Science and Technology Backyard model: implications for sustainable agriculture in Africa

Sustainable food production to feed the growing population in Africa remains a major challenge. Africa has 64% of the global arable land but produces less than 10% of its food locally due to its inherently low soil nutrient concentrations. Poor soil fertility and a lack of fertilizer use are the major constraints to increasing crop yields in Africa. On average only about 8.8 kg NPK fertilizer is applied per hectare by African smallholder farmers. There is therefore considerable potential for increasing food production through sustainable intensification of the cropping systems. The low crop yields in Africa are also partly due to limited farmer access to modern agronomic techniques, including improved crop varieties, a lack of financial resources, and the absence of mechanisms for dissemination of information to smallholders. This study analyzed the Science and Technology Backyards (STBs) model and investigated its use for the transformation of agriculture in Africa. Some key lessons for sustainable crop intensification in Africa can be found from analysis of the STB model which is well established in China. These include (1) scientist-farmer engagement to develop adaptive and innovative technology for sustainable crop production, (2) dissemination of technology by empowering smallholders, especially leading farmers, and (3) the development of an open platform for multiple resource involvement rather than relying on a single mechanism. This review evaluates the benefits of the STB model used in China for adoption to increase agricultural productivity in Africa, with a perspective on sustainable crop intensification on the continent.     

A proposed framework for accelerating technology trajectories in agriculture: a case study in China

Precision agriculture (PA) technologies have great potential for promoting sustainable intensification of food production, ensuring targeted delivery of agricultural inputs, and hence food security and environmental protection. The benefits of PA technologies are applicable across a broad range of agronomic, environmental and rural socio-economic contexts globally. However, farmer and land-manager adoption in low to middle income countries has typically been slower than that observed in more affluent countries. China is currently engaged in the process of agricultural modernisation to ensure food security for its 1.4 billion population and has developed a portfolio of policies designed to improve food security, while simultaneously promoting environmental protection. Particular attention has been paid to the reduction of agricultural inputs such as fertilisers and pesticides. The widespread adoption of PA technologies across the Chinese agricultural landscape is central to the success of these policies. However, socio-economic and cultural barriers, farm scale, (in particular the prevalence of smaller family farms) and demographic changes in the rural population, (for example, the movement of younger people to the cities) represent barriers to PA adoption across China. A framework for ensuring an acceptable and accelerated PA technology trajectory is proposed which combines systematic understanding of farmer and end-user priorities and preferences for technology design throughout the technology development process, and subsequent end-user requirements for implementation (including demonstration of economic and agronomic benefits, and knowledge transfer). Future research will validate the framework against qualitative and quantitative socio-economic, cultural and agronomic indicators of successful, or otherwise, PA implementation. The results will provide the evidence upon which to develop further policies regarding how to secure sustainable food production and how best to implement PA in China, as well as practical recommendations for optimising end-user uptake.     

Using a systems modeling approach to improve soil management and soil quality

Soils provide the structural support, water and nutrients for plants in nature and are considered to be the foundation of agriculture production. Improving soil quality and soil health has been advocated as the goal of soil management toward sustainable agricultural intensification. There have been renewed efforts to define and quantify soil quality and soil health but establishing a consensus on the key indicators remains difficult. It is argued that such difficulties are due to the former ways of thinking in soil management which largely focus on soil properties alone. A systems approach that treats soils as a key component of agricultural production systems is promoted. It is argued that soil quality must be quantified in terms of crop productivity and impacts on ecosystems services that are also strongly driven by climate and management interventions. A systems modeling approach captures the interactions among climate, soil, crops and management, and their impacts on system performance, thus helping to quantify the value and quality of soils. Here, three examples are presented to demonstrate this. In this systems context, soil management must be an integral part of systems management practices that also include managing the crops and cropping systems under specific climatic conditions, with cognizance of future climate change.     

中国可持续的现代化农业探索

简要回顾了改革开放以来我国在农业现代化问题研究和实践上的成就和突出存在的缺陷,分析发达国家常规农业现代化的教训及其正采取的补救措施,借鉴中国古代生态农业的成就,以及与世界主要类型国家的比较研究,提出了我国农业现代化走可持续的集约化道路的主要策略,以及应深入研究解决的关键问题。     

Public agricultural researchers: Reactions to organic,low input and sustainable agriculture

This paper offers a preliminary assessment of the reactions of public agricultural researchers to three terms used currently in the debate surrounding reduced input farming systems: organic, alternative, and sustainable agriculture. It is argued that these terms have been appropriated by the land grant system and their critical content removed to make them palatable to more mainstream agricultural researchers. A national sample of agricultural production researchers is explored, and disciplinary differences in attitudes toward the three terms are assessed. We conclude that sustainable and alternative agriculture do appear acceptable to the mainstream of production researchers, consistent with the hypothesis that they have been appropriated by the land grant system. Moreover, reasons why organic agriculture remains unacceptable are suggested.Aaron Harp is an Assistant Professor of Rural Sociology at the University of Idaho. His research focuses on issues of adoption in sustainable agriculture, and rural development.     

