Proximity and information flows in farmer networks: A comparative analysis of certified and non-certified cooperative networks in Ghana's cocoa sector

Source Agritrop Cirad (https://agritrop.cirad.fr/613499/) * Autres projets (id;sigle;titre): FOOD/2019/412-132;Cocoa4Future;(EU) European DeSIRA Initiative//International audiencePurpose: This paper reports a cross-cutting analysis of how information flows in certified and non-certified farmer cooperatives in Ghana's cocoa sector. Design/ Methodology/Approach: We used a case study design and face-to-face interviews with a sample of 120 farmers. Data were analyzed using Social Network Analysis (SNA) to map and visualize information flows within certified and non-certifed cooperative networks. Findings: Our findings show that certification establishes two key information gatekeepers: a private extension officer and a cooperative manager. These gatekeepers centralise the flow of technical, market, and buyer-related information that farmers perceive as contributing to improving cocoa quality. Such a centralised network configuration may lead to effective channels of information exchange but also poses a risk to the overall efficiency of information flows due to potential biases and delays. However, these depend on the gatekeepers' capacities and on the proximity of the farmers. Practical implication: This study provides insights that support the effective and efficient organisation of information flows within certified and non-certified cooperatives. The risk of potential delays and bias posed by the two information gatekeepers who share vital information related to improving cocoa quality could be reduced by promoting collaboration among the cooperative manager, private extension officer, and certified purchasing clerk. Also, friendship ties that exist in certified networks should be strengthened to serve as potential entry points for information flows. Theoretical implications: Utilising the concept of proximity, we offer new perspectives and a deeper understanding of the flow of information within farmer cooperatives. Originality/Value: Using the SNA method and network structure, connectivity, and interactions, we analyse how proximity can be used to disseminate information within farmer cooperatives

Crossed views on land policies in Uruguay and France: What challenges do the current agrarian dynamics pose?

Source Agritrop Cirad (https://agritrop.cirad.fr/613110/) * Autres projets (id;sigle;titre): U20H02;TERRA;(FRA) Terres Agricoles en Uruguay et en France : quelles politiques publiques face à la concentration et à l’étrangéisation ?// ;;(FRA) ECOS-Sud//International audienceIn Uruguay, as in France, access to land has become a problem, and with it, the difficulty of regulating the concentration process. In Uruguay, the policies implemented through the National Institute of Colonisation receive few resources for land incorporation and the demand from producers with access difficulties is significant. In France, the common agricultural policy has stimulated land concentration, calling into question the actions of the Sociétés d'Aménagement du Territoire et d'Installation Rural, making it difficult for new producers to establish on the land. This study compares public policies and land regulation instruments in Uruguay and France, while it seeks to understand the evolution of these instruments and the results of their application, through a review of documentary sources (academic and technical) and interviews with different categories of actors. The first reflections show that both countries share a state-developed system of land-access regulation. Despite their different trajectories and characteristics, both systems aim at the promotion and maintenance of family production, as their priority. However, both structures have been confronted with the advance of agribusiness and the financialization of agriculture, which have resulted in the increasing concentration of agricultural land. The limitations of the instruments do not manage to overcome the difficulties identified to improve the access conditions for less well-endowed producers or sectors

Cartographier les variables essentielles de biodiversité côtière par imagerie satellite multi et hyperspectrale : Projet SCO-BioEOS

