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Multi-scenario dynamic prediction of ecological risk assessment in an arid area of northwest China
(2023)
Ecological security is essential for the development of environmental health and human society. However, the driving mechanisms and spatial non-stationarity of ecological risks are still unknown, particularly in arid areas. Thus, this study constructed an ecological risk index (ERI) research framework in arid areas based on land use and socio-economic data from 1980 to 2020 to investigate the spatiotemporal evolution trend, driving mechanisms, and spatial non-stationarity of ecological risk and predict the ecological risk under business-as-usual, economic development, and ecological protection scenarios using a patch-generating land use simulation (PLUS) model. The results show that: (1) cropland and build-up land were expanding, whereas forestland and grassland water bodies were shrinking. Compared with the two development stages from 1980 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2020, cropland increased by 4.73% and 51.52%, respectively, whereas build-up land increased by 12.64% and 106.52%, respectively, indicating rapid development and drastic changes in the past 20 years. (2) With the change in landscape diversity, the regional ecological risks showed an increasing trend, whereas the future ecological risks showed an increasing trend because of the cumulative effect of landscape pattern changes caused by human activities. (3) Moreover, dramatic changes in ecological risk, particularly in areas of intense human activity in build-up land, agricultural land, artificial oases, and mountainous areas. Corresponding to the analysis of driving mechanisms, population, GDP, distance to government, water, and primary roads; have a significant effect on ecological risk, whereas DEM has direct and indirect effect paths. Ultimately, the proposed analysis framework can present the spatiotemporal changes of ecological risks and their influencing mechanisms, which can help develop sustainable development policies.
Forschungsdatenmanagement (FDM) gewinnt an den Hochschulen in Brandenburg eine immer größere Bedeutung. Für den Aufbau und die Institutionalisierung eines nachhaltigen FDM an den brandenburgischen Hochschulen ist eine möglichst genaue Ermittlung des aktuellen Kenntnisstandes der Forschenden und deren Bedarfe bezüglich des Umgangs mit Forschungsdaten erforderlich. Hierzu diente die Bedarfserhebung, die im Rahmen des vom BMBF und dem MWFK geförderten Projekts IN-FDM-BB durchgeführt wurde. Beteiligt an der brandenburgweiten Umfrage waren alle acht staatlichen forschenden Hochschulen: vier Universitäten (die Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus – Senftenberg (BTU), die Filmuniversität Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF (FB), die Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) (EUV) und die Universität Potsdam (UP)) und vier Hochschulen für Angewandte Wissenschaften (die Fachhochschule Potsdam (FHP), die Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde (HNEE), die Technische Hochschule Brandenburg (THB) und die Technische Hochschule Wildau (THW)). Die Hochschulen unterscheiden sich erheblich in ihrer Größe und fachlichen Ausrichtung. So hat die UP deutlich über 20.000 Studierende und über 1.900 Professor*innen und akademische Mitarbeiter*innen, die FB hingegen, weniger als 1.000 Studierende und ca. 140 Professor*innen und akademische Mitarbeiter*innen. Landesweit sind fast alle Fachdisziplinen vertreten, jedoch mit unterschiedlichen Schwerpunkten je Hochschule.
Das Ziel der Bedarfserhebung war, den Kenntnisstand bezüglich des professionellen Umgangs mit Forschungsdaten der Forschenden an den einzelnen Hochschulen zu ermitteln, FDM-Bedarfe zu erkennen und daraus mögliche FDM-Aktivitäten für die jeweilige Hochschule abzuleiten. Die Bedarfserhebung richtete sich daher in erster Linie an die Forschenden der jeweiligen Hochschule.
Academic data stewardship at universities has to fulfil many different roles. One of the most important is to build up a connection to researchers and bridge the gap between research data infrastructure and researchers. Different scientific communities have different requirements for research data management and expectations regarding text and data publication. In many of the sub-disciplines of engineering sciences, research data management practices are not established so far. When it comes to contact between data stewards and researchers, a common knowledge base has to be established to become clear about why and what actions for research data management has to take, that engineering researchers can adapt them for their research data management practices. Many research data management standards have to take into consideration. However, to this point of time, the research data management community lacks for data literacy graphics to explain how the technical data management ecosystem works together with standards like the findability, accessibility, interoperability and reuse (FAIR) principles. Therefore, we developed a graphic for data literacy and consulting scenarios.
