Royal Agricultural University Repository
Not a member yet
647 research outputs found
Sort by
Nature-inspired and sustainable synthesis of sulfur-bearing Fe-rich nanoparticles
Get PDFSulfur-bearing Fe-rich nanoparticles (SINPs) have been subject to increased levels of interest because of their catalytic properties and other features. However, with increasing interest in greener and sustainable practice, traditional engineered routes to SINP synthesis have become a concern owing to their high energy and resource demand as well as the use of potentially hazardous or environmentally harmful reagents. Here, we aim to bring attention to emerging and burgeoning research across a wide range of disciplines on the formation of both naturally occurring and synthetic SINPs. Firstly, various SINP types are described, and their most important characteristics are outlined. Second, the natural mechanisms of SINP formation are evaluated and their environmental significance explained, predominantly in hydrothermal vents and lithogenic environments, in order to help inspire new approaches to engineered synthesis. Third, an appraisal of various synthetic approaches for SINP assembly is presented, with a focus on green synthesis methods. One exemplar is the use of nature-inspired biosynthesis, which has been increasingly explored for the fabrication of cost-effective and environmentally friendlier SINPs. Finally, potential future research directions leading to more sustainable SINP synthesis are put forward
Unlocking the Potential of Agribusiness in Africa through Youth Participation: An Impact Evaluation of N-Power Agro Empowerment Program in Nigeria
Get PDFfirst_pagesettingsOrder Article Reprints
Open AccessArticle
Unlocking the Potential of Agribusiness in Africa through Youth Participation: An Impact Evaluation of N-Power Agro Empowerment Program in Nigeria
by Adewale M. Ogunmodede 1,2,3,*ORCID,Mary O. Ogunsanwo 4 andVictor Manyong 2ORCID
1
Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Ibadan 900001, Oyo State, Nigeria
2
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Plot No 25 Mikocheni Light Industrial Area, Mwenge-Coca-Cola Road, Mikocheni B, Dar Es Salaam 34441, Tanzania
3
Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, Egham 01784, UK
4
Department of Agricultural Economics, College of Agricultural Sciences, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye 11105, Ayetoro Ogun State, Nigeria
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Sustainability 2020, 12(14), 5737; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12145737
Submission received: 30 April 2020 / Revised: 9 July 2020 / Accepted: 11 July 2020 / Published: 16 July 2020
(This article belongs to the Collection Graduate Employment and Sustainability in a Global and Changing Labour Market: Challenges and Opportunities for Higher Education)
Downloadkeyboard_arrow_down Browse Figures Versions Notes
Abstract
In a country of about 200 million people, the government has over the years constituted various initiatives to address the issue of unemployment, food security, and youth involvement in agriculture. However, the impact of these initiatives has been minimal due to the inconsistency in government policies, changes in government, inadequate implementation mechanism amongst others. This study, therefore, evaluated the impact of the N-power Agro Program on youth employment and income generation through agribusiness in Nigeria. Six hundred and forty-five respondents were randomly selected from the database of N-Power. Structured questionnaires were used in obtaining the data. The statistical analysis of collected data applied descriptive methods, logistic regression model, and regression discontinuity design. The value of ATE of the regression discontinuity design of the income of the participants of N-Power Agro is greater by N30,191.46 than for the nonparticipants. The result of the logistic regression model shows that age, level of education, years of agribusiness experience, and employment status significantly influenced the choice of creating employment through agribusiness and of participating in the N-Power Agro program. The impact of the N-Power Agro program for Nigeria’s young men and women on employment and income generation for participants was shown to be effective and positive with the RDD recording an increase in the beneficiaries’ income and a discontinuity in the design. Upscaling this program and wider implementation in other countries in collaborations with youth, rural communities and private sectors will ensure that the government can bridge the skills deficit in Africa’s youth, develop their capacities for entrepreneurship, and hence, increase jobs creation
Smallholder farmers’ understanding of, and attitudes to, climate change, variability and climate smart farming: A case study of South West Nigeria
No full textSub-Saharan African countries have been projected to be under severe climate threat in the form of a rise in climate variability. Such variability will impact on agriculture in particular and hence challenge rural livelihoods and potentially rural and urban food security. Nigeria makes an ideal case study country in which to assess the impacts of climate variability, the understanding and perceptions of smallholders to climate changes and their approaches to climate smart good agricultural practices. It also provides an opportunity to evaluate the appropriateness of assistance smallholders are receiving through extension.
