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Environmental sustainability aspects in short food supply chains: The views of organic farmers and consumers
2023
Ušča, Maija | Aļeksējeva, Lāsma
Globally, food systems are the most significant cause of environmental change; therefore, efforts to create more environmentally sustainable food systems are presented. One of the directions is strengthening the local actors and short food supply chains. Simultaneously, changes in farming systems are needed, and organic agriculture is one of the ways to make food systems more environmentally sustainable. Despite the abundance of research on the environmental consciousness of consumers in short food supply chains, the question is raised whether local food chain farmers are also committed to environmental sustainability. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the importance of environmental sustainability to organic short food supply chain actors. More specifically, the research depicts the views of organic farmers and consumers and their relation to the actual environmental sustainability of short food supply chains. During the research, a specific short food supply chain – a direct purchasing network – was explored. A qualitative approach was applied to reach the aim. Thus, in-depth interviews and observations were used as a research method. The research results demonstrated the views of farmers and consumers of the specific network regarding environmental sustainability aspects in the network. In the research, such environmental aspects as the circularity of resources, biodiversity, chemicals in the environment, seasonality and locality of diets, and the distance (food miles) were admitted as crucial ones by the specific short food supply chain actors. The differences in opinions of consumers and farmers emerged when thinking about the scale of their views.
Afficher plus [+] Moins [-]Latvian ecolabel green certificate – an example of sustainable rural tourism in the use of ecosystem services
2019
Smalinskis, J., Latvia Univ. of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava (Latvia);Vidzeme Univ. of Applied Sciences, Valmiera (Latvia) | Auzina, A., Latvia Univ. of Life Sciences and Technologies, Jelgava (Latvia) | .
The national ecolabel of tourist accommodation establishments and rural tourism enterprises of Latvia – the ‘Green Certificate’ (hereinafter the ‘Green Certificate’) celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2019. Its creation in 1999 was initiated by the Latvian Rural Tourism Association ‘Baltic Country Holidays’, and it is currently one of the oldest European ecolabels still in operation. One of the most significant tourism and rural tourism resources in Latvia is the natural and cultural heritage, which is the basis for the development of rural tourism products. In this process, ecosystem services used in tourism products play a major role. One of the goals of the ‘Green Certificate’ is environment, nature and local society friendly and sustainable farming, which means both a careful use of natural resources and their inclusion in the tourism product development process. The aim of this study was to find out which ecosystem services were used and the ways they were used by rural tourism companies to create the nature protection, social and economic added value. According to the respondents, 1/3 of the revenue of the ‘Green Certificate’ companies is generated by the use of the ecosystem services. It is an argument for further research on the possibilities of the ecosystem services to be used more effectively in future in developing new rural tourism products.
Afficher plus [+] Moins [-]University-community partnership contribution towards rural sustainability: Participatory action research in the rice farming community of Paipayales, Ecuador
2024
Yonfa-Medranda, Marcela | Sabando-Vera, David | Parrales-Guerrero, Katherine | Cueva-Tumbaco, José | Ramírez-Prado, María
Rice cultivation is the main economic livelihood for many families around the world. This activity represents several challenges for farmers and community members for rural sustainability, a cross-cutting element of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). In response, the Polytechnic University (ESPOL), fulfilling its mission of linking with society, implemented a community program where students and professors interact and collaborate with rice farmers in the rural community of Paipayales, located in the Santa Lucia canton, Guayas province. This article explores the impact of university-community projects through the Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach in order to evaluate them as a tool for contributing towards rural sustainability in communities. As a result, it was determined that the main problems faced by most of the farmers of the “Dios con Nosotros” Association are the availability of water in the wells and the commercialization of paddy rice. Considering these problems, the wells were geolocated and a board was designed for proper water management; at the same time, water quality was studied and recommendations were presented according to the problems encountered. Two proposals were also presented to create a rice husker and a rice separator to increase their profit margin by selling rice directly to retailers and wholesalers. As relevant conclusions, the importance of implementing links and relationships between the university community and society was highlighted, guaranteeing the value of working in transdisciplinary teams and achieving a comprehensive intervention that would lead to significant improvements in the community.
Afficher plus [+] Moins [-]A review on climate change, credit risk and agriculture
2024
Céu, Mário Santiago | Gaspar, Raquel Medeiros
Climate change poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of its implications for both agricultural firms and capital lenders. This systematic literature review aims to elucidate emerging trends in addressing climate-related risks in agriculture and credit sectors. Drawing from a rigorous analysis of 39 articles sourced from Scopus and Web of Science databases, three key thematic dimensions have emerged: (i) agricultural lending and credit risk, (ii) green principles and sustainability, and (iii) the context of developing countries. From the impact of climate change on the recoverability of loans to the imperative of transitioning towards a greener and more sustainable economy, alongside the nuanced challenges faced by agriculture in developing countries, we analysed prominent and recent literary approaches. The findings underscore the need to integrate climate change considerations into agricultural and credit policies. Policymakers and financial institutions should prioritize climate education for farmers and promote sustainable financial approaches. Anticipated climate risks will impact lenders’ capital reserves, necessitating portfolio adjustments. A deep understanding of climate change’s interplay with agriculture lending and credit risk is vital, urging proactive policy and practice. Addressing climate challenges in agriculture demands a multifaceted strategy encompassing tailored credit policies, improved access to credit, financial empowerment, and the mitigation of social inequalities. This review highlights the urgent need for proactive strategies to mitigate climate risks and ensure a resilient agricultural sector, emphasizing the crucial role of research and policy interventions in navigating the complex landscape of climate change impacts on agriculture.