This is a data management plan for the DFG research project "Predictability of color changes of wood used indoor - A new approach to evaluate the color change as a function of the radiation dose". DFG Funding code / Project number: 442135169
Project website: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/442135169?language=en
This data management plan (DMP) applies to the Research Data Management Organizer (RDMO) questionnaire and was operated with the RDMO software: https://rdmorganiser.github.io/en/
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.
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.
As the risk of forest fires increases around the globe, the issues of how to control, suppress, and prevent them are the subjects of growing public and political attention. This study focuses on the political debate in Germany regarding forest fires and provides insights into the conceptualization of forest fires and forest fire management at the federal and state policymaking levels. By examining forest fire narratives through the policy lens, this case study takes an exemplary extreme weather event exacerbated by climate change as an opportunity to examine the policy response to this problem. In this way, we examine the role of policy narratives in civil and environmental protection and disaster management. The findings reveal that all politicians examined in this study agree that forest fire management is an urgent matter that needs to be supported. In the prevailing human-centered narrative, policymakers see active forest management and use as tools to improve forest resilience to fire and other calamities. Those who advocate a nature-based narrative assert that it is natural processes in protected forest areas that most effectively enhance resilience. The policy solutions derived from these views include financial support, recognition of the work of foresters, forest fire managers, and civil protection agencies as well as, depending on the type of narrative argument favored, either increased forest management or improved protection of forest ecologies. This suggests that narrative analysis may illuminate the rationales underlying previous policy decisions and the framework for future ones. This contribution throws light on how narratives shape policymaking and, by extension, disaster management. Future studies should therefore take into account the influence of prevailing narratives when it comes to evaluating the potential that policymaking can offer for disaster management in the future.
Seit Anfang 2022 ist das Töten der männlichen Eintagsküken der Legelinien in Deutschland verboten. Im Beitrag wird eine Übersicht über etwaige Auswirkungen des Verbots auf die verschiedenen Akteure der Wertschöpfungskette gegeben. Ferner wird der aktuelle Stand bei den Alternativen zum Kükentöten beleuchtet.
Große international tätige Zuchtunternehmen wie Lohmann haben in ihren Brütereien Anlagen zur Geschlechtsbestimmung im Ei installiert (seit 2022 auch in Deutschland). Ferner bieten sie ihren Kunden alternativ die Bruderhahnaufzucht oder auch Zweinutzungsherkünfte an.
Die Zahl der Brütereien mit Legeküken (zum Gebrauch) hat von 2021 auf 2022 abgenommen (von 22 auf 14). Da die Gesamtzahl aller Brütereien aber nur von 54 auf 51 zurückging, haben offensichtlich einige auf andere Geflügelarten umgestellt. Die Zahl der geschlüpften Legeküken nahm stark ab (2020 40,5 Mio., 2022 16,2 Mio., 1. Halbjahr 2023 9,9 Mio.).
Es besteht ein Bedarf von 47 – 63 Millionen Junghennen im Jahr (bei 12 – 15 Monaten Nutzungsdauer). Mit den für 2020 angegebenen 12,2 Millionen Plätzen konnten nur etwa 28 Millionen Junghennen erzeugt werden, woran der Importbedarf deutlich wird. Der größte Teil der importierten Legeküken (für Aufzuchtbetriebe) oder Junghennen (für Legehennenbetriebe) kommt allerdings aus Erzeugung ohne Kükentöten. Denn von 50 Millionen Haltungsplätzen mit alternativen Haltungssystemen in Deutschland werden 86 Prozent vom Verein KAT kontrolliert, der das Kükentöten auch bei Importen ausschließt.
Die Haltung von Legehennen stieg im Jahr 2022 weiter an (Anzahl Betriebe + 6 %, Haltungsplätze + 3 %, Legehennen + 2 %). Auf eine verlängerte Nutzungsdauer der Hennen deuten sinkende Schlachtzahlen für Althennen in Deutschland hin (2021 34,0 Mio., 2022 29,7 Mio.).
