A COMPARISON OF SUSTAINABLE AND CONVENTIONAL FARMERS IN NORTH DAKOTA

Interviews and mail-out/mail-back surveys were conducted in 1992 with 38 conventional and 41 sustainable North Dakota farmers. The results emphasize the differences and similarities of these two types of farmers. Sustainable farms had more diverse cropping practices and were more likely to raise alternative crops like alfalfa, buckwheat, hay, millet, oats, and rye than conventional farmers. Conventional farmers were more likely to raise traditional crops like barley, sugar beets, sunflowers, and spring wheat. Conventional farmers averaged substantially higher crop yields than sustainable farmers. Three-fourths of the sustainable farmers raised livestock compared with one-half of the conventional farmers. Conventional farmers had greater equity, assets, gross farm income, and net farm income than sustainable farmers. Conventional and sustainable farmers reported nearly the same amount of satisfaction with farming as an occupation, the same stress levels, and the same perceived skill requirements.sustainable farms, conventional farms, organic, North Dakota, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management,

Queer Farmers: Sexuality and the Transition to Sustainable Agriculture

Intimate relationships are foundational to farm viability. Such relationships affect how farmers share tasks, earn income, and access land, yet the role of sexuality and heteronormativity in agriculture remains understudied. Furthermore, queers are largely ignored as potential farmers by the sustainable agriculture and LGBT movements. Through participant observation and interviews with 30 sustainable farmers of various genders and sexualities in New England, I document the lived experiences of queer sustainable farmers, an under-researched group, and examine whether sexuality and gender affects why they farm. Whereas the perception of rural heterosexism can discourage queer participation in agriculture, queer farmers faced less overt heterosexism than expected. However, they did experience heterosexism particular to sustainable agriculture, and confronting it jeopardized relationships important for economic and environmental sustainability and land access. Some were attracted to sustainable agriculture for reasons specific to gender, sexuality, and anti-consumerist values. I offer the sustainable agriculture movement a lens for observing how sexuality and heteronormativity are embedded in farmer recruitment, retention, and land acquisition

Agricultural entrepreneurship and sustainability - is it a good or bad fit?

In today’s Dutch agriculture emphasis is put on entrepreneurship, social responsibility and sustainability. But do these fit together? In economic theories entrepreneurs are seen as movers of the markets, seekers of profit opportunities and innovators. Not all farmers however meet these conditions and if they do, there is no guarantee that this goes with socially responsible entrepreneurship and sustainability. In a sociological explorative study a multiform group of 20 pig and 21 dairy farmers – both male and female – were asked about their views on animal welfare and other features of sustainable farming. The group consisted of conventional, organic and free range farmers with different farming styles. Their farms varied in levels of scale, intensity, degree of specialization and participation in quality assurance schemes. In the indepth interviews, it became clear that the farmers focus on different aspects of sustainability and that multi-dimensional sustainability is not a self-evident aim for all farmers. An economically viable farm is important for all farmers, although farmers with idealist motives stress this aspect less than other farmers. Social sustainability at the level of the farm (work load and schedule, division of tasks, balance work/ family life/ social life) is accentuated by conventional farmers on large scaled specialized farms. At a higher level of social sustainability (fair trade, fair prices, poverty reduction), in particular organic and biodynamic farmers stress that farmers have to take the responsibility to contribute to social equity. The latter group puts also emphasis on their responsibility towards the ecosystem. They, for instance, focus on sustainable cattle, mineral management and nature and landscape conservation. The interviewed large scale conventional farmers on the other hand, see energy production as a potentially profitable option to contribute to ecological sustainability. This means that agricultural entrepreneurs do not ‘automatically’ take all aspects of sustainability – people, planet and profit – into account. Policy makers who think they can stimulate sustainable agriculture by promoting agricultural entrepreneurship should be aware of this

Rugged individualism versus co-operative enterprise: different responses by New Zealand pastoral farmers to agricultural change

In relation to sustainable land use, this paper explores the different responses by New Zealand dairy farmers on the one hand and sheep and beef ('drystock') farmers on the other, to changing global trade patterns and government policies over the past fifteen years

