Browsing by Tema "Agricultural productivity"

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Agricultural production amidst conflict : the effects of shocks, uncertainty and governance of non-state armed actors
(2012) Maria A. Arias; Ana María Ibáñez
This paper examines the effect of conflict on agricultural production of\nsmall-farmers. We use a unique household survey applied to 4.800\nhouseholds in four micro-regions of Colombia. The survey collects\ndetailed information on households’ economic conditions, incidence of\nviolent shocks, and presence of non-state armed actors. We separate the\neffects of conflict on direct impacts, measured through conflict-induced\nshocks, and indirect impacts, measured through years of presence of nonstate\narmed actors. The results show the association between lower\nagricultural production and conflict transmits through different channels.\nIn regions with an intense conflict, yearly agricultural revenues per\nhectare and investments are lower, and households concentrate production\non seasonal crops and pasture. Presence of non-state armed actors is\nassociated with an immediate increase in production costs, lower access\nto formal financial institutions, and lower investments. The results\nsuggest that households are affected by indirect and direct impacts that\nmay induce sub-optimal agricultural decisions. Although traditional\nreconstruction efforts are crucial, post-conflict policies should also aim to\nreduce uncertainty and improve the rule of law to foster increases in\nproduction.
Agricultural Productivity in the WANA Region
(Routledge, 2011) Roberto Tellería; Aden Aw‐Hassan
The interest of governments, international organizations, NGOs and the general public has recently been aroused by studies considering the use of existing agricultural technology, the use of innovations in such technology and the production of agricultural goods. The attention received by such studies has grown as a result of an unprecedented wave of trade liberalization in the world (involving bilateral, regional and multilateral trade-integration processes), coupled with concerns over food security, high rates of population growth and the use of limited and frequently degraded natural resources. In this context, the Malmquist Index, used to measure agricultural productivity, is a powerful tool, providing insights into whether or not a country is approaching what may be termed “best practice” by using and disseminating existing technology (efficiency change), and/or by innovating technology (technical change). Using the Malmquist Index on a sample of 12 countries within West Asia and North Africa (WANA) indicated that, between 1961 and 1997, Turkey, Tunisia, Syria and Algeria (in that order) were the “most productive” countries. Following them, in terms of agricultural productivity, were Iran, Egypt, Jordan and Morocco, while Pakistan, Sudan, Yemen and Ethiopia were the “least productive” countries of the 12 considered. Recurring negative results, with respect to both technical change and efficiency change, in Ethiopia, Sudan, Pakistan and Yemen, suggest that governments and national and international organizations and research institutions should make greater efforts to strengthen agricultural research and extension services if food security and competitiveness are to be improved.
Clasificación de ambientes productivos para fertilización a tasa variable en el sistema de agricultura de precisión
(2026) Bladimir Fernandez Orellana
Precision agriculture is essential in today's agricultural production. It allows fields to be classified according to the productive potential of each environment, providing personalized management, improving production costs, and increasing yields. The methodology used in this research is descriptive and applied, classifying productive environments based on the physical and chemical attributes of soils and their geospatial availability in order to recommend variable rate fertilization prescriptions for soybean cultivation on an agricultural property in the Cuatro Cañadas Municipality in the eastern zone of Santa Cruz. Georeferenced sampling was carried out by environments, and as a result, it was determined that 54% of the study area corresponds to environment A (high potential), 22% corresponds to environment B (medium potential), and 24% comprises environment C (low potential). In addition, sustainable management measures were suggested.
Climate risk and food availability in Guatemala
(Cambridge University Press, 2018) Renato Vargas; Maynor Cabrera; Martín Cicowiez; Pamela Escobar; Violeta Carrasco Hernández; Javier Cabrera; Vivian Guzmán
Abstract In this paper, we use a computable general equilibrium model to simulate the effects of drought and a decrease in agricultural productivity caused by climate change in Guatemala. A reduction in agricultural productivity would mean a considerable drop in crop and livestock production, and the resulting higher prices and lower household income would mean a significant reduction in the consumption of agricultural goods and food. The most negative effects of a drought would be concentrated in agriculture, given its intensive use of water. Because agricultural production is essential to ensuring food availability, these results suggest that Guatemala needs a proper water-distribution regulatory framework.
