scholarly journals Modalities for Scaling up Implementation of Innovations and Best Practices for Resilient Agricultural Systems in Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evans Kituyi
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Implementation Of Innovations

Climate change is already impacting negatively on Africa’s agriculture and threatens to significantly reverse the gains realized in food security as the 1.5 degC warming threshold set by the Paris Agreement fast approaches. This is happening at a time when a wide range of tested and viable technologies, innovations and best practices exist with the potential to scale up climate resilient food production across the region’s diverse agricultural systems. A framework and modalities are proposed to support stakeholders in identifying and scaling up appropriate technologies, innovations and best practices for climate-resilient food production in different farming systems. These provide a much needed solution for Africa’s policymakers who are currently grappling with options to meet their citizens’ food security today even as they ponder over how they will feed their rapidly growing populations, expected to reach 2 billion by 2030 under worsened climate conditions.

scholarly journals Farmer Field Schools (FFSs): A Tool Empowering Sustainability and Food Security in Peasant Farming Systems in the Nicaraguan Highlands

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esperanza Arnés ◽  
Carlos G. H. Díaz-Ambrona ◽  
Omar Marín-González ◽  
Marta Astier
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
Long Term Impact ◽  
Field Schools ◽  
The Impact

Farmer field schools (FFSs) emerged in response to the gap left by the worldwide decline in agricultural extension services. With time, this methodology has been adapted to specific rural contexts to solve problems related to the sustainability of peasant-farming systems. In this study we draw upon empirical data regarding the peasant-farming system in the Nicaraguan highlands to evaluate whether FFSs have helped communities improve the sustainability of their systems and the food security of their residents using socioeconomic, environmental, and food and nutrition security (FNS) indicators. In order to appreciate the long-term impact, we studied three communities where FFSs were implemented eight, five, and three years ago, respectively, and we included participants and nonparticipants from each community. We found that FFSs have a gradual impact, as there are significant differences between participants and nonparticipants, and it is the community that first implemented FFSs that scores highest. The impact of FFSs is broad and long lasting for indicators related to participation, access to basic services, and conservation of natural resources. Finally, this paper provides evidence that FFSs have the potential to empower farmers; however, more attention needs to be paid to critical indicators like production costs and the use of external inputs in order to scale up their potential in the future.

scholarly journals Root traits for low input agroecosystems in Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mame Sokhatil Ndoye ◽  
Jimmy Burridge ◽  
Rahul Bhosale ◽  
Alexandre Grondin ◽  
Laurent Laplaze
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Nutrient Uptake ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Root Traits ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Low Input ◽  
Small Holder ◽  
New Cultivars

In Africa, agriculture is largely based on low-input and small-holder farming systems that use little inorganic fertilizers and have limited access to irrigation and mechanization in comparison to modern agricultural systems. Improving agricultural practices and developing new cultivars adapted to these low-input environments, where production already suffers from climate change, is a major priority for ensuring food security in the future. Root phenes improving water and nutrient uptake could represent a solution toward achieving these goals. In this review, we illustrate how breeding for specific root phenes could improve crop adaptation and resilience in Africa using three case studies covering very contrasted low-input agro-ecosystems. We conclude with a discussion on how these phenes could be validated and made available to breeders and agronomists.

scholarly journals Circular Approaches in Small-Scale Food Production

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra Schneider ◽  
Vincent Rochell ◽  
Kay Plat ◽  
Alexander Jaworski
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Traditional Farming ◽  
Large Potential ◽  
Integrated Agriculture ◽  
The Future

Abstract Globally, food production is one of the main water and energy consumers. Having in view the growing population on global scale, a higher efficiency of food production is needed. Circular approaches offer a large potential to enhance the efficiency of food production and have a long tradition in the food production process of mankind. However, industrial farming has interdicted traditional cycle-closed farming approaches leading to a variety of environmental challenges. The contribution illustrates the basics of traditional gardening and farming approaches and describes how their characteristics are adapted in innovative modern farming systems like aquaponic, permaculture, urban farming, as well as recovered traditional farming systems. The approach to combine traditional farming methods with modern ones will provide multiple benefits in the future to ensure food security. There is to be underlined that such a strategy holds a substantial potential of circular flux management in small scale food production. This potential could be transposed to a larger scale also, particularly in terms of agroforestry and integrated plant and animal husbandry or integrated agriculture and aquaculture. In this way, small-scale food production holds a large potential for the future implementation of the water-energy-food security nexus.

scholarly journals Innovative, sustainable, and circular agricultural systems for the future