Management of Dryland Sustainable Agriculture

The study was conducted in the Bhiwani district of Haryana state, which was selected purposively on the basis of maximum area under dryland agriculture. From the four blocks in the Bhiwani district 200 farmers (50 farmers from each block) were selected randomly. The concept of sustainable agriculture involves the evolution of a new type of agriculture rich in technology and information, with much less than intensive energy use and market purchased inputs. Thus, sustainability is the successful management of resources to satisfy the challenging human needs, while maintaining or enhancing the quality of environment and conserving natural resources. Keeping in view the ever-increasing population, development of dry land agriculture, the depletion of natural resources, environmental pollution and limitations of sustainable agriculture a study was conducted to find out the perception of dryland farmers about economic and social aspects of sustainable dryland agriculture in Haryana (India). The study revealed that majority of the farmers perceived minimum tillage, crop diversification, soil fertilization application, integrated nutrient management, weed control, integrated pest management, maintaining plant population, drought resistant varieties, moisture and water conservation practices, agro-forestry and subsidiary occupation like livestock, poultry, horticulture, vegetable etc., as economically feasible, viable, as well as socially acceptable and sustainable for sustainable dryland agriculture.Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management,

Supermarkets, New-Generation Wholesalers, Tomato Farmers, and NGOs in Nicaragua

Based on a survey of 145 tomato farmers and interviews with supermarket chains, NGOs, wholesalers, and farmer organizations in 2004, this paper examines the determinants and effects of farmers' participation in supermarket channels, with and without assistance from NGOs in "business linkage" programs. It finds that absent that assistance, the farmers that work with supermarket chains tend to be the "upper tier" of small farmers, better capitalized with various assets. The smaller and less-capitalized farmers that work with supermarkets tend to do so in association with NGO assistance. Despite higher input expenditures and entry requirements, farmers in the supermarket chain earn more. The paper discusses the issue of whether this development program approach is sustainable and can be upscaled, and wrestles with the tradeoff of helping poor farmers gain access to dynamic markets, of making it affordable at a larger scale by national governments with tight budgets, and at the same time field programs that are market-sustainable and market-responsive.Marketing,

Drivers of conservation and utilization of pineapple genetic resources in Benin

Valuation of farmer knowledge has been seen as a route to promote sustainable use of plant genetic resources. In pineapple production systems in Benin, inadequate knowledge of cultivation practices can lead to a number of inconveniences including abandon of some varieties and cultivars. To understand how farmers' knowledge and cultivation practices impact the sustainable utilization of pineapple genetic resources, we surveyed 177 pineapple farmers in southern Benin. We assessed farmers' knowledge and analyzed the relationship between their knowledge and factors such as age, education, and locality of provenance. Pineapple production system was dominated by men (96% respondents). According to farmers, Smooth cayenne is international market-oriented while Sugarloaf mainly targets domestic and regional markets. All farmers recognized that Smooth cayenne provided more income (USD 5,750/ha) than sugarloaf (USD 3,950/ha) in the production systems of southern Benin. The high value of median scores in comparison with the range of possible score showed that most farmers agreed and shared relatively similar knowledge. Correlation matrix and multiple linear regressions showed a significant relationship between farmers'practices and their knowledge of the plant; their knowledge of pineapple varieties is based on fruits traits. Also, farmers' knowledge was associated with locality of provenance. Constraints and options for genetic resources conservation and utilization in the pineapple production systems in Southern Benin were discussed based on current knowledg

THE STRUCTURE, PERFORMANCE, AND SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRICULTURE IN THE MOUNTAIN REGION

Farmers in the Mountain Region-in both metro and nonmetro areas-face growth in population and nonfarm employment that affects land use and how farmers operate their businesses. Even in remote locations, people moving to amenity areas may result in farmers changing their operations. Sustainable agriculture, already practiced by Mountain Region farmers to some extent, may help farming to continue. Nonfarm people also have an interest in the continuation of agriculture and the adaptation of sustainable practices, in order to help preserve the amenities that make the region attractive to migrants. Growth in the region does provide some benefits to farmers, however. Growth can help keep the value of farmland up through nonfarm demand for land. In addition, the greater availability of jobs means that off-farm work is available to households operating farms. Off-farm work is particularly important, given the concentrated distribution of farm income.Production Economics,

Farming and Eating

This essay argues that the “us versus them” rhetoric that dominates food and agriculture policy today drives a wedge between farmers and food consumers. Together, farmers and food consumers could form a powerful coalition to challenge the true obstacle to sustainable and equitable food production: concentration of market and political power elsewhere along the food chain