain. We consider five difference-in-difference models, one for each of the variables proposed: ecological focus areas, permanent grasslands over utilised agricultural area, CO2 emissions stemming from agricultural land use changes and the presence of woody crops, agricultural income, and affiliates of the special agricultural regime. The data used come from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, the Ministry for Inclusion, Social Security, and Migrations, and the Spanish Emissions Inventory System. For the diff-in diff estimations, we use Spain’s regions as control and treatment units from 2011 to 2018, the aim being to provide observations ex ante Greening (2011–2014) and ex post (2015–2018). The results show that Greening had a limited impact, questioning its efficiency for meeting its goal, and that it is not a sound precedent for building the new green architecture of the CAP.

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Wawan Sujarwo

Bedugul is situated in the highlands of Bali, combining panoramic views of hills, forests, and lakes. Today, Bedugul has transformed from a remote area into a favorite tourist destination. Also, Bali has become one of the world’s leading tourist destinations, and this represents a suited model to study the influence of recent modernization, the tourist industry, population increase, and agricultural practices on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). At the same time, few scientific references discuss Bedugul in term of TEK. Therefore, this study aims to present the latest portrait of Bedugul community in the millennial era and its relationship with the surrounding environments. A total of 20 Bedugul locals were interviewed. The selection of respondents was purposive, representing various Hindus and Moslem communities, with variations in age range (25-60 years old), gender, and occupation. The data were then analyzed through a qualitative descriptive approach with in-depth discussion. The results of the study showed that the Bedugul landscape has a strong cultural and ecological relationship with its communities, i.e., Hindus and Moslems. People activities in the natural areas of Bedugul, i.e., Batukahu Nature Reserve, are still in the normal stage. Most of Bedugul communities strongly depend on agricultural and tourism sectors. Land-use changes (human settlements, tourism facilities, and agricultural land) and the increasing population growth have resulted in the carrying capacity of Bedugul area becoming very vulnerable, and one of them is the emergence of pest species. The negative impacts of agricultural and tourism activities have been identified, some of which were using inorganic pesticides in high-doses, traffic congestion, and Lake Beratan water pollution due to restaurant waste and speed boat oil spills. This may result in the decline of local values within the Bedugul communities. This study concluded that erosion of traditional ecological knowledge, including ethnobotanical knowledge, is at risk of increasing.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 610-625
Author(s):  
Sara Zupan ◽  
Elena Bužan ◽  
Valentina Brečko Grubar ◽  
Jure Jugovic

AbstractMaintenance of traditional cultural landscapes largely depends on traditional agricultural practices, which are nowadays in decline as a result of increasingly intensive and mechanised land use. Losing traditional practices may result in impoverishing of picturesque mosaic landscape and biodiversity. This research focuses on land-use changes in two time periods (2002–2008; 2013–2016) and effects of changes reflecting on populations of critically endangered butterfly. False Ringlet, Coenonympha oedippus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), is a habitat specialist, which in Slovenia inhabits two geographically distinct contrasting habitats – dry meadows in south-western and wetlands in central Slovenia. We compared nine environmental parameters to assess environmental differences, which shape species habitat; seven parameters significantly differ among the four geographical regions and five among the two habitat types. Four parameters significantly differ (i.e. at least in two regions) when tested for homogeneity, while in dry habitat type all (except slope) were significant and none in wet habitat. Changes in land use in two studied periods lit up two processes: transformation of meadows into agricultural land and overgrowing of the meadows, both processes affecting species severely. We believe that maintaining of traditional landscapes in future could serve as a good conservation practice for this endangered species.