This study aimed to intensify and to further improve the empirical understanding of the socioeconomic, biophysical and institutional factors that contribute to climate change variability and vulnerability among farming households and communities in Nigeria. The study also aimed to promote a better understanding of climate-smart Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to achieve environmentally, economically and socially sustainable agricultural practices in order to contribute to improved livelihoods and incomes in the face of climate change challenges. A secondary aim was to evaluate the potential of participatory action planning as a way of sharing knowledge and experiences between smallholders and those who work with them (e.g. extension services) against a constantly changing environment.
These research aims were applied to arable smallholder farming systems in South-West Nigeria as a case in point. By integrating participatory methods, statistical analyses and household surveys, this research adopted a multistage approach to examine and understand smallholder farming systems, livelihoods and perceptions of a changing climate. As part of the study, the Vulnerability Framework to understand smallholders’ vulnerability and adaptive capacity was used. This focused on the impacts of climate change as perceived by smallholder farmers and the adaptive approaches ranging from individual households to government programmes and policies executed to reduce smallholders’ vulnerability to climate challenges and to increase smallholders’ resilience to predicted future climate change.
The study showed that smallholder farmers are very aware of their local environment and how the environmental changes are affecting their livelihoods. Farmers stated that the perceived changes in climatic variables like temperature and rainfall have been occurring in the area over a period of three decades. This was confirmed by the evidence from the temperature and rainfall data obtained from the national weather site and local weather stations. The study further showed that despite the change in climatic conditions, smallholders have employed a few on-farm and off-farm adaptation strategies such as changing the planting calendar, livelihood diversification and crop diversification among others to reduce their vulnerability to the changing conditions. However, the study shows that cultural barriers, financial constraints, limited access to improved crop varieties, lack of financial support from the government, poor access to information on climate smart adaptation strategies and the lack of confidence in, and insufficient access to the advice given by extension workers are among the challenges linked to non-adoption of some good agricultural practices.
Another key finding is that the existing extension and research extension model is not working. There is a need to recognise that for extension to be effective, it needs to embrace indigenous knowledge and integrate this with physical science. With limited resources for extension, this thesis reinforces calls for the provision of institutional support like access to adequate and regular extension services and an increase in the number of extension workers; however, the study also shows the need for a reinforcement in updating and the training of extension workers not only in technical knowledge on current innovations in climate smart farming in order to disseminate the right information to boost farmers’ confidence in the advice given but also in social interaction behaviour with participatory processes and strong feedbacks.
One way this could be done is by extension officers with the support of research working on participatory training and strategies to review it and learn from it collectively followed by feedback to government to inform policy. Finally, further research should include how smallholder farmers’ can be encouraged to adopt good agricultural practices through further participatory processes including participatory action planning for cropping systems and seasons
Possible application of stable isotope compositions for the identification of metal sources in soil
Get PDFMetals in soil are potentially harmful to humans and ecosystems. Stable isotope measurement may provide “fingerprint” information on the sources of metals. In light of the rapid progress in this emerging field, we present a state-of-the-art overview of how useful stable isotopes are in soil metal source identification. Distinct isotope signals in different sources are the key prerequisites for source apportionment. In this context, Zn and Cd isotopes are particularly helpful for the identification of combustion-related industrial sources, since high-temperature evaporation-condensation would largely fractionate the isotopes of both elements. The mass-independent fractionation of Hg isotopes during photochemical reactions allows for the identification of atmospheric sources. However, compared with traditionally used Sr and Pb isotopes for source tracking whose variations are due to the radiogenic processes, the biogeochemical low-temperature fractionation of Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Tl isotopes renders much uncertainty, since large intra-source variations may overlap the distinct signatures of inter-source variations (i.e., blur the source signals). Stable isotope signatures of non-metallic elements can also aid in source identification in an indirect way. In fact, the soils are often contaminated with different elements. In this case, a combination of stable isotope analysis with mineralogical or statistical approaches would provide more accurate results. Furthermore, isotope-based source identification will also be helpful for comprehending the temporal changes of metal accumulation in soil systems
Prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes, parasite control practices and anthelmintic resistance patterns in a working horse population in Egypt
Get PDFBackground: Anthelmintic resistance is commonly reported in horse populations in developed countries, but evidence in some working horse populations is either lacking or inconclusive.