International audienceSoutenu par le Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES) et labellisé par l'Observatoire spatial du climat (SCO), le projet BioEOS vise à développer des outils d'observation pour caractériser la dynamique spatiotemporelle de la biodiversité côtière. Cette initiative permettra de cartographier les changements et de produire des indicateurs opérationnels en soutien à la conservation et à la restauration dans les Aires marines protégées (AMP). Le projet s'appuie principalement sur des séries temporelles d’images provenant de systèmes satellitaires multispectraux (Pléiades, Sentinel-2, Vénus) et hyperspectraux (EnMAP, PRIS-MA). Un ensemble de métriques, proxy de la biodiversité, sont extraites grâce à l’intégration d'algorithmes à SRL (Scientific Readiness Level) élevés, largement utilisés par la communauté scientifique. Cette approche permet de générer des informations sur la bathymétrie, l'abondance des types d'habitats/fonds et les estimations des propriétés de la colonne d'eau. Les récifs coralliens et les herbiers marins de la région sud-ouest de l'océan Indien (La Réunion, Mayotte, Glorieuses et Bassas da India) sont les premiers écosystèmes ciblés pour cette expérimentation. Nous proposons de présenter les principales avancées d'un démonstrateur fournissant des variables essentielles contribuant à diverses utilisations finales à travers quatre cas d'utilisation distincts. De plus, nous discuterons des points forts et des limites des systèmes satellitaires employés, à la lumière des objectifs initiaux fixés

« À la recherche de l’inaperçu. Postérités perecquiennes : François Bon (Paysage Fer, 2000) Thomas Clerc (Intérieur, 2013) Philippe Vasset (Un livre blanc, 2007), (p. 209-226).

International audienceWe aim to focus our reflections around a definition of the unnoticed as an experience, often consubstantial with a particular temporality, leading to the opacification or relegation to the background by perception of a certain number of spaces. In this regard, the unnoticed in the selected corpus is primarily read in terms of obstacles. Following in Perec's lineage, the studied texts thus seek to reveal what usually escapes notice in the everyday and the infra-everyday. Achieving this objective requires tearing through everyday appearances, regrasping what is concealed by habit and routine. The three narratives we propose to examine imagine different responses to this problem at the junction of the social and the individual, to measure what is hidden or lost in the folds of the everyday or the infra-everyday, in falsely familiar spaces. We will therefore study the strategies implemented to defamiliarize the banal and make the invisible visible. The three writers adopt meticulous observation protocols, reject conventional hierarchies, and favor the accumulation of seemingly insignificant details. They also develop a scopic drive aimed at seeing and describing everything, sometimes at the risk of exhaustion. We then highlight the social and political dimension of these approaches, which often aim to reveal marginalized or invisibilized realities.On se propose de resserrer les réflexions autour d’une définition de l’inaperçu comme expérience, souvent consubstantielle à une temporalité particulière, conduisant à l’opacification ou le rejet à l’arrière-plan par la perception d’un certain nombre d’espaces. À cet égard, l’inaperçu dans le corpus retenu se lit pour l’essentiel en termes d’obstacles. S’inscrivant dans la lignée de Perec, les textes étudiés cherchent ainsi à révéler ce qui échappe habituellement au regard dans le quotidien et l’infra-quotidien. Atteindre cet objectif exige un déchirement des apparences quotidiennes, une ressaisie de ce qui est celé par l’habitude, la routine. Les trois récits dont on se propose de conduire l’examen imaginent des réponses différentes à cette problématique à la jointure du social et de l’individuel, de prendre la mesure ce qui se dissimule ou se perd dans les replis du quotidien ou de l’infra-quotidien, des espaces faussement familiers. On procédera donc à l’étude des stratégies mises en œuvre pour défamiliariser le banal et rendre visible l’invisible. Les trois écrivains adoptent des protocoles d’observation minutieux, refusent les hiérarchies habituelles et privilégient l’accumulation de détails apparemment insignifiants. Ils développent également une pulsion scopique visant à tout voir et tout décrire, au risque parfois de l’exhaustion. On souligne ensuite la dimension sociale et politique de ces démarches, qui visent souvent à révéler des réalités marginalisées ou invisibilisées

Corrigendum to "Genetic parameters for resistance to field mortality outbreaks and resistance to a pathogenic strain of Vibrio splendidus in Mytilus edulis, Mytilus galloprovincialis and natural hybrid" [Aquaculture, Volume 590]

International audienceThe authors regret that a few minor errors were found in the meth odology and supplementary section of our published article. While these do not impact the fundamental conclusions of our study, they could lead to potential misinterpretations by readers. Below, we provide the necessary corrections