Characterizing historical(1992–2010) transitions between grassland and cropland in mainland France through mining land-cover survey data

Grassland, as one of the largest ecosystems on the earth, supports various goods and services to humanity.Historically, humans have increased agricultural output primarily by cropland expansion and agricultural intensification.The cropland area was primarily gained at the expense of grassland and forests.Apart from grassland conversion, increasing consumption of calorie- and meat-intensive diets drives the intensification of livestock systems, which is shifting steadily from grazing to feeding with crops.To cope with the environmental degradation due to agriculture, various forms of ‘green payment' were implemented to promote the adoption of sustainable farming practices over the last two decades in the European Union.The aim of this study is to monitor the recent transitions(1992–2010) between grassland and cropland during two Common Agricultural Policy(CAP) reforms at the French mainland scale.We proposed an innovative approach to link grassland conversion to agricultural commodities and farming systems practices.We first assessed the grassland-to-cropland conversion and further investigated the crop sequence patterns that were observed to be dominant after the conversion through mining land-cover survey data Teruti and Teruti-Lucas.We found the trends of the transitions between grassland and cropland over the two time intervals: The loss of grassland(1992–2003) and restoration or re-expansion of grassland(2006–2010) in mainland France.Our finding on the crop sequence patterns after the grassland conversion reveals two notable evolutions of agricultural production systems.These evolutions were related to the increase in the proportion of cropland in the total agricultural land use.One evolution was most likely influenced by the demand for fodder: The conversion from grazing livestock to feeding livestock.Another evolution was the conversion from livestock production to field crop production.Our results indicate that the intensification of livestock farming systems continued over the last two decades in France.We conclude that, the approach developed in this study can be considered as a generic method for monitoring the transitions between grassland and cropland and further identifying the crop sequence patterns after the grassland conversion from time-series land cover data.     

A climate for commerce: the political agronomy of conservation agriculture in Zambia

The promotion of conservation agriculture (CA) for smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa is subject to ongoing scholarly and public debate regarding the evidence-base and the agenda-setting power of involved stakeholders. We undertake a political analysis of CA in Zambia that combines a qualitative case study of a flagship CA initiative with a quantitative analysis of a nationally representative dataset on agricultural practices. This analysis moves from an investigation of the knowledge politics to a study of how the political agendas of the actors involved are shaping agrarian practices. From its initial focus on CA as soil conservation and sustainable agriculture, the framing of the initiative has evolved to accommodate shifting trends in the policy arena. In tandem with the increased focus on climate adaptation, we see an increased emphasis on private sector-led modernisation. The initiative has shifted its target group from the poorest smallholders to prospective commercial farmers, and has forged connections between its farmer-to-farmer extension network and private input suppliers and service providers. The link between CA and input intensification is reflected in national statistics as a significantly higher usage of herbicides, pesticides and mineral fertilizer on fields under CA tillage compared to other fields. We argue that the environmental and participation agendas are used to buttress CA as an environmentally and socially sustainable agricultural development strategy, while the prevailing practice is the result of a common vision for a private sector-led agricultural development shared between the implementing organisation, the donor and international organisations promoting a new green revolution in Africa.     

Analysis of the Management Policy and Comprehensive Benefit of Agriculture in the Rural Area: A Case Study on Pujiang County, China

To solve the problems of the poverty in rural areas and raise the output efficiency of agriculture, policy is the primary factor. Guiding by good policies, the design of agricultural structure and management technology are the two main technical supports for agricultural development. The authors apply the model to determine the consequences of four so-called poverty alleviation strategies： （i） intensification of production, （ii） diversification of livestock production, （iii） land expansion, and （iv） an exit from agriculture, with a set of regional poverty and biodiversity indicators. Diversification seems to be the most promising poverty reduction strategy, but requires an efficient use of animal manure in cropping systems to avoid environmental problems. Improved nutrient management in cropping systems is effective in reducing the regional nitrogen surplus, but less effective in increasing per capita income. The exit strategy is beneficial for reducing poverty and achieving biodiversity goals, but may have important social consequences, which are not addressed in this study. Further reduction of rural poverty is hampered by labor constraints during the harvesting period of high value crops, such as vegetables and fruits, which calls for research and development in the field of agricultural mechanization.     