Gender Issues Associated with Labor Migration and Dependence on Off-Farm Income in Rural Bolivia
(Society for Applied Anthropology, 1994) María Luisa Bustos Gisbert; Michael Painter; Mery Quitón
Rural off-farm income is relied upon by most Bolivian farm families: 67% of large land owners and 95% of small land owners. The Bolivian pattern is a result of low producer prices redistribution to small land owners of inhospitable land and consolidation of land among large land owners. The consequence for women is the loss and scarcity of male farm labor during peak periods. Men have an advantage in off-farm labor due to higher wages. The cycle is greater labor investment but reduced return. Womens decision making that involves cutting corners has resulted in land degradation. The social participation and agricultural training of women is limited. Development efforts are counterproductive for women when training materials are produced in Spanish instead of Quechua. The study area was the central and southern Bolivian valley region of Campero and Mizque provinces Cochabamba department which was economically stagnant and land degradation and poverty were interrelated. Field research was conducted in 1990-91 through structured interviews of 80 women from 4 distinct ecological zones and a socioeconomic study of 360 families on the organization of rural production. A description of the department geographically and demographically was provided. Rural development was characterized as not understanding the constraints on women for involvement in development activities and the lack of impact on womens education and training. Three issues were identified and discussed as very important to an understanding of gender and the relationship to off-farm income and land degradation: poverty productive tasks land tenure and female migration. Where nongovernmental organizations and state agencies can help women is in helping women free up time training women in disease prevention in plants and animals and proper use and handling of pesticides and training women in basic accounting and administrative skills in marketing and strengthening access to markets. Training is needed to help women solve time shortage problems; health information and training in midwifery are also needed. Community organization needs to be strengthened so that women are leaders and gain organizational experience.
Global inequities in pesticide legislation: nearly half of pesticides approved in major crops in Latin America are not allowed in the European Union
(Royal Society, 2026) Grecia Stefanía de Groot; Carolina Morales; Patricia Aldea-Sanchez; Marcelo Aizen; Karina Antúnez; Natalia Arbulo; Marina Basualdo; Belén Branchiccela; Adriana Correa Benitez; Eva Yolotzin Gutiérrez-Gamiño
Pesticide use is a core strategy to control agricultural pests. Although international treaties and health recommendations call for banning hazardous pesticides, globally harmonized pesticide governance remains elusive. In Latin America (LATAM), the main net food exporter worldwide, agricultural pesticide use has increased by approximately 500% since 1990, compared with only approximately 3% in Europe. To assess the environmental and health rigour of LATAM's pesticide legislation, we reviewed active ingredients (AIs) approved for ten major crops, and AIs banned at national level, in eight LATAM countries, assessed their hazardousness according to international standards, and legal status in the European Union (EU) and explored sources of variation in the number of AIs approved in LATAM. We identified 523 AIs approved and 236 banned in LATAM; approximately 50% of the approved and approximately 85% of the banned AIs in LATAM were either not approved or prohibited in the EU. Higher crop production and, to a lesser extent, export value were linked to more AIs approved in LATAM. These findings imply weaker regulatory frameworks for hazardous pesticides in LATAM, reflecting more permissive environmental policies compared with the EU. This reinforces the urgency of addressing asymmetries in pesticide governance and rethinking the prevailing agricultural paradigm.