Marine protected areas stage of establishment and level of protection are good predictors of their conservation outcomes

International audienceHighlights d First study linking the MPA guide levels and stages directly to ecological outcomes d Actively managed and strongly regulated MPAs can succeed in recovering fish d Implemented MPAs that are minimally protected show detrimental outcomes for fish</div

Co-occurrence drives horizontal gene transfer among marine prokaryotes

Understanding the drivers of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is a key question in microbial evolution. While co-occurring taxa have long been appreciated to undergo HGT more often, this association is confounded with other factors, most notably their phylogenetic distance.To disentangle these factors, we analyzed 15,339 isolate and metagenome-assembled marine genomes. We identified HGT events across these genomes, and identified enrichments for functions previously shown to be prone to HGT. By mapping metagenomic reads from 1,862 ocean samples to these genomes, we also identified co-occurrence patterns and environmental associations. Although we observed an expected negative association between phylogenetic distance and HGT rates, we only detected the association between cooccurrence and phylogenetic distance when restricted to closely related taxa. This observation refines the previously reported trend to closely related taxa, rather than a consistent pattern across all taxonomic levels, at least within marine environments. In addition, we identified a significant association between co-occurrence and HGT, which remains even after controlling for phylogenetic distance and measured environmental variables. Overall, our findings demonstrate the significant influence of ecological associations in shaping marine bacterial evolution through HGT.</p

Predicting spatiotemporal bioclimatic niche dynamics of endemic Pyrenean plant species under climate change: how much will we lose?

Species distributions are shifting globally due to environmental and anthropogenic pressures, with mountain ecosystems among the most vulnerable. In such landscapes, the ability of species to track changing conditions is limited, placing narrowly distributed species at risk. As a mountain biodiversity hotspot in southwestern Europe, the Pyrenees harbor many such species, making it a key case study for climate vulnerability assessments. This study implements a multi-species bioclimatic niche modeling pipeline to evaluate the impacts of climate change on endemic Pyrenean plant species by 2100. Objectives are to (i) map current bioclimatic niche suitability (ii) forecast its future spatial dynamics, and (iii) identify potential climate refugia for conservation. Species occurrences were combined with 19 bioclimatic variables (1x1 km resolution) to characterize current bioclimatic niche suitability, using an ensemble modeling approach integrating five algorithms (MaxEnt, Generalized Linear Model, Generalized Additive Model, Gradient Boosting Machine, and Random Forest). Its future spatiotemporal dynamics were predicted under four climate scenarios (Shared Socioeconomic pathways 126, 245, 370, 585) for 2021-2100 period (2021-2040, 2041-2060, 2061-2080, 2081-2100). By 2100, nearly all endemic species are predicted to experience severe bioclimatic niche contractions, with half facing complete losses under high-emission scenarios. However, one species may gain suitable areas, highlighting the need for species-specific conservation strategies. Bioclimatic niches are predicted to shift upslope by ~180 m, with hotspots becoming increasingly confined to refugia above 2000 m. These trends intensify after 2060, reflecting escalating climate pressures as the century progresses. Our findings highlight the profound threat climate change may pose to endemic Pyrenean flora, with widespread bioclimatic niche losses predicted by the end of the century and high elevation refugia emerging as key conservation priorities. Our modeling framework provides a systematic approach for anticipating shifts and informing conservation planning to mitigate high-elevation biodiversity loss in a rapidly changing world

Lanthanum Calcium Manganite Perovskite Coated on Porous Ceria for Enhanced Solar Thermochemical Fuel Production