Author(s):  
Madhubhushan M ◽  
Seshaiah S ◽  
Chandrudu J ◽  
Sagar R ◽  
Akila CR

The common watermelon item (Citrullus lanatus) seeds were gained from castoffs verdant nourishments for use by decorating, sun ventilation and pulverizing. Light yellow-toned oil was gotten by dissolvable withdrawal using oil atmosphere and the going with traits were gotten using oil ether: pH, refractive rundown, thickness, dissolvable miscibility, coagulating temperature, fire nature, express gravity, streak point and warmth of consuming. With a shallow level of unsaturation, stepped level of smoothness, and proximity of raised degree of the sensible proportion of free unsaturated fats. The low assessment of the solidifying temperature of the oil offered a hint that the oil can be managed in various areas paying little heed to the qualification in temperature. The following level of linoleic destructive of the oil offers a hint of natural gradation of solidarity. Fatty esters are increasing expanding significance as a biodegradable swap for mineral oils. In some request regions, for example, cutting tool oil, gearbox, pressure-driven oils, and greases for raw petroleum creation, the oleochemical items are set up. Nonetheless, certain particular wellsprings of fatty esters are hitherto to be abused for this comparative reason. This exploration subsequently tests into one of the less used wellsprings of fatty esters in watermelon. The oil from the kernels demonstrations a top-notch yield presents significant utilitarian gatherings for change and thus was utilized to set up an assortment of oleochemicals which demonstrated excellence materials in contrast with the routinely utilized oils feed frameworks for oleochemicals after portrayal. The photopolymers acquired indicated piercing vinyl protons for consistent polymerize.


1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 257-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans E. Andersen ◽  
Brian Kronvang ◽  
Søren E. Larsen

An empirical leaching model was applied to data on agricultural practices at the field level within 6 small Danish agricultural catchments in order to document any changes in nitrogen (N) leaching from the root zone during the period 1989-96. The model calculations performed at normal climate revealed an average reduction in N-leaching that amounted to 30% in the loamy catchments and 9% in the sandy catchments. The reductions in N leaching could be ascribed to several improvements in agricultural practices during the study period: (i) regulations on livestock density; (ii) regulations on the utilisation of animal manure; (iii) regulations concerning application practices for manure. The average annual total N-loss from agricultural areas to surface water constituted only 54% of the annual average N leached from the root zone in the three loamy catchments and 17% in the three sandy catchments. Thus, subsurface N-removal processes are capable of removing large amounts of N leached from agricultural land. An empirical model for the annual diffuse N-loss to streams from small catchments is presented. The model predicts annual N-loss as a function of the average annual use of mineral fertiliser and manure in the catchment and the total annual runoff from the unsaturated zone.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 627
Author(s):  
Duong H. Nong ◽  
An T. Ngo ◽  
Hoa P. T. Nguyen ◽  
Thuy T. Nguyen ◽  
Lan T. Nguyen ◽  
...  

We analyzed the agricultural land-use changes in the coastal areas of Tien Hai district, Thai Binh province, in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, using Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 data. We used the object-oriented classification method with the maximum likelihood algorithm to classify six types of land uses. The series of land-use maps we produced had an overall accuracy of more than 80%. We then conducted a spatial analysis of the 5-year land-use change using ArcGIS software. In addition, we surveyed 150 farm households using a structured questionnaire regarding the impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity and land uses, as well as farmers’ adaptation and responses. The results showed that from 2005 to 2020, cropland decreased, while aquaculture land and forest land increased. We observed that the most remarkable decreases were in the area of rice (485.58 ha), the area of perennial crops (109.7 ha), and the area of non-agricultural land (747.35 ha). The area of land used for aquaculture and forest increased by 566.88 ha and 772.60 ha, respectively. We found that the manifestations of climate change, such as extreme weather events, saltwater intrusion, drought, and floods, have had a profound impact on agricultural production and land uses in the district, especially for annual crops and aquaculture. The results provide useful information for state authorities to design land-management strategies and solutions that are economic and effective in adapting to climate change.