农业可持续发展研究热点与趋势——基于文献计量的可视化分析

农业直接关系到粮食安全和农户收入,既高度依赖于资源环境又反作用于资源环境.农业可持续发展是实现可持续发展目标的关键.通过CiteSpace对Web of Science和中国知网在2000—2019年发表的关于农业可持续发展评价的1174篇英文和1043篇中文文章进行文献计量分析,总结出农业可持续发展的研究前沿、热点和趋势,以期为农业可持续发展研究和决策管理提供参考.结果 表明:农业可持续发展的研究前沿聚焦在食物系统弹性与粮食安全、农业生态集约化与可持续集约化、都市农业与农业多功能性、农业生态系统服务权衡与协同4个方面.研究热点主要关注气候变化对农业系统的影响及其适应性管理、农业生态系统服务管理、农业活动的环境影响和农业系统可持续性综合评价.建议在今后的研究中进一步解析"气候-土地-水-能源-粮食"耦合机制,系统开展农业生态系统的"影响因素-作用机理-调控方法"研究.     

Soils, agriculture, and society in precontact Hawai'i

Before European contact, Hawai'i supported large human populations in complex societies that were based on multiple pathways of intensive agriculture. We show that soils within a long-abandoned 60-square-kilometer dryland agricultural complex are substantially richer in bases and phosphorus than are those just outside it, and that this enrichment predated the establishment of intensive agriculture. Climate and soil fertility combined to constrain large dryland agricultural systems and the societies they supported to well-defined portions of just the younger islands within the Hawaiian archipelago; societies on the older islands were based on irrigated wetland agriculture. Similar processes may have influenced the dynamics of agricultural intensification across the tropics.     

农业强国建设背景下农业经理人队伍建设路径探析

农业经理人是随着农业生产经营规模化、专业化、集约化和信息化而诞生且不断发展壮大的一支生力军。加强农业经理人队伍建设,发挥好农业经理人的应有作用和巨大潜能,对于加快推进农业强国建设具有深远和现实意义。回顾农业经理人产生的背景,阐述加强农业经理人队伍建设对加快建设农业强国的重要意义,总结分析当前各地在推进农业经理人队伍建设中的典型作法。针对存在的主要问题,从加大培养力度、完善培训内容、开展水平评价、搭建交流平台、构建激励机制、促进合理流动和营造良好环境等多角度提出发展对策,以期推动农业经理人队伍持续高质量发展。     

现代农产品供应链（超市）在农业污染防治中的作用

当前我国部分地区农业污染日益呈现立体性、多向性和复杂性的趋势,已经成为制约农业可持续发展的重要因素.综合防治农业污染,不仅需要技术支撑,还需要经济制度和政策措施的配套.利用现代化供应链生产、采购、销售、消费农产品,可以在农业生产过程中引导合理科学地使用化肥、农药等投入品,从而提高了农产品质量,又减少了对环境的污染,促使农业生产从粗放型向集约型转变,为建设现代农业与和谐社会服务.     

农业机械化与可持续发展初探

笔者通过从农业可持续发展中存在的问题,提出农业机械化对于农业可持续发展的作用,以及保护性耕作、节水农业技术的应用等农业生产环节与农业可持续发展的关系。     

Transgenic crops: Engineering a more sustainable agriculture?

Transgenic crops currently available foruse potentially provide environmental benefits, suchas reduction in insecticide use and substitution ofless toxic for more toxic herbicides. These benefitsare contingent on a host of factors, such as thepotential for development of resistant pests,out-crossing to weedy relatives, and transgenic cropmanagement regimes. Three scenarios are used toexamine the potential sustainability of transgeniccrop technologies. These scenarios demonstrate thatexisting transgenic varieties, while potentiallyimproving the sustainability of agriculture relativeto existing chemical based production systems, fail inenabling a fully sustainable agriculture. Genetictraits that have a higher potential for promoting asustainable agriculture have been precluded fromdevelopment for a number of reasons. These include thelack of EPA and USDA regulatory policies thatexplicitly promote sustainable traits; the structureof the agricultural biotechnology industry, which isdominated by agricultural chemical companies; andpatent law and industry policies that proscribe farmhouseholds from saving transgenic seed and tailoringtransgenic crops to their local environmentalconditions – ecological, social, and economic.     