International audienceThis study explores the enhanced efficiency of solar-driven redox reactions using ceria foams coated with Ca-doped lanthanum manganite (LCM) perovskite, focusing on sustainable fuel production. The effects of substrate pore density (10, 30 ppi) and coating thickness (3 and 6 layers) were investigated.The LCM perovskite was synthesized and uniformly coated onto porous ceria substrates, confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The dual-scale porous structure of ceria enhanced the coating's effectiveness and reactivity, with coating thicknesses ranging from 75-140 μm (three layers) to 100-400 μm (six layers). Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed superior reduction extents for LCM-coated ceria samples, with O2 production up to 131 µmol/g, compared to 55 µmol/g for pure ceria. This led to a 20-40% increase in total fuel production, with CO yields up to 141 µmol/g versus 98 µmol/g for pure ceria. Performance stability for CO2 and H2O splitting was confirmed through fifteen consecutive cycles in a high-temperature solar reactor. Solar thermochemical cycling tests showed that LCM-coated ceria foams produced up to 244 µmol/g CO, with a peak CO production rate of 6.22 mL•min⁻¹•g⁻¹, during reduction at 1450°C and oxidation under pure CO2 below 900°C. However, pure ceria exhibited faster oxidation kinetics. This research Revised Manuscript clean and final versionClick here to view linked References underscores the importance of material design and optimization in improving solar thermochemical processes for large-scale solar fuel production.</div

Projet SCO-BioEOS, Suivi des Variables Essentielles de la Biodiversité côtière : Mise en Oeuvre sur le Site Pilote de La Réunion

Labelled by the SCO (Space for Climate Observatory) and supported by CNES, the BioEOS project (BIOdiversity Earth Observation and monitoring at regional Scale) aims to use satellite imagery to extract metrics that allow for the quantification and monitoring of coastal biodiversity through proxies. The main objective is to address a real need for spatio-temporal knowledge about biodiversity, particularly highlighted in overseas territories.With additional financial support from a convergence and transformation contract for La Réunion (Prefecture of La Réunion in connection with SGAR and DEAL), the initial focus was on the site of La Réunion for the establishment of processing chains, before applying them to other study sites of the project (Glorieuses, Mayotte, and Bassas Da India). The developments carried out so far have generated spatialized knowledge on bathymetry, seagrasses, and coral reefs using images from various sensors (Pléiades, Pléiades NEO, Sentinel, EnMAP, and PRISMA).The work conducted under the BioEOS project highlights the importance of synergy between in situ data and satellite imagery to produce the richest and most accurate information for the management needs of coastal ecosystems. Other opportunities for further work are anticipated to enrich and improve the quality of information extracted regarding these vulnerable ecosystems, namely seagrasses and coral reefs.Labelisé par le SCO (Space for Climate Observatory) et soutenu par le CNES, le projet BioEOS (BIOdiversity Earth Observation and monitoring at régional Scale) propose d’utiliser l’imagerie satellite pour extraire des métriques permettant de quantifier et suivre, via des proxys, la biodiversité côtière. L’objectif principal, qui est de répondre à un réel besoin de connaissances spatio-temporelles sur la biodiversité, mis en exergue notamment dans les territoires d’outre-mer.Bénéficiant d’un soutien financier complémentaire d’un contrat de convergence et de transformation de La Réunion (Préfecture de La Réunion en lien avec le SGAR et la DEAL), le choix s’est porté dans un premier temps sur le site de La Réunion pour la mise en place des chaînes de traitements, avant de les appliquer sur les autres sites d’étude du projet (Glorieuses, Mayotte et Bassas Da India). Les développements réalisés jusqu’à présent ont permis de générer des connaissances spatialisées sur la bathymétrie, les herbiers et les récifs coralliens en utilisant des images issues de différents capteurs (Pléiades, Pléiades NEO, Sentinel, EnMAP et PRISMA).Les travaux menés dans le cadre de ce projet BioEOS soulignent l’importance de la synergie entre données in situ et imagerie satellite afin de produire les informations les plus riches et les plus précises pour les besoins de gestion des écosystèmes côtiers. D’autres possibilités de travaux sont en perspective pour enrichir et améliorer la qualité des informations extraites concernant ces écosystèmes vulnérables que sont les herbiers et les récifs coralliens.Pour la suite du projet BioEOS, les chaines de traitements mises en place sur le site de La Réunion vont pouvoir ainsi être améliorées, étendues et/ou adaptées à l'ensemble des trois autres sites d’étude dans le cadre de la convention avec le CNES