@article{KandelBavorovaUllahetal.2023, author = {Kandel, Giri Prasad and Bavorova, Miroslava and Ullah, Ayat and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Pradhan, Prajal}, title = {Building resilience to climate change: Examining the impact of agro-ecological zones and social groups on sustainable development}, series = {Sustainable Development}, volume = {31}, journal = {Sustainable Development}, number = {5}, publisher = {Wiley}, issn = {0968-0802}, doi = {10.1002/sd.2626}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-8226}, pages = {3796 -- 3810}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Nepal is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, which is negatively affecting agricultural production and food security. However, the role of agro-ecological zones and social groups in climate change adaptation (CCA) and its impact on smallholder farmers in Nepal remains unexplored. To fill this gap, this study aimed to identify the effect of agro-ecological zones and social groups on smallholder farmers' adaptation to climate change using the multivariate probit model. Multistage sampling was used to collect data from 400 households in three agro-ecological zones of Nepal. These zones were highland (mountainous region), midland (hilly region) and lowland (terai/plain region). The results of our study showed that farmers in the Mountain region are more likely to adopt off-farm activities and temporary migration as a CCA strategy than those in the Terai/plain agro-ecological zone. In the Terai/Plain, farmers mainly adopt small-scale irrigation and agroforestry. In terms of social groups, the Brahmin group was more likely to adopt new crop varieties and small-scale irrigation than the Sudra group. The Sudra farmers preferred temporary migration and off-farm activities more than the Brahmins. Our study shows that policies to promote the adoption of CCA strategies need to take into account location and social group differences in order to improve the adaptive capacity of the most vulnerable farmers. Mountain and Sudra farmers need support to adapt to climate change and sustain agriculture.}, language = {en} } @article{MadakiMuenchKaecheleetal., author = {Madaki, Mustapha Yakubu and Muench, Steffen and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Bavorova, Miroslava}, title = {Climate Change Knowledge and Perception among Farming Households in Nigeria}, series = {Climate}, volume = {11}, journal = {Climate}, number = {6}, editor = {Barkenbus, Jack}, publisher = {MDPI}, issn = {2225-1154}, doi = {10.3390/cli11060115}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-6306}, abstract = {Nigeria is committed to achieving a 20\% unconditional and 45\% conditional reduction of GHG emissions by 2030 through a strong focus on awareness of and preparedness for climate change impacts via the mobilization of local communities for climate change mitigation actions. As land cover changes and forestry contribute 38\% and agriculture contributes 13\% of the country's GHGs, farmers are among the stakeholders to be aware of and prepare for climate change mitigations and adaptations. This study assessed the knowledge of agriculturally related practices associated with climate change and its relation to climate change perception. One thousand and eighty (1080) smallholder farmers were interviewed across six agroecological zones (AEZs) of Nigeria using a structured questionnaire. The results revealed that most farmers know that deforestation and land clearance by bush burning contributes to climate change. However, many farmers did not know that methane emissions from livestock (enteric fermentation) can cause climate change. Our results further show that the farmers' perception of climate change is associated with climate change knowledge. Factors affecting the climate change knowledge of farmers include information received from government extension services, environmental NGOs, and radio, as well as experiencing extreme weather events. Farmers of dry AEZs were more aware and knowledgeable of the agricultural practices contributing to the changing environment. Increased exposure to climate change events thus appears to elevate the knowledge on the topic. Using government services, environmental NGOs, and radio to disseminate climate change information will help further in guiding and shaping farmers' perceptions towards scientific findings for appropriate actions.