Die großen Einzelhandelsketten haben sich verpflichtet, nur noch Schaleneier ohne Kükentöten (OKT) anzubieten, auch für importierte Eier. Einige Ketten dehnen das schrittweise auch auf Eier in verarbeiteten Produkten aus. Traditionell werden etwa 30 Prozent aller Eier in Deutschland importiert. Die Verbraucherpreise stiegen bereits 2021 aufgrund des Kükentötungsverbots etwas an, 2022 hingegen Inflationsbedingt stark.
Dennoch ist der Konsum von Eiern nur leicht zurückgegangen (von 233 in 2021 auf 230 in 2022). Beim Kauf von Schaleneiern gab es in 2022 eine leichte Verschiebung zu kostengünstigeren Eiern (Bio-Eier - 1,2 %), sowie zu Käufen im Discounter (+ 2 %).
Verbraucherstudien haben gezeigt, dass mittlerweile die meisten Konsumenten die Problematik des Kükentötens kennen und dieses auch ablehnen. Die Alternativen dazu sind jedoch weniger bekannt. Dies trifft am meisten auf Zweinutzungshühner zu.
Bei der Geschlechtsbestimmung im Ei hat eine starke Weiterentwicklung stattgefunden. Mittlerweile sind Anlagen mit fünf verschiedenen Verfahren in Brütereien im Einsatz (seit 2022 auch in Deutschland). Die für Deutschland angegebenen Kapazitäten addieren sich auf etwa 17 – 21 Millionen Eiern im Jahr. Die derzeit in den Brütereien genutzten Verfahren können nach der Gesetzesänderung (Bestimmung bis max. 12. Bruttag) künftig weiter angewendet werden. Aus Tierschutzsicht wäre allerdings eine Betäubung der Embryonen vor der Tötung zu diskutieren.
Die Anzahl Brütereien mit Sortierung von Bruderhähnen hat deutlich zugenommen (2021 4, 2022 13). 2022 wurden 10,59 Millionen männliche Küken zur Aufzucht aussortiert. Dies macht einen Anteil von 65,3 Prozent der 16,20 Millionen geschlüpften Legeküken aus (Übrige Geschlechtsbestimmung). Mit den von der Branche angegebenen 5 – 8 Millionen Plätzen ließen sich 20 – 23 Millionen Bruderhähne im Jahr aufziehen. Die KAT gibt an, dass 2022 9 von 20 Millionen Bruderhähnen in Polen aufgezogen wurden. Über die Verwendung der Bruderhähne ist wenig bekannt. KAT schreibt eine Verwendung als Lebensmittel vor.
Zweinutzungshühner sind bislang noch selten in der Praxis anzutreffen (geschätzt unter 1 % der Hennen). Sie sind bei vielen Verbrauchern nicht bekannt und in den Supermärkten gibt es keine speziellen Angebote. Aufgrund der geringeren Leistungen müssen die Landwirte höhere Preise erzielen.
CONTEXT
Long-Term Field Experiments (LTEs) were implemented to study the long-term effects of different management practices, including tillage, fertilization and crop rotation under otherwise constant conditions. Climate change is expected to change these conditions, challenging interpretation of LTE data with regard to the distinction between climate change and management effects.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to quantify the expected, spatially differentiated changes of agroclimatic conditions for the German LTE sites as a precondition for modelling and LTE data interpretation.
METHODS
We developed a framework combining spatially distributed climate data and LTE metadata to identify the possible climatic changes at 247 LTE sites with experiments running for 20 years or more. The LTEs were classified using the following categories: fertilization, tillage, crop rotation, field crops or grassland, conventional or organic. We utilized climate variables (temperature, precipitation) and agroclimatic indicators (aridity, growing degree days, etc.) to compare a baseline (1971–2000) with future periods (2021−2100) under the IPCC's Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP). A comprehensive LTE risk assessment was conducted, based on changes in climate variables and agroclimatic indicators between baseline and future scenarios.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
Under the most extreme scenario (SSP585), 150 LTEs are expected to shift from humid and dry sub-humid to semi-arid conditions. Frost days in LTE areas are expected to decline by 81%, and the growing season to lengthen by up to 92%. The spatial differentiation of expected climate change also facilitates the identification of suitable sites for future agricultural practices and may inform the design of new LTEs.