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerold Rahmann ◽  
Khalid Azim ◽  
Irena Brányiková ◽  
Mahesh Chander ◽  
Wahyudi David ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Nutrient Management ◽  
Food Culture ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Broad Array ◽  
Global Population

AbstractThis special issue presents the outcomes from “Designing sustainable and circular agricultural systems for the year 2100,” the joint scientific workshop of ISOFAR, the Thünen-Institute, and INRA-Morocco, which was held from November 14 to 16, 2019 in Marrakesh, Morocco. Nineteen scientists from a broad array of background and nationalities came together with the understanding that food security globally is at risk, especially in the post-2050 timeframe. Current concepts, strategies, measures, and scientific efforts carried out by governments, NGOs, businesses, and societies do not deliver satisfying solutions for how to sustainably produce enough healthy and affordable food to support the global population. With the economic and social impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, it became even more evident that food security is a challenge. This workshop took an innovative approach to addressing the challenges of future agriculture by considering sustainable, circular agricultural systems. Participants presented research results on algae-based food, edible insects, mushrooms, novel concepts for nutrient management, bioreactor-based farming, sustainable food culture, as well as sensor- and remote-controlled automatic food production. This special issue presents the papers contributed to the workshop and the results of the discussions.

The Necessity for Scale Up in R&D: Approach for Waste Immobilisation in Cement by BNFL

1995 ◽  
Vol 412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham A Fairhall ◽  
Eric W Miller
Keyword(s):  
Material Properties ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Regulatory Bodies ◽  
Major Factors

AbstractThe full scale processing of nuclear wastes immobilised in cement utilises a wide range of chemical and physical parameters. The success of this work however, involves many factors and material properties which are affected by the actual scaling up processes. The paper outlines the approach and experience gained by BNFL to recognise and evaluate the major factors involved in order to successfully produce large scale stable products acceptable to the appropriate regulatory bodies and suitable for long term disposal.

Agriculture, Trade Liberalization and Poverty in the ACP Countries

2019 ◽  
pp. 1408-1427
Author(s):  
Theresa Ann Rajack-Talley
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Trade Liberalization ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agricultural Trade ◽  
Trade Policies ◽  
Small Producers ◽  
The Impact

This chapter looks specifically at the impact of the ACP agriculture trade agreements on issues of food production, food security and poverty and how they relate in some ways to each other. It is divided into four distinct but inter-related sections. First, poverty in the ACP regions is briefly described. Secondly, the importance of agriculture, particularly the role of small farming systems to economic growth, employment, food production, food security and poverty reduction in the ACP countries is examined. Thirdly, the impact of the acceleration of trade liberalization and agriculture protectionism on ACP countries is reviewed and analyzed. Here, the trade arrangements and networks in the three ACP regions are described and include international, regional and local agricultural trade and market agreements. Further, the paradoxes and dilemmas that emerge are interrogated and their outcomes discussed. Particular attention is paid to small producers and women. The fourth and final section of the chapter concludes that while the impact of agriculture trade liberalization remains a mixed bag of positive and negative possibilities, one thing that is clear is that while trade liberalization is promoted as a cure for food security and world poverty, the jury is still out on whether it has helped or hindered this endeavour. Trade policies and arrangements do substantially change the lives of people in developing countries, but in very complex ways. Recommendations are made to support the South-South initiatives of the ACP and others as well as enhance regional and domestic agriculture production and trade policies. The author, however, warns that agriculture and trade policies must be linked closer to food security and the healthy diets of local populations.

Scaling-Up Digital Innovations in Healthcare: Expert Commentary on Success Factors and Barriers (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes Schlieter ◽  
Lisa A. Marsch ◽  
Diane Whitehouse ◽  
Lena Otto ◽  
Ana Rita Londral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Wide Range

UNSTRUCTURED Healthcare delivery is undergoing a rapid change from traditional processes towards the use of digital health interventions and personalized medicine. Hospitals and health care providers are introducing hospital information systems, electronic health records, and telemedicine solutions to create more efficient workflows in and beyond institutions. Patients are choosing among a wide range of digital health tools provided by wearables and mobile phone applications to support their self-management, health and well-being. The question of how sustainable digital health scale-up can be successfully achieved is not yet sufficiently resolved. This paper identifies and discusses success factors and barriers for scaling-up digital health innovations. The results discussed in this paper were gathered by 13 scientists and representatives of public bodies and patient organizations during the 1st International Workshop on Best Practices for Scaling-Up Digital Innovations in Healthcare – Scale-IT-up!, co-located with the BIOSTEC 2020 conference held in Valletta, Malta. The resulting success factors and barriers are explored in the context of prior research and implications for future work.