}, subject = {-}, language = {en} } @misc{ScheidHafnerHoffmannetal.2018, author = {Scheid, A and Hafner, J and Hoffmann, H and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Sieber, S and Rybak, C}, title = {Fuelwood scarcity and its adaptation measures: an assessment of coping strategies applied by small-scale farmers in Dodoma region, Tanzania}, series = {Environmental Research Letters}, volume = {13}, journal = {Environmental Research Letters}, number = {9}, publisher = {IOP Publishing Ltd}, issn = {1748-9326}, doi = {10.1088/1748-9326/aadb27}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-3487}, pages = {12}, year = {2018}, abstract = {In Tanzania, the majority of the rural population still relies on fuelwood as their major source of cooking energy. The adaptation measures of small-scale farmers in response to increasing fuelwood scarcity play a key role in altering the course of nutrition insecurity, environmental degradation, and economic instability. This study delivers a classification of coping strategies that does not exist in the literature. Furthermore, it analyses the adaptation measures applied by small-scale farmers in the semi-arid region of Dodoma district in response to fuelwood scarcity. A comparison between two case study sites provides information on the choice of adaptation measures by households. Overall, 28 coping strategies from 24 studies are identified, then differentiated into preventive and acute measures that are arranged into eight clusters. The classification is then used as a codebook to identify applied coping strategies at two case study sites. In total, 23 adaptation measures, including two strategies not cited in the literature, were identified through 39 household interviews. This suggests that the majority of coping strategies applied are independently from regional and social conditions. The majority of the strategies applied at the case study sites and described in the literature are acute measures that do not tackle the underlying problem triggering forest degradation. It is observed that the adaptation measures across the case study sites are widely congruent, thus showing that acute strategies are not replaced by preventive strategies but rather co-exist.}, language = {en} } @article{BarnabasBavorovaMadakietal., author = {Barnabas, Bulus and Bavorova, Miroslava and Madaki, Mustapha Yakubu and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices of food vendors participating in Nigeria's school feeding program}, series = {Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety}, volume = {19}, journal = {Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety}, number = {2}, publisher = {Springer International Publishing}, address = {Cham}, issn = {1661-5751}, doi = {10.1007/s00003-023-01476-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-9064}, pages = {199 -- 212}, abstract = {Abstract This study aimed to measure the food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices among food vendors engaged in Nigeria's ongoing Home-grown School Feeding Program. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in face-to-face interviews with 240 food vendors from 3 states in northeast Nigeria involved in the school feeding program using a structured questionnaire. Multiple linear regression results revealed that increased education and access to information through radio, television, and food inspection institutions increased food safety knowledge. Food safety attitudes score increased with more years of vending experience and accessing food safety information via radio, food inspection institutions, and the Internet. An increase in household size and food safety information from friends and colleagues negatively affected food safety attitude scores. As a result, we emphasize the need for dissemination of improved food safety information via radio, television and food safety inspection institutes. Food vendors in the SFP should be selected after passing a food safety training and gaining food handling experience. Higher education should be a priority criterion in the hiring process.}, subject = {-}, language = {en} } @article{BarnabasBavorovaMadakietal., author = {Barnabas, Bulus and Bavorova, Miroslava and Madaki, Mustapha Yakubu and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices of food vendors participating in Nigeria's school feeding program}, series = {Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety}, volume = {19}, journal = {Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety}, number = {2}, publisher = {Springer International Publishing}, address = {Cham}, issn = {1661-5751}, doi = {10.1007/s00003-023-01476-3}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-9078}, pages = {199 -- 212}, abstract = {Abstract This study aimed to measure the food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices among food vendors engaged in Nigeria's ongoing Home-grown School Feeding Program. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in face-to-face interviews with 240 food vendors from 3 states in northeast Nigeria involved in the school feeding program using a structured questionnaire. Multiple linear regression results revealed that increased education and access to information through radio, television, and food inspection institutions increased food safety knowledge. Food safety attitudes score increased with more years of vending experience and accessing food safety information via radio, food inspection institutions, and the Internet. An increase in household size and food safety information from friends and colleagues negatively affected food safety attitude scores. As a result, we emphasize the need for dissemination of improved food safety information via radio, television and food safety inspection institutes. Food vendors in the SFP should be selected after passing a food safety training and gaining food handling experience. Higher education should be a priority criterion in the hiring process.