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 353
Author(s):  
Rassim Khelifa ◽  
Hayat Mahdjoub ◽  
Affef Baaloudj ◽  
Robert A. Cannings ◽  
Michael J. Samways

Agriculture can be pervasive in its effect on wild nature, affecting various types of natural habitats, including lotic ecosystems. Here, we assess the extent of agricultural expansion on lotic systems in Northern Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco) and document its overlap with the distribution of an endemic damselfly, Platycnemis subdilatata Selys, using species distribution modeling. We found that agricultural land cover increased by 321% in the region between 1992 and 2005, and, in particular, the main watercourses experienced an increase in agricultural land cover from 21.4% in 1992 to 78.1% in 2005, together with an increase in the intensity of 226% in agricultural practices. We used capture–mark–recapture (CMR) surveys in terrestrial habitats surrounding a stream bordered by grassland and cropland in northeastern Algeria to determine demographic parameters and population size, as well as cropland occupancy. CMR modeling showed that the recapture and survival probabilities had an average of 0.14 (95%CI: 0.14–0.17) and 0.86 (0.85–0.87), respectively. We estimated a relatively large population of P. subdilatata (~1750 individuals) in terrestrial habitats. The occupancy of terrestrial habitats by adults was spatially structured by age. Our data suggest that P. subdilatata has survived agricultural expansion and intensification better than other local odonate species, mainly because it can occupy transformed landscapes, such as croplands and grasslands.


Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 211
Author(s):  
Tharani Gopalakrishnan ◽  
Lalit Kumar

Soil salinity is a serious threat to coastal agriculture and has resulted in a significant reduction in agricultural output in many regions. Jaffna Peninsula, a semi-arid region located in the northern-most part of Sri Lanka, is also a victim of the adverse effects of coastal salinity. This study investigated long-term soil salinity changes and their link with agricultural land use changes, especially paddy land. Two Landsat images from 1988 and 2019 were used to map soil salinity distribution and changes. Another set of images was analyzed at four temporal periods to map abandoned paddy lands. A comparison of changes in soil salinity with abandoned paddy lands showed that abandoned paddy lands had significantly higher salinity than active paddy lands, confirming that increasing salts owing to the high levels of sea water intrusion in the soils, as well as higher water salinity in wells used for irrigation, could be the major drivers of degradation of paddy lands. The results also showed that there was a dramatic increase in soil salinity (1.4-fold) in the coastal lowlands of Jaffna Peninsula. 64.6% of the salinity-affected land was identified as being in the extreme saline category. In addition to reducing net arable lands, soil salinization has serious implications for food security and the livelihoods of farmers, potentially impacting the regional and national economy.


Author(s):  
Clemens Buchen ◽  
Alberto Palermo

AbstractWe relax the common assumption of homogeneous beliefs in principal-agent relationships with adverse selection. Principals are competitors in the product market and write contracts also on the base of an expected aggregate. The model is a version of a cobweb model. In an evolutionary learning set-up, which is imitative, principals can have different beliefs about the distribution of agents’ types in the population. The resulting nonlinear dynamic system is studied. Convergence to a uniform belief depends on the relative size of the bias in beliefs.


Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1541
Author(s):  
Albert Nkwasa ◽  
Celray James Chawanda ◽  
Anna Msigwa ◽  
Hans C. Komakech ◽  
Boud Verbeiren ◽  
...  

In SWAT and SWAT+ models, the variations in hydrological processes are represented by Hydrological Response Units (HRUs). In the default models, agricultural land cover is represented by a single growing cycle. However, agricultural land use, especially in African cultivated catchments, typically consists of several cropping seasons, following dry and wet seasonal patterns, and are hence incorrectly represented in SWAT and SWAT+ default models. In this paper, we propose a procedure to incorporate agricultural seasonal land-use dynamics by (1) mapping land-use trajectories instead of static land-cover maps and (2) linking these trajectories to agricultural management settings. This approach was tested in SWAT and SWAT+ models of Usa catchment in Tanzania that is intensively cultivated by implementing dominant dynamic trajectories. Our results were evaluated with remote-sensing observations for Leaf Area Index (LAI), which showed that a single growing cycle did not well represent vegetation dynamics. A better agreement was obtained after implementing seasonal land-use dynamics for cultivated HRUs. It was concluded that the representation of seasonal land-use dynamics through trajectory implementation can lead to improved temporal patterns of LAI in default models. The SWAT+ model had higher flexibility in representing agricultural practices, using decision tables, and by being able to represent mixed cropping cultivations.


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