Linking farmers' perceptions and management decision toward sustainable agroecological transition: evidence from rural Tunisia

Global food systems face sustainability challenges like undernourishment, inequity, resource degradation, and pollution. Food production and consumption drive environmental change with greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and land-system shifts. The climate change crisis has intensified concerns about the ecological impact of these systems. Sustainable food networks, such as community-supported agriculture, are promoting sustainable production and consumption through short supply chains. International bodies like the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) are also spearheading initiatives for more equitable and sustainable food systems. In Tunisia, where dryland areas predominate, the ongoing implementation of the Agroecology Initiative provides the context for this study, which explores the drivers and barriers of agroecological transformation in this challenging environment. The research focuses on stakeholder engagement, with a gender perspective to explore farmer perceptions. The study, conducted in the northwest of Tunisia in 2022-2023, involved focus groups, workshops, surveys, and questionnaires with various stakeholders. Findings highlight farmer organizations' potential in promoting sustainable farming, with clear goals, diversified systems, and collaborations. However, challenges such as input scarcity, water shortage, low income, and marketing must be addressed. Results also indicate that over 90% of farmers who received assistance with agroecological practices reported a change in their ideas and practices. Fifty seven percent of the workshops participants identified the olive oil value chain as having the greatest potential for agroecological transformation, but it faces constraints such as climate, lack of policy incentives, training, funding, and difficulty in adopting technical innovations. Women's inclusion in agriculture, environmental, social, and economic challenges were also highlighted. Despite these obstacles, key drivers for agroecological transition were identified. These include the compatibility of many agroecological practices with existing farmer capabilities, their cultural and economic benefits, and the positive outcomes for environmental sustainability and health. The study advocates for a socio-technical systems analysis to address the root causes hindering Tunisia's agroecological transformation. A participatory approach is crucial to understanding priorities and developing a sustainable and resilient food system. Furthermore, the research underscores the importance of considering diverse farmer perspectives and tailoring strategies to support this critical transition effectively.

Community composition of invasive, outbreak, and non-pest snail species along a source spring-to-fishpond gradient in a spatially structured aquacultural region

Agricultural lands are integrated into and interact with natural areas. Such is the case of Emek HaMa'ayanot, northern Israel, comprising a springs-rich area characterized by multiple land-uses, including spring-water-based aquaculture, recreational springs, and nature reserves. Aquacultural farms suffer from pest snails that carry fish disease; in the study region, these species are invasive (Thiara scabra, Tarebia granifera, Pseudosuccinea columella) and outbreak endemic (Melanoides tuberculata). Previous snail control efforts have focused on individual fishponds without considering management on larger environmental scales in the waterways from the source springs to the fish farms. To broaden our understanding of the status of the pest snail problem in the study area prior to suggesting environmental managerial solutions, we quantified changes in the community composition of snail species along the springs-to-fishponds gradients in a spatially explicit system. We found a remarkable increase in pest snail abundances along these gradients, indicating that pest snails might be invading upstream towards the springs. There were always nearly 100% pest snails in the endpoint sites for water tracks that ended in fishponds. Moreover, pest snails dominated the site when it was used as a fishpond, even though the site was also a spring. In contrast, in a water track that does not end in a fish farm, the relative abundances of non-pest snail species was similar between the source spring and the downstream endpoint, in spite of an increase in pest snail abundance at a midpoint site. These results suggest that invasive pest snails are actively moving upstream and that the fishponds have a marked upstream effect on the ability of non-pest snails to resist pest species invasions. We suggest further investigation of possible strategies for biocontrol of the observed invasion of the snails into natural areas as a basis for environmental management efforts. Finally, the observations made during this study could have practical global implications for snail management in aquaculture and agriculture, and for the control of snails and snail vectors implicated in animal and human diseases.