}, subject = {-}, language = {en} } @article{MatavelKaecheleSteinkeetal., author = {Matavel, Custodio and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Steinke, Jonathan and Rybak, Constance and Hoffmann, Harry and Salavessa, Jo{\~a}o and Sieber, Stefan and M{\"u}ller, Klaus}, title = {Effect of passive solar drying on food security in rural Mozambique}, series = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {12}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, number = {1}, publisher = {Nature Publishing Group UK}, issn = {2045-2322}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-022-22129-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-9124}, abstract = {Abstract Achieving food security in Mozambique is critical, since 80\% of the population cannot afford an adequate diet. While increasing agricultural production is a necessary effort to address this challenge, inadequate post-harvest treatment leads to storage losses and quality degradation, with repercussions for food security. The use of solar drying is promoted as a solution to provide efficient and reliable access to food preservation that improves the food security situation in rural communities. However, there is a lack of clear evidence on how the use or access to solar drying affects food security. This study identifies the determinants of farmers' choice to use solar drying and evaluates the effect of a passive solar dryer on food security using survey data from 634 households. We allocated solar dryers to selected communities and all interested individuals belonging to these communities were eligible to use it. Propensity score matching and endogenous switching poisson regression are used to estimate the average effect. The use of solar drying with associated training significantly increases the food security status of participants by increasing household food availability, women's dietary diversity, and months of adequate household food provision and by decreasing the household food insecurity access scale.}, subject = {-}, language = {en} } @article{UllahZebSaqibetal., author = {Ullah, Ayat and Zeb, Alam and Saqib, Shahab E. and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Constraints to agroforestry diffusion under the Billion Trees Afforestation Project (BTAP), Pakistan: policy recommendations for 10-BTAP}, series = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research}, volume = {29}, journal = {Environmental Science and Pollution Research}, number = {45}, publisher = {Springer Berlin Heidelberg}, issn = {0944-1344}, doi = {10.1007/s11356-022-20661-9}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-9271}, pages = {68757 -- 68775}, abstract = {Abstract Effective agroforestry diffusion under the newly started 10-Billion Trees Afforestation Project (10-BTAP) needs a thorough understanding of the policy and implementation shortfalls of the already completed BTAP. This study examines the factors that affected the diffusion of the agroforestry in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan (HKH) region of Pakistan under BTAP. The data were gathered through in-depth interviews with Village Development Committee (VDC) members, Forest Department (FD) officials, and local farmers. Important factors positively affecting agroforestry diffusion included locations of crop fields on the river sides, community dependency on firewood, and market value of agroforestry timber. The logistic regression model shows that household head's age, access to information, and area under cropland positively affected household level adoption of agroforestry under BTAP; forest cover was negatively related. In-depth interviews show that key barriers to FD in diffusion of agroforestry included provision of false information by farmers to monitoring teams, non-availability of extension staff, lack of communication among project staff and community, as well as a lack of sufficient budget for activities. Primary barriers to community adoption of agroforestry included no participation of VDCs in planning and monitoring of agroforestry programs, lack of plant need assessments on the part of the project staff, poor quality of plants distributed by FD, farmers' poor know-how of plantations, lack of trust among community and project staff, as well as the waste of plants by farming community. Thus, this study recommends that policy-makers and project designers should consider these factors when planning agroforestry diffusion under 10-BTAP to improve its success.