Improving Productivity of Traditional Andean Small Farmers by Bio-Rational Soil Management: I. The Potato Case
(2016) Javier Franco; Gladys Main; O. Navia; Noel Ortuño; J. Herbas
The use of chemical pesticides in agriculture demands high investments; its in discriminated and inadequate application to obtain immediate crop response has caused considerable damage to the environment and human health, either due to a direct effect or indirect contamination of farmer fields and water sources by highly toxic products. On the other hand, as a result of soil fertility losses, farmers move to new areas for farming, causing a complex migration phenomena and devastation of natural forests. In an effort to find new alternatives for the management of crop pests compatible with the environment and agro-ecologically friendly, some technologies recently developed have been offered to small Andean potato farmers. Among these, the recycling of organic residues and the management of natural soil microorganisms which are important alternatives to reduce the importation and use of toxic agro-chemicals as well as to preserve and recuperate soil fertility and thus reach a sustainable potato production by Andean farmers. This will not only guarantee food security, but will also have favorable impact on the yield and quality of potato and other crops.Accepted for publication: December 28, 2011
Invention of Organic Nanofertilizer and Its Use in Crop Production and Soil Recovery
(2025) Eduardo Chilón Camacho; J. A. E. Molina
Abstract: Aerobic liquid organic nanofertilizer corresponds to the generation of our own knowledge, within the framework of the “Living Soil Paradigm”, and arises as an alternative to the global climate crisis, which at the present time is no longer a technical, ideological or political problem, but a question of survival; this serious situation forces the change of life patterns and current scientific approaches, in the case of agriculture to value processes based on knowledge rather than conventional inputs. The initial findings of the aerobic liquid organic fertilizer NAOLA verify that it contains phytohormones, some still unknown, vitamins, antibiotics, enzymes, available nutrients, nanobacteria and other compounds, which as a foliar nutritional supplement for plants, improve their growth in organically fertilized soils, and also as irrigation revitalize the “living soil”; it is quite versatile in its use as foliar fertilizer, bio-irrigation, biohydroponics, bio-burners and bioremediation of contaminated soils. It is part of an agricultural sustainability strategy that makes quality organic fertilizers the main basis for the resilience of soils and plants in the face of the global climate crisis. Key words: organic nanofertilizers, high Andean composting, biohydroponics
Prediction Model for Cacao Production Integrated into an Offline Mobile Application: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Agricultural DecisionMaking
(2025) Alberto Jiménez; Dennis Brishith Chuqui Alcivar; Cristian Darwin Borja; Johnny Xavier Bajaña Zajía
Cacao production, a key economic pillar for numerous rural communities in Ecuador, faces structural challenges related to climate variability and limited digital connectivity. This study presents the development and implementation of a yield prediction model based on the XGBoost algorithm, integrated into an offline mobile application designed to operate in agricultural environments without internet access. The research followed the CRISP-DM methodology and included the analysis of 5584 observations collected from plots in La Maná (Cotopaxi), corresponding to three cacao genotypes. Variables were processed using cleaning, imputation, and normalization techniques. The predictive model, validated with standard metrics (MSE, RMSE) and an $R^{2}$ of 0.9399, demonstrated robust fit and high interpretability. Subsequently, the model was deployed in a mobile app developed with React Native. Field deployment showed response times under five seconds, compatibility with low-end devices, and high user acceptance. Participatory validation confirmed the practical usefulness of the tool for real-time agronomic decision-making. This work provides evidence of the value of AI tailored to rural contexts and proposes a replicable approach for other value chains under similar conditions.
Reconfiguring agrarian relations through agroecology: labor dynamics, value capture, and productivity in small-scale farming in Cochabamba, Bolivia
(Taylor & Francis, 2026) Ben M. McKay; Georgina Catacora‐Vargas
Sustentabilidad de un sistema integral de producción. Caso: granja integral “la sabatina”, Esnugué, municipio Trujillo, estado Trujillo
(2014) José Humberto Ruíz Morón; Jesús E. Matheus; Carmen Castillo; E. S. Brown
The sustainability of the integral agricultural production system named “The Sabatina”, located in the area of Esnugue, Trujillo Municipality, Trujillo State, Venezuela, was evaluated during the period 2006- 2010 under the terms of the Management Assessment Method Incorporating Sustainability Indicators (MESMIS). MESMIS is a methodological tool to assess the sustainability of the systems of natural resource management, with emphasis on small farmers in their local context, through environmental, economic and social parameters that allow planning, control and make decisions for the improvement of agricultural production systems and the life quality of the farmers. The results showed an increase in the figures of the indicators evaluated for the period 2009-2010 in three aspects: social, economic and ecological, with relative values greater than 50%. These indicators exceeded the average level of sustainability and showed that the integrated production system “The Sabatina” advanced in a process of transition towards a more sustainable model of production. Thus, the integrated production system “The Sabatina” can be considered as a reference for small farmers in the Esnugue area and around the Trujillo Municipality, although the period of time in which the evaluation was conducted was short and is required a longer period to verify the impact of some measures and practices in the sustainability of this integrated production system.
