Impact of climate change adaptation strategies on rice productivity in South-west, Nigeria: An endogeneity corrected stochastic frontier model

Economic, environmental and social efficiency and effectiveness development in the sustainable crop agricultural sector: A systematic in-depth analysis review

Multi-dimensional inclusion of economic, environmental, and social sustainability spheres together are the most global concerns of the agricultural crop sector. Therefore, optimizing waste and natural resources guides researchers and policymakers to structure actions and strategies to attain sustainability. Several studies have been published around the world to choose between focusing on eco-efficiency or eco-effectiveness in different aspects. This work aims to systematically apply an updated review to critically assess the agricultural research articles' contributions among the assessment of those methods, models or tools, as well as a quantitative and qualitative in-depth analysis review to classify them, according to their mapping, functions, strengths, weaknesses, and logical relationships for the evaluation in the crop agricultural sector, which is expected to be needed in future to better understand the research gaps and select the appropriate methods for sustainability evaluation from different spheres (ecology, economy, and sociology). Of 242 peer-reviewed records from 2018 to the beginning of 2023, 135 reviews and articles gathered from Web of Science and Scopus meet the criteria to be examined. Our analysis revealed that the number of reviews is limited to approximately 4.5 %; most of the case studies were carried out in countries, such as China (36 %) and Brazil (6 %), and continents such as Europe (16 %). Depending on considered aspects, most studies evaluate the efficiency, effectiveness and derivatives using a set of tools, varying between the managerial tools applied for the macro-level structuration (DPSIR, EMA, and LCA) and mathematical tools applied for the micro-level quantification, subdivided into the visualization methods (GIS), and the optimization methods (DEA, SFA, MILP, FO). Thanks to their multifunctionality in considering different aspects of input, output and influence factors variables, the in-depth analysis study suggests the application of data envelopment and stochastic analysis to carry out a multidisciplinary evaluation for the socio-eco-efficiency or the socio-eco-effectiveness.

Evaluating adoption of climate smart agricultural practices among farmers in the Fujian Province, China

This study examined the adaptation level of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices among the farmers and the factors influencing the adoption of CSA practices in the Fujian Province, China. In this study, questionnaire survey data was analyzed, and 600 respondents were randomly selected as sample through randomly sampling technique. Descriptive statistics, adoption level index (ALI), and binary logit model were used for data analyses. These results indicated a moderate adoption level of CSA practices in the Fujian Province. Use of improved varieties, conservation tillage, fallow cropping, new technology, and intercropping were prevalent CSA practices among the farmers in the study area. In addition, farmers were not very interested in using herbicides on their farmlands, and only 20% of the respondents used herbicides in the Fujian Province. Except for Nindge village in the Fujian Province, all other studied villages have adapted to using organic fertilizer (around 50% of total respondents). However, more than 60% of respondents have claimed they still use chemical weed/insect/disease control in their farmlands. Age and working experience of farmers were the most influencing factors affecting the increase in the adoption of CSA practices among the farmers, and to the results of the binary logit model, education was not significant. Landholding, loan access, and access to agricultural extensions and organizations considerably impacted the adoption level of CSA practices among the farmers in the Fujian Province. Finally, this study will be helpful to decision-makers to make appropriate decisions to minimize the impact of climate change on agriculture and improve the standard of human life and food security.

A review of gender in agricultural and pastoral livelihoods based on selected countries in west and east Africa

This scoping paper presents the results of a review of the landscape of research on gender and agricultural and pastoral livelihoods in select countries in west and east Africa (Burkina Faso, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, and Uganda) published over 5 years (January 2016–March 2021). A keyword search of the Scopus database gave rise to an ultimate dataset of 169 papers which were coded for geographical location, approaches to gender, and theme based on inductive identification of clusters of research. There has been an increase in the number of published papers but there is an uneven geographical distribution of research. Studies vary in the way they treat gender: with an almost even split between modeling-based studies, where gender is one of many variables to be correlated with, or to determine, an outcome (e.g., poverty—for example, as a dummy variable in regressions); and studies where the expressed aim is to look at gender differences, whether through the gender of an individual or the gender of a household head. Clusters of papers look at gender differences in assets, health, perceptions of environmental degradation, agricultural perceptions and outcomes, and climate change perceptions, vulnerability, and adaptation. There is also a number of papers exploring women's empowerment, including intra-household decision making. Intersectional approaches have been employed both through modeling studies and through more in-depth qualitative studies that are able to trace changes in identity over time, and the implications therein. The household and household headship have remained common entry points and units of analysis, despite known critiques. The results highlight a need to address geographical gaps in gender research, expand the evidence base of intersectional approaches, explore other aspects of social inequality, and expand more innovative methodological studies.