Objectives: To estimate prevalence of GI nematode infections in working horses in Egypt and to evaluate strongyle resistance to ivermectin, doramectin and fenbendazole.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study
Methods: Faecal egg count was performed on 644 working horses from 2 provinces in Egypt. A short questionnaire about horse signalment and worming history was completed for each horse. Horses identified with ≥50 strongyle type egg/g (n = 146) underwent faecal egg count reduction testing (FECRT) following treatment with ivermectin (n = 33), doramectin (n = 33) or fenbendazole (n = 30). Risk factors for strongyle (≥200 egg/g) and Parascaris equorum (>0 egg/g) infection were investigated using multivariable logistic regression analyses.
Results: The prevalence of low (0–199 epg), medium (200–500 epg) and high (>500 epg) strongyle infection was 88.4%, 5.9% and 5.8%, respectively. P. equorum eggs were detected in 5.1% (n = 33) of horses. Strongyle FECR was 100%, 99.97% and 100% following treatment with ivermectin, doramectin and fenbendazole, respectively. Anthelmintic treatment in the 12 months preceding examination was associated with reduced likelihood of strongyle infection (odds ratio [OR] = 0.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.14, 0.47, P <0.001). The likelihood of P. equorum infection was significantly associated with horses’ age (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.69, 0.90; P <0.001). Male horses were more likely to have P. equorum infection (OR = 2.86, 95% CI = 1.37, 5.93, P = 0.005).
Main Limitations: Nonrandomised selection of study areas and larval cultures were unsuccessful for some samples
Conclusions: There were low prevalence of strongyle and P. equorum infection and no evidence of macrocyclic lactones or benzimidazole resistance in strongyles in the studied working horse population
Swans and Elephants: a typology to capture the challenges of food supply chain risk assessment
Get PDFBackground: As a result of internal or external shocks, food supply chains can transition between existing regimes of assembly and planned activity to situations that are unexpected or unknown. These events can occur without warning, causing stress, shift, even collapse, and impact on business/supply chain viability.
Scope and Approach: The aim of this research is to consider how with existing complexity, uncertainty and constantly emerging transitions, risk managers food supply chains can comprehend, and address risk. This study, based on an iterative analysis of grey and academic literature, considers the application of multiple swan (black, grey, white) and black and white elephant theory to food supply chain risk. Case study examples explore and explain the academic theory in more depth. Five types of risk are considered: known knowns, unknown knowns, known unknowns, unknown unknowns and a category introduced in this paper, unknowable unknowns.
Key findings and conclusions: Traditional risk assessment techniques, mediated by the level of knowledge uncertainty, lead risk managers to accept, tolerate, treat or ignore a risk. Effective risk assessment can convert black swans via grey swans ultimately into white swans, but in some circumstances, white swans can escalate to be grey swans again. When the risk manager intentionally chooses to accept a black elephant, this can result in a significant public health incident and/or extreme financial impact. The multiple swan (black, grey, white) and black and white elephant typology developed here can assist risk managers to more effectively visualise and rank supply chain risk
Assessing the Impact of Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Education Literature and Policy Project Report
Get PDFThe following report summarises the actions to date and future planned activity with respect to a systematic literature review and an investigation of policy-related data and documents relating to enterprise and entrepreneurship education (EntEd) activity in UK Higher Education institutions (HEIs).