The top 100 questions of importance to the future of global agriculture
(Taylor & Francis, 2010) Jules Pretty; William J. Sutherland; Jacqueline A. Ashby; Jill Shore Auburn; David C. Baulcombe; Michael Bell; J.W. Bentley; Sam Bickersteth; Katrina Brown; Jacob J. Burke
Despite a significant growth in food production over the past half-century, one of the most important challenges facing society today is how to feed an expected population of some nine billion by the middle of the 20th century. To meet the expected demand for food without significant increases in prices, it has been estimated that we need to produce 70–100 per cent more food, in light of the growing impacts of climate change, concerns over energy security, regional dietary shifts and the Millennium Development target of halving world poverty and hunger by 2015. The goal for the agricultural sector is no longer simply to maximize productivity, but to optimize across a far more complex landscape of production, rural development, environmental, social justice and food consumption outcomes. However, there remain significant challenges to developing national and international policies that support the wide emergence of more sustainable forms of land use and efficient agricultural production. The lack of information flow between scientists, practitioners and policy makers is known to exacerbate the difficulties, despite increased emphasis upon evidence-based policy. In this paper, we seek to improve dialogue and understanding between agricultural research and policy by identifying the 100 most important questions for global agriculture. These have been compiled using a horizon-scanning approach with leading experts and representatives of major agricultural organizations worldwide. The aim is to use sound scientific evidence to inform decision making and guide policy makers in the future direction of agricultural research priorities and policy support. If addressed, we anticipate that these questions will have a significant impact on global agricultural practices worldwide, while improving the synergy between agricultural policy, practice and research. This research forms part of the UK Government's Foresight Global Food and Farming Futures project.
Validating local meteorological forecast knowledge in the Bolivian Altiplano: moving toward the co-production of agricultural forecasts
(Taylor & Francis, 2022) Jere L. Gilles; Ligia García; Edwin Yucra; Rogelio Quispe; Aymara Poma; Janneth M. Quispe; Katherine Rojas; Pablo Cabrera-Barona
This study validates local forecast indicators used by indigenous Aymara in Bolivia’s Northern and Central Altiplano. In Bolivia, the use of traditional forecasting methods is declining even though climate services cannot provide useful forecasts because of a low density of stations and lack outreach services. Validating local knowledge can reduce the erosion of local knowledge by resolving debates over their utility within communities and by gaining support of public agencies charged with promoting indigenous knowledge. The research had three phases, first key informants identified forecast indicators, then 95 farmers were asked to evaluate their reliability. In the North, four indicators were rated as highly reliable and in the Central region, three. Finally, a seasonal forecast indicator and two indicators of the onset of rains were evaluating using historical meteorological data. The seasonal indicator was the minimum temperature on the Fiesta de San Juan, and the rainy season onset was the flowering pattern of two plant species. The minimum temperature explained 55.5% of the variance in growing season precipitation. Flowering patterns are affected by severe frosts, and there was a correlation between frosts and later rains. Results show local knowledge’s potential for improving agrometeorological forecasts and for managing weather-related risks.
Weather Shocks’ Impacts on Farm-Level Agricultural Outcomes in Bolivia
(Springer International Publishing, 2020) Sergio Daga