Afficher plus [+] Moins [-]Impacts of COVID-19 on the food supply chain for arable crops in Latvia
Upite, Ilze | Bite, Dina | Pilvere, Irina | Nipers, Aleksejs
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented stress to food supply chains, pointing to weaknesses in the labour, processing, transport and logistics spheres, as well as significant changes in demand. Food supply chains have shown considerable resilience in the face of such stress. Monitoring of the food sector during the COVID-19 pandemic indicates that the effects of COVID-19 on food supply, demand and access are interlinked processes and have a complex impact on food systems. In addition, high-value food supply chains in developed countries are even more complex, so countries need to respond quickly to restore them and also develop mechanisms that balance business and public interests and protect farmers and food business workers during future potential pandemic crises. The research aims to identify the main demand and supply side factors that affect the resilience of local and global food supply chains during the COVID-19 crisis, as well as assess the resilience of the supply chain for arable crops during the COVID-19 crisis in Latvia, identifying the main risk factors. The research found that arable crop farmers were relatively less affected by the COVID-19 crisis than other agricultural employees. The impact of the crisis was larger on the crop processing industry than on the other industries, and the main risk factors related to changes in demand and the industry’s dependence on imported raw materials and the successful operation of export markets. Based on an in-depth risk analysis, the research developed recommendations for policy makers and actors in the agri-food chain that would improve the resilience of local (domestic) participants of the arable crop food supply chain in Latvia.
Afficher plus [+] Moins [-]Present and future availability of livestock manure for biogas production in Latvia
Lagzdins, Ainis
In order to address existing and foreseen climate change and environmental challenges, the European Commission has adopted a set of proposals as part of the European Green Deal to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and become the first climate-neutral continent in the world. In the energy sector it is planned to implement specific actions to increase the contribution from renewable sources of energy. Livestock manure as a renewable resource can be processed to produce biogas through anaerobic digestion processes. This study aimed to estimate the amount of livestock manure potentially available for biogas production in Latvia based on statistical information on the number of animals representing current and past trends, and forecasts for the future provided by the results of the Latvian Agricultural Sector Analysis Model (LASAM). The results of this study showed that the share of livestock manure processed to produce biogas has increased considerably during the time period from 2010 to 2019 in all groups of livestock considered for this application in Latvia. However, there are still opportunities to increase the share of manure utilised for anaerobic digestion, especially in the livestock groups of dairy cows and non-dairy cows, as only 16% and 13% of the available amount of manure was processed in 2019, respectively. The LASAM results indicate that the number of animals will experience negligible changes or will decrease; therefore, more attention will need to be paid to increase the efficiency of processing the existing amount of manure rather than relying on an additional amount of manure available for biogas production.
Afficher plus [+] Moins [-]Lake Kisezers: Analysis of factors influencing morphometry and hydrological regime
2022
Dumpis, Janis | LagzdinsLagzdiņš, Ainis, Ainis | SicsŠics, Ivo, Ivo
This study describes dynamics in hydrology, morphometry, and water mass movement in Lake Kisezers. The analysis of Lake Kisezers’ morphometry dynamics according to the rapidly changing environment has been carried out. The determination of dynamics in morphometry comes before understanding potential exploitation and environmental sustainability of water body. Lake Kisezers is situated in a densely populated area. Without understanding and deciphering all possible environmental factors influencing Lake Kisezers, the water body can degrade and become of poor environmental quality. Such changes can lead to irreversible changes in the lake ecosystem and degradation of the surrounding landscape. This study aims to identify and explain the elements that influence Lake Kisezers’ hydrological regime, catchment area, and bathymetry. Lake Kisezers is hardly influenced body of water with rapid hydrological and morphometric dynamics. The research is possible due to extensive data availability and the importance of the water body location. Lake Kisezers affects the city of Riga and its surrounding area with a danger of flooding and decreasing land exploration potential. This study results in better understanding in the factors influencing hydrology and morphometry in Lake Kisezers and possible environmental sustainability endangerment in the future. The main impact factor is the connectivity to the River Daugava and its unique hydrological regime. For Lake Kisezers, environmental balance is necessary to continue research and develop a hydrological change model. This study was conducted with fieldwork data and open-source cartographic, geospatial, water level, and mass movement data. The research seeks to understand what is necessary to maintain environmental sustainability in Lake Kisezers.
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