SIGNIFICANCE
Our results may guide the interpretation of LTE data regarding the effect of climate change, facilitating future soil crop modelling studies with LTE data and providing information for planning new LTE sites to support future agricultural research and/or adapting management on existing LTE sites. The framework we developed can easily be transferred to LTE sites in agricultural regions worldwide to support LTE research on climate change impacts and adaptation.
Increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in agricultural soils removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and contributes towards achieving carbon neutrality. For farmers, higher SOC levels have multiple benefits, including increased soil fertility and resilience against drought-related yield losses. However, increasing SOC levels requires agricultural management changes that are associated with costs. Private soil carbon certificates could compensate for these costs. In these schemes, farmers register their fields with commercial certificate providers who certify SOC increases. Certificates are then sold as voluntary emission offsets on the carbon market.
In this paper, we assess the suitability of these certificates as an instrument for climate change mitigation. From a soils' perspective, we address processes of SOC enrichment, their potentials and limits, and options for cost-effective measurement and monitoring. From a farmers’ perspective, we assess management options likely to increase SOC, and discuss their synergies and trade-offs with economic, environmental and social targets. From a governance perspective, we address requirements to guarantee additionality and permanence while preventing leakage effects. Furthermore, we address questions of legitimacy and accountability.
While increasing SOC is a cornerstone for more sustainable cropping systems, private carbon certificates fall short of expectations for climate change mitigation as permanence of SOC sequestration cannot be guaranteed. Governance challenges include lack of long-term monitoring, problems to ensure additionality, problems to safeguard against leakage effects, and lack of long-term accountability if stored SOC is re-emitted. We conclude that soil-based private carbon certificates are unlikely to deliver the emission offset attributed to them and that their benefit for climate change mitigation is uncertain. Additional research is needed to develop standards for SOC change metrics and monitoring, and to better understand the impact of short term, non-permanent carbon removals on peaks in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and on the probability of exceeding climatic tipping points.
This virtual issue comprises papers that address diversification for providing sustainable solutions at different scales from cropping and grassland to food systems. The authors investigated processes in case studies at the landscape scale where synergies and trade-offs between social and environmental objectives become the most tangible. Contributions from all continents highlighted regional specificities related to diversification and include research from natural and social sciences, with inter- and transdisciplinary approaches including synthesis of knowledge (reviews), empirical studies with experiments as well as assessments with interviews in case studies: Model-based design of crop diversification, the role of digitalization for achieving sustainability in the European context, ecological engineering for rice pest suppression in China, the role of cereal species mixtures in Ethiopian smallholder farmers, diversified planting in arid irrigation areas in northwestern China, integration of legumes in European and Canadian cropping systems, screening of native forage legumes for northern Swedish grassland systems, cropping system diversification of smallholder farmers in south-central Bangladesh, identification of how farmers imagine diversified landscapes in southern Idaho in the US, farm diversification affecting impacts from COVID-19 across Europe, the role of diversified farming in Mato Grosso Brazil, diversification and soil management measures in Germany, value chain formation for the scaling of crop diversification, and the design process with farmers and scientists for the transition toward legume-supported farming in Europe. A key finding from these examples is that agricultural intensification has led to the simplification of cropping systems and landscapes in terms of species diversity and ecosystem function. To instead move towards sustainable transformation, all system levels (i.e. from the plot, farm, landscape, governance and overall food systems) need to interact and reinforce each other for diversification to deliver the desired outcomes.
This article defines the term valorization of biodiversity and ecosystem services (BES) measures, as distinguished from their valuation, and underpins it with an assessment of private valorization examples along the agri-food value chain. Valorization incentivizes measures for promoting BES, while valuation refers to its quantification. Valuation can be a step of valorization but is not indispensable. In scientific literature, the terms valorization and valuation are often used interchangeably. In addition, there is a lack of research on private options versus conventional, public policy options. Therefore, we searched for private valorization options primarily in public sources (gray literature and websites). This led to the identification of four clusters (markets for voluntary services, labeling, and certification, environmental management/CSR, and tradable permits and quotas). Based on these clusters the options were assessed from a legal and systems dynamics perspective. In addition, the viability of selected valorization options in different future scenarios was examined. The analysis revealed a wide range of private valorization options, which in contrast to public policy options that focus almost entirely on the production stage, are spread across the agri-food value chain. Their suitability differs under different future scenarios, legal and systems conditions.