scholarly journals Resilient rainfed technologies for drought mitigation and sustainable food security

MAUSAM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-182
Author(s):  
CH. SRINIVASA RAO ◽  
K. A. GOPINATH
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Rainfed Agriculture ◽  
Drought Mitigation ◽  
Drought Preparedness

Even though drought is one of the most common features affecting rainfed agriculture, it is necessary to consider it as an extreme climatological event that requires different types of alleviating strategies for overcoming it. The risk involved in successful cultivation of crops depends on the nature of drought (chronic and contingent), its probable duration, and frequency of occurrence within the season. These aberrations are expected to further increase in future. A significant fall in food production is often noticed with increase in intensity or extension in duration of drought prevalence. Drought affects not only the food production at farm level but also the national economy and overall food security. Location-specific rainfed technologies are available to cope with different drought situations. Much of the research done in rainfed agriculture in India relates to conservation of soil & rainwater and to drought proofing. The key technologies for drought mitigation are in situ moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting and recycling, resilient crops and cropping systems including contingency crop plans, foliar sprays, and integrated farming systems. However, drought preparedness and real time implementation of contingency measures at field level needs well structured institutional support for farmers with strong government policy and convergence among various institutions. Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, needs to facilitate the convergence process of various government schemes such as MGNREGA, RKVY, Mega Seed Project, NFSM, NHM, IWMP, Soil health schemes etc. for drought preparedness. National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), one among the missions under the Prime Minister National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC) may take a lead role in implementation of contingency, by inclusion of this activity in State Action Plans (SAP) with a dedicated Nodal Institution /officers and budget provision.

scholarly journals The Characteristics of Five Food Production Systems and Their Implications for Sustainable Landscapes

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Robert P. Burdock ◽  
Peter Ampt
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Environmental Complexity ◽  
Industrial Systems ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
Sustainability Principles

This paper presents a classification of agricultural production systems that we believe characterises the complex interface between agriculture and the landscapes in which they are managed. Farmers have a choice about how they will manage their land, either to exclude inherent environmental complexity or to engage with it, mindful of risks associated with their approach. Adding to this complexity is the interplay between key natural, social, human, physical and financial resources in agricultural systems, highlighting the importance of extending sustainability principles to aspects of ecology, economics and culture. Decisions about agricultural systems hinge on a balance of productive outcomes, on sensitivity to the issues of environmental complexity, on economic grounds including the access to resources, and the socio-cultural needs of the community in which the farmer participates. Further, farm managers will make a choice that both satisfies and suffices (satisfices) against production, ecological efficiencies and resilience outcomes when choosing which food production system to adopt. In this paper, these complexities are analysed against five different agricultural systems on an ecological continuum; from biologically simple industrial systems that minimise interaction with the natural environment, to ecologically complex systems that are closely engaged with their environment. Production viability is a necessary consideration to maintain farming operations but is not sufficient if operational capacity is to be achieved in the long term. This analysis finds that it is also necessary to work with ecological, economic and social complexities, satisficing against productivity, ecological efficiency and inherit system resilience. No one particular farming systems is appropriate in all cases. The farmer’s choice may apply a mix of the five different agricultural systems described, allowing for the blending of these attributes in order to sustain rural landscapes.

scholarly journals The Roman Food System in Southern Pannonia (Croatia) From the 1st–4th Century A.D.

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-62
Author(s):  
Kelly Reed ◽  
Ivana Ožanić Roguljić
Keyword(s):  
Food Production ◽  
Food System ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Agricultural Systems ◽  
Traded Goods ◽  
Profound Influence ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Roman Province ◽  
Gain Access

AbstractFood is an excellent medium through which to explore trade, economies, migration and landscapes, yet little is known about food production and consumption in the Roman province of Pannonia. Here we explore the current evidence for agriculture, trade and diet in southern Pannonia (modern day eastern Croatia) and what this may say about life in the region. The influx of new ‘exotic’ foods and technologies had a profound influence on this region. The limited archaeobotanical data suggests complex trade and local agricultural systems that allowed large towns such as Mursa, Cibalae and Siscia to gain access to a wide range of food items. The large quantities of pottery found not only helps us understand traded goods but also the local tastes and fashions, as well as to infer the types of dishes that could have been cooked. More evidence is clearly needed in this region but what we can see so far is that urban centres along the Danube Limes were firmly integrated within the wider Roman food system and that diets were probably quite varied for many who lived there.

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