Local Habitat Complexity and Its Effects on Herbivores and Predators in Urban Agroecosystems

In urban community gardens, cultivated vegetation provides variable levels of habitat complexity, which can suppress pests by promoting predator diversity and improving pest control. In this study, we examine three components of the structural complexity of garden vegetation (cover, diversity, and connectivity) to investigate whether higher garden vegetation complexity leads to fewer herbivores, more predators, and higher predation. We worked in eight community gardens where we quantified vegetation complexity, sampled the arthropod community, and measured predation on corn earworm eggs. We found that plots with high vegetation cover supported higher species richness and greater abundance of predatory insects. High vegetation cover also supported a greater abundance and species richness of spiders. In contrast, high vegetation diversity was negatively associated with predator abundance. While high predator abundance was positively associated with egg predation, greater predator species richness had a negative impact on egg predation, suggesting that antagonism between predators may limit biological control. Community gardeners may thus manipulate vegetation cover and diversity to promote higher predator abundance and diversity in their plots. However, the species composition of predators and the prevalence of interspecific antagonism may ultimately determine subsequent impacts on biological pest control.

Insights into the diversity of cow milk production systems on the fringes of coastal cities in West Africa: A case study from Benin

In sub-Saharan Africa, rapid population growth, urbanization, increasing incomes, and changing dietary preferences are the main drivers of the rising demand for livestock products, especially fresh milk and derived products. To meet this demand, there is an increasing number of dairy cattle farms in the densely populated coastal zone of Benin, where the country's largest city and commercial capital Cotonou is located. To identify and characterize the peri-urban dairy production systems in this region, 190 cattle keepers were surveyed, using the snowball sampling method, in four municipalities neighboring Cotonou. Information on their socio-economic characteristics, cattle herd sizes, and herd management practices were collected through questionnaire-based face-to-face interviews. Factor analysis of mixed data followed by hierarchical clustering on principal components, implemented in R statistical software, were applied to classify the surveyed farms into homogeneous groups. Results revealed six types of peri-urban dairy cattle farms differing mainly in their cows' breeds, herd sizes, and daily amount of milk produced. Most herds (88%) were owned by urban dwellers, mainly civil servants and traders, who entrusted the management of their cattle to hired professional herders. Irrespective of farm type, cows were of local taurine (65%) or Sahelian zebu (35%) breeds and were exclusively fed on communal natural pasture. Mineral supplementation was provided to the animals on 42% of farms, with significant variation across farm types. About 45% of the farms integrated cattle production with other agricultural activities, including coconut plantations (22%), where cow manure was used as fertilizer. The herd structure was similar across farm types, with average proportions of cows and heifers ranging from 37.6 to 47.5% and from 13.1 to 19.7%, respectively. With significant differences across farm types, the produced milk was either transformed into traditional cheese (32% of farms) or sold raw (85%). Milk and cheese sales represented 84% of the total farm income for three out of the six farm types. In the current context of rapid urbanization, communal grazing lands alone cannot provide sufficient feed to support increased milk production. In addition to improved feeding strategies, herd structure should be balanced in terms of the ratio between milk-producing and non-producing animals.

How digital communications contribute to shaping the career paths of youth: a review study focused on farming as a career option

Can the power of digital communications create opportunities for overcoming generational renewal problems on farms? This interdisciplinary review explores the reported impacts of digital communication on career initiation into farming from a global perspective via the lens of career theories. Seventy-three papers were synthesized into two domains: (1) the impact of digital communication interactions on farming career initiation, and (2) the dynamics of digital communication initiatives that create opportunities to inspire youth into farming. The finding shows that the mainstream literature primarily aims to support the continuity of farming careers but pay little attention to the potential of digital communication to attract youth into farming. This review argues that career communications for farming receives insufficient attention, and could be better integrated into agricultural communications strategies by using the potential of digital communications. Study concludes that while economic and geographic factors, as well as societal and cultural norms, lead to negative perceptions on farming careers, there are three pathways that may contribute to breaking down these negative perceptions. Firstly, taking the changing nature of career motivations, such as the trend towards sustainable farming linked to self-fulfillment, among today's youth into consideration is essential. Secondly, highlighting technological advances in digital agriculture practices, like geographical flexibility or innovation capacity of farming, for example, is important to increase awareness about new opportunities in the profession. Lastly, communication campaigns with targeted groups (e.g., young females) play a role to change the negative perceptions of the rural way of life and the farming profession.