The key findings are:
1. There is a lack of information and context, necessary for educators to make informed decisions about what works (or not), provided in published papers. Research to date focusses on short-term impact relating to awareness, knowledge, and entrepreneurial intent.
2. Analysis of Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) submissions shows that the majority of institutions include EntEd-related activity in their submissions. Results narratives are more likely to highlight 'enterprise’ related activity at higher levels of TEF award and where it is a sustained and strategic part of the university’s educational offer.
3. Research and impact work relating to enterprise, entrepreneurship, or entrepreneurial education can provide a meaningful contribution to Research Excellence Framework (REF) results and therefore research funding. It can also have a significant impact on the communities it serves.
4. Returns to the Higher Education Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey show that the number of student and graduate new-start businesses per year was relatively constant for the four years analysed (2014/2015 to 2017/2018) at around 4,000 business each year with a mean average of 38.3 new-starts per returning institution in 2017/2018. Active companies reportedly employed an estimated mean average of 1.9 FTE employees, and had an average estimated turnover of £53,506.
5. 3 of the 10 highest ranking institutions for new-start businesses in 2017/2018 were specialist art, music, dance, or drama institutions. This increased to 6 of the top 10 when a proxy for the proposed new Knowledge Excellence Framework (KEF) metric for student entrepreneurship was applied. The KEF proxy used here was the number of HE-BCI reported new-start businesses by an institution by its total student population recorded for the same year of data collection.
6. The highest-ranking institution returned a number of new-starts to HE-BCI that equated to 12.7% of its total student FTE population in 2017/2018. Only 6 institutions (including the highest ranking) have a KEF proxy figure of over 2% of their total student FTE; 85 institutions report less than 0.5%.
The results of the systematic literature review and the TEF, REF, HE-BCI and KEF proxy analysis have been used to inform questions to be used in a Delphi study exploring impact measurement, and will be taking forward into conference and journal submissions as appropriate
Conservation Agriculture: An Agroecological Approach to Adapting and Mitigating Climate Change Impacts on Malawi’s Agriculture
Get PDFAlthough Africa‟s contribution to the world‟s greenhouse gas emission is the smallest compared to other continents, yet
they tend to be affected most by the variability in Climate. Malawi is not an exception to this climate change, as they are
not just faced with rising temperatures and variable rainfall patterns, but with reoccurring droughts and severe flooding.
Agriculture has been noted to contribute significantly to not only climate change but also has significant impacts on
global warming through its greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, not all farming systems impact negatively on
climate change. Conservation Agriculture is a farming system that encourages no or minimum soil disturbance,
maintenance of a permanent soil cover, and diversification of crop species. These three interlinked principles combined
with good agricultural practices promote biodiversity and normal biotic processes, both on and under the ground surface,
thereby increasing the productivity and nutrient use efficiency of water, into a more resilient farming system which will
help sustain and improve agricultural production. This review looks at Conservation Agriculture practices in the
Machinga Agricultural Development Division of Malawi and its role in climate change mitigation and adaptation. This
paper shows that Conservation Agriculture has played an active role in the adaptation and mitigation of climate change
effect by reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions but suggested there is a need for the government to formulate a
CA framework that is founded on the three interlinked principles and not just based on soil and water conservation
principles which are currently being advocated and practised
Profitability and technical efficiency of leafy vegetable production: a stochastic frontier production function analysis
No full textSmallholder leafy vegetable farmers are often faced with resource-use inefficiency in production. This work examined the profitability and technical efficiency of leafy vegetable production to determine sources of inefficiencies in smallholder production. The Maximum Likelihood Estimates of the Stochastic frontier production function indicated factors positively influencing production gross margin were education level, experience, seed, labor costs, fertilizer and farm-size; farmer age negatively influenced results, especially those who have less contact with extension agents. The mean efficiency score was 0.804 with R2 of 0.912. With more education, the application of required inputs could improve the yield of leafy vegetables