Does financial development mitigate the effects of climate variability on rice cultivation? Empirical evidence from agrarian economy

This study is the first attempt to examine the effects of changing climate and financial development on rice cultivation in the context of agrarian economy like Thailand from 1969 to 2016. The current study also uses other important variables, such as cultivated area, organic fertilizers usage, and rural labor to determine the long-term connection amid variables. In this study, we applied several econometric techniques, for instance the autoregressive distributive lag-error correction model (ARDL-ECM), vector error correction model (VECM), impulse response functions (IMFs), and variance decomposition (VARD) method to estimate the most reliable and robust outcomes. The empirical results showed that in the long- and short-run, there is a reduction in rice cultivation as temperature increase. The carbon dioxide (CO₂) positively affects rice cultivation in the long-run, while this association is negative in the short-run. The findings further revealed that in the long- and short-run, domestic credit provided by the financial sector significantly positive improved rice cultivation, while domestic credit to private sector by banks negatively affects rice cultivation. The important input factors, including cultivated area, organic fertilizers usage, and rural labor significantly positive contributed toward rice cultivation in the long- and short-run. The calculated long-run causal connection of all the studied variables with rice cultivation is validated. The estimated short-run causal relationship is unidirectional among temperature, CO₂ emissions, financial development, rural labor, and rice cultivation. In addition, our outcomes are robust and also verified by IMFs and VARD method. The study offers some important policy suggestions to increase rice production with the help of sound and well-developed financial systems and climate controls.

Quantifying the determinants of climate change adaptation strategies and farmers' access to credit in South Africa

The damaging effects of climate change on agricultural productivity are on the increase. Relevant adaptation strategies are important to cope with climate change risks and sustain agricultural productivity. This study employed descriptive statistics, multivariate probit (MVP) model and endogenous switching regression model (ESRM), to analyze the data collected using a survey questionnaire from four provinces in South Africa. The study estimated the determining factors influencing the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies and credit access among smallholder farmers in the study areas. The empirical results of the multivariate probit model showed that location, access to extension, non-farm income, farming experience, crop and livestock production, susceptibility, agricultural training and access to credit variables influenced the smallholder decision to adopt climate change adaptation strategies. On the other hand, the ESRM showed that location, age, marital status, gender among others, influenced the decision to adopt climate change adaptation strategies. The variables such as location, education, drought experience affected the smallholder farmers' access to credit. Thus, to improve the adaptive capacity of farmers, stakeholders and government must cooperate and collaborate to improve the conditions under which farmers can gain access to climate change information and suitable agricultural credit as well as policy incentives to ensure overall sustainability of the agricultural sector.

Adoption of soil and water conservation technology and its effect on the productivity of smallholder rice farmers in Southwest Nigeria

This study estimated the effect of the adoption of soil and water conservation (SWC) on the productivity of 360 smallholder rice farmers in Southwest Nigeria. An endogenous switching regression model (ESRM) was employed to estimate the productivities of adopter and non-adopters of SWC. A doubly robust inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) was used as a credible remedy for potentially biased estimates of average treatment on the treated (ATT) and potential outcome mean (POM) of the endogenous treatment model. Significant variables, such as farmers’ locations, gender, marital status, annual temperature, annual precipitation, log of fertiliser and membership in farm-based organisation (FBO), were factors influencing the adoption of SWC among smallholder rice farmers. Factors such as age, marital status, rice experience, farm size, formal education, access to extension and labour in man-days significantly influenced the rice productivity of smallholder farmers who adopted SWC technology, while location, marital status, rice experience, farm size, formal education, access to extension and labour in man-days were the determinants of rice productivity among smallholder farmers who did not adopt SWC technology. The result from the inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment estimation indicates that the adoption of SWC technology to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change improves the productivity of rice in the study area. To ensure effective dissemination and the adoption of new conservation technologies, government and stakeholders in rice production could take the lead in promotion and dissemination in the initial stages and, in the process, create an enabling environment for the effective participation of other stakeholders in rice production.