The Role of Actor Networks in Enabling Agroecological Innovation: Lessons from Laos

In this paper, we use conceptual insights from the actor–network theory (ANT) to explore the role of agroecological innovation systems (AeISs) in the reconfiguration of agricultural practices toward sustainability. AeISs are actor networks involving a diversity of individuals (e.g., farmers, traders, experts) and organizations (e.g., cooperatives, rural development agencies, teaching and research institutions) that mainstream agroecology principles and practices to enhance agroecosystems’ resilience. Their composition and structure affect the way different agents of change interact, as well as how they access, exchange, and use knowledge as they drive the adoption of specific technologies. We document seven AeISs that were active between 2005 and 2020 in the northern uplands of Laos. Within the framework of these initiatives, action research was conducted for understanding the processes underpinning diverse technical, organizational, and institutional innovations to foster an agroecological transition. Building on a comparative analysis of AeIS, we consider how agency was distributed among collectives as they reorganized in time. Our discussion highlights the importance of configuring, enlarging, and nurturing spaces in which actors are empowered to adjust and adapt, as well as to think and act collectively in complexity. Lastly, what counts in the innovation is the underlying networking process itself, i.e., the process through which all actors of the AeIS interact and exchange. Changes in the networking processes come with a changing conception of knowledge. Moving from knowledge to knowing (i.e., knowledge in the making), AeISs no longer only promote products or technologies, but also collective intelligence based on an ethic of care.

Agroecological Transition: A Territorial Examination of the Simultaneity of Limited Farmer Livelihoods and Food Insecurity

Nutritional disease, persistent food insecurity, ecological devastation, and limited sustainable livelihoods among small and beginning (SB) farmers coexist as unintended consequences of trying to address these challenges separately. Agroecology is useful for holistically understanding a community’s food system dynamics, identifying regime lock-ins, and developing pathways to transition to a sustainable food system. Focusing on two often divergent publics, SB farmers and food-insecure populations, this research answers the questions: What critical agroecological characteristics are lacking in a food system contributing to both limited livelihoods of SB farmers and food-insecure populations? In what ways might the relationships of these two publics be central to an agroecological transition to a regional sustainable food system? We present a case study for the city-region Duluth-Northland, Minnesota, USA, by combining methodological and theoretical insights from participatory action research, agroecology, and sustainability transitions literature. Results include a current state of regional food flows, illuminate the food system’s enabling and inhibitory factors, and highlight opportunities for exercising local agency to transition to a sustainable food system using agroecological principles. This research suggests developing relational spaces where two typically divergent publics can dialogue and build reciprocal relationships to construct new food pathways. Findings also highlight a need to develop a social infrastructure to support SB farmer livelihoods, recognize their contribution to the public good, and simultaneously address multiple dimensions of food insecurity. This study provides preliminary guidance for mobilizing action at the nexus of health and food access, environment, and regenerative agriculture livelihoods.

Amplifying Agroecological Farmer Lighthouses in Contested Territories: Navigating Historical Conditions and Forming New Clusters in Japan

Individual agroecological farms can act as lighthouses to amplify the uptake of agroecological principles and practices by other farmers. Amplification is critical for the upscaling of agroecological production and socio-political projects emphasizing farmer sovereignty and solidarity. However, territories are contested spaces with historical, social, cultural, and economic contexts that can present challenges to the effectiveness of farmer lighthouses in catalyzing localized agrarian change. We explore these amplification dynamics through fieldwork in a particular region of Japan employing interviews and data derived from an assessment of nine farms using ten amplification indicators. The indicators include social organization, participation in networks, community leadership, and degrees of dependency on policies or markets among others, as well as degree of adoption of on-farm agroecological practices, all of which capture farmer lighthouses' potential to amplify territorial upscaling. At the same time, we trace the historical development of a previous generation of Japanese farmer lighthouses practicing organic agriculture in alignment with agroecological principles that experienced, to varying degrees, push-back, co-option, and successful territorialization in rural communities. We find that many of the same social and cultural territorial dynamics are still influential today and affecting the amplifying effect of agroecological farmer lighthouses, but also find examples of new clustering around lighthouses that take advantage of both the historical vestiges of the previous generation's efforts as well as contemporary shifts in practice and agrarian orientation. This research calls for a detailed dissection of the dynamic and contrasting processes of agroecological territorialization and the ways in which diverse contexts shape agroecological upscaling.