资源节约型和环境友好型农业生产体系的基本内涵与特征研究

建立资源节约型和环境友好型农业是我国农业加快转变生产方式,实现农业可持续发展的需要。本文分析了发展"两型农业"根源,通过与传统农业比较研究,系统分析了"两型农业"的科学内涵、本质特征和发展模式。认为"两型农业"就是以转变农业生产方式为根本目的,以发展优质、高产、高效、生态、安全的现代农业为主要目标,以提高资源利用效率和保护生态环境为重点内容,依靠技术创新和政策创新为支撑动力,大力发展循环农业、生态农业、集约农业的循环经济农业形态,促进农业实现可持续发展的现代农业综合生产体系。     

Resource use efficiency,ecological intensification and sustainability of intercropping systems

The rapidly growing demand for food, feed and fuel requires further improvements of land and water management, crop productivity and resource-use efficiencies.Combined field experimentation and crop growth modelling during the past five decades made a great leap forward in the understanding of factors that determine actual and potential yields of monocrops.The research field of production ecology developed concepts to integrate biological and biophysical processes with the aim to explore crop growth potential in contrasting environments.To understand the potential of more complex systems(multi-cropping and intercropping) we need an agro-ecosystem approach that integrates knowledge derived from various disciplines: agronomy, crop physiology, crop ecology, and environmental sciences(soil, water and climate).Adaptation of cropping systems to climate change and a better tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses by genetic improvement and by managing diverse cropping systems in a sustainable way will be of key importance in food security.To accelerate sustainable intensification of agricultural production, it is required to develop intercropping systems that are highly productive and stable under conditions with abiotic constraints(water, nutrients and weather).Strategies to achieve sustainable intensification include developing tools to evaluate crop growth potential under more extreme climatic conditions and introducing new crops and cropping systems that are more productive and robust under conditions with abiotic stress.This paper presents some examples of sustainable intensification management of intercropping systems that proved to be tolerant to extreme climate conditions.     

我国家庭农场发育的动力与困境及其可持续发展机制构建

家庭农场作为一种新型农业经营主体,是促进农业生产集约化、专业化、规模化的有效形式。本文以江苏省无锡市锡山区先锋家庭农场为例,探讨家庭农场的发展动力及实际运作情况。研究发现,目前我国家庭农场在实际发展中还面临着融资困难、农业保险制度不健全、地方政府干预过度、支农政策不平衡等一系列困境。从准入认定、扶持管理、合作与激励、社会化服务、职业农民培育等五个方面,提出了积极构建家庭农场可持续发展机制的相关措施。     

Changes in Ghanaian farming systems: stagnation or a quiet transformation?

This research was designed to understand better the patterns of agricultural intensification and transformation occurring in Africa south of the Sahara using the Ghanaian case. The paper examines changes in farming systems and the role of various endogenous and exogenous factors in driving the conversion of arable lands to agricultural uses in four villages within two agro-ecologically distinct zones of Ghana: the Guinea Savannah and Transition zones. Using historical narratives and land-cover maps supplemented with quantitative data at regional levels, the research shows that farming has intensified in the villages, as farmers increased their farm size in response to factors such as population growth, market access, and changing rural lifestyle. The overall trend suggests a gradual move toward intensification through increasing use of labor-saving technologies rather than land-saving inputs—a pattern that contrasts with Asia’s path to its Green Revolution. The findings in this paper provide evidence of the dynamism occurring in African farming systems; hence, they point toward a departure from stagnation narratives that have come to prevail in the debate on agricultural transformation and intensification in Africa south of the Sahara. We conclude that it is essential for future research to expand the scope of this work, while policies should focus on lessons learned from these historical processes of genuine change and adaptation.     

西南地区发展气候智慧型农业的对策建议

目前,全球气候变化形势严峻,而农业生产与气候变化相互影响。探索气候变化条件下的新型农业生产模式,既可以提高农民收入、保障区域粮食安全,又可以减少温室气体排放、缓解气候变化。在系统梳理气候变化对农业生产的影响、农业生产对气候变化的推动作用和适应气候变化下的农业生产方式相关研究的基础上,全面分析了气候变化下农业生产面临的严峻考验和转变农业生产方式的重要意义。传统农业生产方式在人口持续增长和气候变化的双重影响下已不能满足需求,为应对气候变化提出的气候智慧型农业可以促使农业可持续发展,增强农业生产适应性,减少温室气体排放,缓解全球气候变化。依据西南地区的自然条件和国内外应对气候变化的先进农业生产经验,提出了我国西南地区发展气候智慧型农业的建议对策,制定区域气候智慧型农业的政策制度,完善区域气候智慧型农业的技术措施,综合开发和因地制宜选择气候智慧型农业的发展模式。     

21世纪中国农业可持续发展面临的严峻形势及对策取向

中国农业的可持续发展在21世纪面临着严峻的形势。本文从经济、生态和社会3个方面分析了对中国至关重要的“可持续的食物安全保障”问题。指出农民生产积极性的保持和不断有所提高至关重要;而通过提高资源利用率及实现可再生资源对农用资源的部分替代,以及打破农业的集约化与环境退化之间的连锁,则是可持续发展的关键。为此,须开展有中国特色的“多重绿色革命”。