The measurement of roadside wood stacks in the forest still plays an important role in many forestry operations. Traditional manual measuring methods can be laborious, inaccurate and error-prone. Therefore, the issue is whether 2.5D or 3D optical remote sensing measuring methods provide more precise or detailed results and advantages in further data processing. This study examined and partly developed nine different manual, photo-optical, iPad®-LiDAR and handheld laser scanner-LiDAR-based wood stack measurement methods. Forty-seven wood stacks, ranging from 8.9 to 209.3 m3 (totalling approximately 2700 m3), were measured and compared using these nine methods. All the methods give volume estimations, and none can be seen to give the real or true wood stack gross volume. Surprisingly, the results varied significantly within and between the individual methods, with up to a 9% mean relative deviation. The relative deviation is strongly dependent on the size of the wood stack. The 3D measurement methods using iPad® RGB and LiDAR recorded lower timber volumes than the other methods, in contrast to the method based on samples taken with handheld laser scanner-LiDAR, which overestimated the volume. Generally, optical- and laser-based surveying techniques could be more widely applied in measuring wood stacks in the future. However, such automatic wood stack gross volume determination approaches still face some challenges, regarding accuracy in the case of the 2.5D methods and the lack of automatisation in the case of 3D methods. Consequently, further research is required in the near future.
This paper presents initial findings on the establishment of a social logistics project in a peripheral rural region in Germany. As part of a real-life laboratory, two services were developed and tested with the aim of improving rural supply: the delivery of regional goods and the return of online orders in cooperation with a regional public transport provider, regional retailers and parcel services. An evaluation team provided support to the project in identifying, monitoring, and documenting the societal impact of the services and promoted impact-oriented project management. The concept of providing services of general interest through social logistics and testing them in a real-world laboratory was based on preliminary work in the region. The results indicate that this approach can promote this type of social logistics in the long term. A social logistics approach does not focus solely on economic aspects but emphasises social and environmental benefits for the region. A real-world laboratory approach enables an environment that promotes open exchange, involvement of different stakeholders and joint problem solving in a reflective, iterative process. This methodological approach enabled the continuation and out-scaling of the service’s core offerings immediately after ending the test phase and is seen as an important prerequisite for establishing a long-term perspective.
One of the major challenges in semi-arid regions of Iran is to supply the adequate forage for livestock and meanwhile prevent the destruction of rangelands due to overgrazing. Therefore, this study aimed to compare three cropping systems of barley using Salsola turcomanica (ST), and Chrysopogon zizanioides (CZ) in three treatments of barley+ST, barley+ST+CZ and mono-culture of barley. Two-year field trials data were collected from November 2018 to October 2020 in two experimental sites using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four replications. The results of analysis of variance over two years indicated that the effects of year, location, and year by location interaction were significant (p<0.01) for all of barley’s yield components. Mixed cropping of barley with other species had no negative effect on barley traits such as grain yield, straw yield and harvest index. In addition, the mixed cropping of barley+ST and barley+ST+CZ in the first year produced 2.5 t/ha more forage yield than that mono-culture of barley. This was due to high production of Salsola (ST), in mixed cropping. In both years, yield of Salsola production was about 25% of whole produced biomass. Drastic reduction in rainfall in the second year reduced the obtained yield; so, there was no significant difference among three cropping systems in the second year. However, cropping systems of barley+ST and barley+ST+CZ produced about 1 t/ha more forage than that for the mono-culture of barley. Mixed cropping of barley +ST+CZ did not affect yield components of barley. Mixed cropping of barley with Salsola turcomanica could guarantee soil cover throughout the year and is recommended for forage production in rangeland in Iran.