}, subject = {-}, language = {en} } @article{EshetuKipkuleiKoepkeetal., author = {Eshetu, Shibire Bekele and Kipkulei, Harison Kiplagat and Koepke, Julian and K{\"a}chele, Harald and Sieber, Stefan and L{\"o}hr, Katharina}, title = {Impact of forest landscape restoration in combating soil erosion in the Lake Abaya catchment, Southern Ethiopia}, series = {Environmental Monitoring and Assessment}, volume = {196}, journal = {Environmental Monitoring and Assessment}, number = {3}, publisher = {Springer International Publishing}, address = {Cham}, issn = {0167-6369}, doi = {10.1007/s10661-024-12378-8}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-9454}, abstract = {Abstract As an effect of forest degradation, soil erosion is among Ethiopia's most pressing environmental challenges and a major threat to food security where it could potentially compromise the ecosystem functions and services. As the effects of soil erosion intensify, the landscape's capacity to support ecosystem functions and services is compromised. Exploring the ecological implications of soil erosion is crucial. This study investigated the soil loss and land degradation in the Lake Abaya catchment to explore forest landscape restoration (FLR) implementation as a possible countermeasure to the effects. The study used a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) to determine the potential annual soil loss and develop an erosion risk map. Results show that 13\% of the catchment, which accounts for approximately 110,000 ha, is under high erosion risk of exceeding the average annual tolerable soil loss of 10 t/ha/year. Allocation of land on steep slopes to crop production is the major reason for the calculated high erosion risk in the catchment. A scenario-based analysis was implemented following the slope-based land-use allocation proposal indicated in the Rural Land Use Proclamation 456/2005 of Ethiopia. The scenario analysis resulted in a reversal erosion effect whereby an estimated 3000 t/ha/year of soil loss in the catchment. Thus, FLR activities hold great potential for minimizing soil loss and contributing to supporting functioning and providing ecosystem services. Tree-based agroforestry systems are among the key FLR measures championed in highly degraded landscapes in Ethiopia. This study helps policymakers and FLR implementors identify erosion risk areas for future FLR activities. Thereby, it contributes to achieving the country's restoration commitment.}, subject = {-}, language = {en} } @article{MadakiLehbergerBavorovaetal., author = {Madaki, Mustapha Yakubu and Lehberger, Mira and Bavorova, Miroslava and Igbasan, Boluwatife Teniola and K{\"a}chele, Harald}, title = {Effectiveness of pesticide stakeholders' information on pesticide handling knowledge and behaviour of smallholder farmers in Ogun State, Nigeria}, series = {Environment, Development and Sustainability}, volume = {26}, journal = {Environment, Development and Sustainability}, number = {7}, publisher = {Springer Netherlands}, address = {Dordrecht}, issn = {1573-2975}, doi = {10.1007/s10668-023-03332-8}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:eb1-opus-9621}, pages = {17185 -- 17204}, abstract = {Abstract Although pesticides ensure the quality and quantity of agricultural produce, they have adverse effects on farmers, their families, and consumers. Therefore, in order to reduce the unpleasant effects of pesticide use, stakeholders would be well advised to extend guidance and precautions to end users. The objective of this study was to determine the pesticide handling behaviour and the effectiveness of pesticide information on pesticide handling knowledge and personal protective equipment (PPE) use among farmers in southwest Nigeria. One hundred and fifty-six farmers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire in December 2019 and January 2020. The results revealed that a one-third of the farmers dispose their pesticide residues on the field, only 3\% of the farmers dispose the hazardous pesticide waste at a collection point, and 65\% of them dispose the empty containers indiscriminately. The majority of farmers never use respirators (79\%), hats (60\%), and boots (57\%) when applying pesticides. Knowledge of pesticide application and waste management is low (58\% of respondents scored less than 10 on a knowledge scale of 0-14). The result of the regression model shows that information from pesticide labels and farmer-to-farmer exchanges significantly increase farmers' knowledge of pesticide handling and PPE use. Our results suggest that the effectiveness of current information provision to smallholder farmers on the correct use of pesticides is not sufficient. Therefore, we highlight the need for pesticide companies, distributors, and government agencies to intensify and further develop their efforts to empower smallholder farmers to improve their knowledge and use of pesticides.}, subject = {-}, language = {en} }