Multifunctional and diversified agriculture can address diverging pressures and demands by simultaneously enhancing productivity, biodiversity, and the provision of ecosystem services. The use of digital technologies can support this by designing and managing resource-efficient and context-specific agricultural systems. We present the Digital Agricultural Knowledge and Information System (DAKIS) to demonstrate an approach that employs digital technologies to enable decision-making towards diversified and sustainable agriculture. To develop the DAKIS, we specified, together with stakeholders, requirements for a knowledge-based decision-support tool and reviewed the literature to identify limitations in the current generation of tools. The results of the review point towards recurring challenges regarding the consideration of ecosystem services and biodiversity, the capacity to foster communication and cooperation between farmers and other actors, and the ability to link multiple spatiotemporal scales and sustainability levels. To overcome these challenges, the DAKIS provides a digital platform to support farmers' decision-making on land use and management via an integrative spatiotemporally explicit approach that analyses a wide range of data from various sources. The approach integrates remote and in situ sensors, artificial intelligence, modelling, stakeholder-stated demand for biodiversity and ecosystem services, and participatory sustainability impact assessment to address the diverse drivers affecting agricultural land use and management design, including natural and agronomic factors, economic and policy considerations, and socio-cultural preferences and settings. Ultimately, the DAKIS embeds the consideration of ecosystem services, biodiversity, and sustainability into farmers' decision-making and enables learning and progress towards site-adapted small-scale multifunctional and diversified agriculture while simultaneously supporting farmers' objectives and societal demands.
Tajikistan's agricultural sector, primarily dominated by cotton cultivation, has experienced significant changes since the Soviet era. Although farmers introduced food crops into agricultural production to ensure food security after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the government still mandates that cotton cultivation occupy a considerable portion of Tajikistan's limited irrigated land. However, following the recent Covid-19 pandemic crisis, farmers have encountered the need to reassess their agricultural practices, given constrained governmental assistance and a range of socioeconomic considerations. This research adopts resilience as a conceptual framework to examine the coping strategies of smallholder farmers in the Khatlon region of Tajikistan, with a specific emphasis on the period spanning from 2019 to 2022. At the outset, our research employed the snowballing technique to increase respondent participation, later transitioning to a representative sample size that facilitated the collection of qualitative data from around 100 semi-structured interviews, 10 focus groups, and personal visits to agricultural fields over the course of four years. The paper not only demonstrates the overall creativity of Tajikistani farmers in growing and selecting non-cotton crops in this most recent period of crisis, but also points to wealthier farmers’ generally greater willingness to adopt technological innovations and gain new knowledge to apply to them. Although these strategies have been taken in order to address farmers’ immediate needs in troubled times against the backdrop of the existing state cotton policy, their sustainability remains uncertain. While the qualitative focus of this study bears certain inherent limitations, the data collected nevertheless show that this period of crisis has been generative for many farmers as they seek out new methods of subsistence.
Current production standards and communication campaigns about animal welfare in relation to beef strongly emphasise the “humane” rearing of cattle. Aspects such as transport and slaughtering conditions are often overlooked in both production standards and communications with consumers. Long transport routes and conventional slaughtering can cause significant stress to animals and have negative impacts on their welfare and on meat quality. On-farm slaughter can address these criticisms. Communicating the value of low-stress slaughtering conditions like on-farm slaughtering may offer significant sales potential for a premium market segment. In this study, we explore consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay for beef that is slaughtered on-farm rather than in conventional abattoirs. We conducted an online survey (n = 400) in 2022, with a sample that is representative of the German population with respect to gender, age, income and education. Our survey included a discrete choice experiment for the purchase of minced beef, incorporating product attributes that influence purchase decisions. These included: price, information on the social, economic and environmental benefits of regional production, different production standards (conventional/organic) and information on on-farm slaughtering. Our findings indicate that consumers derive the highest utility from a low price, followed by information about on-farm slaughtering. Participants indicated a preference for information on high animal welfare over high beef quality. We conclude that highlighting on-farm slaughtering could be a significant benefit in marketing premium beef products.
The background of the topic is to compare the colour changes at different irradiances and temperatures at constant relative humidity. The issue is important because evaluation in terms of irradiance has not been studied in more detail. Irradiation intensities were reported in many studies but tended to have metadata status. The concrete influence of the irradiance on chemical and colour changes in the wood remains open. This paper presents an approach to inquiry-based teaching within a basic research project. Initial results from a large-scale data series are presented here. Irradiance is the term for the total power of incoming electromagnetic energy striking a surface, related to the size of the area, measured in watts per square metre [W/m²].