Innovations in the Agricultural Sector

The aim of this paper is to show the impact and significance of innovation in agriculture. Its economic development takes place when innovation solutions based on knowledge and modern technologies are implemented and intensified. Innovations in agriculture encompass a number of operational fields: resource management, soil protection, cultivation processes, biodiversity protection, ecological cultivation and production of bioenergy. The demand for agricultural innovations in different localities may vary, therefore there is a need to bring together the local requirements through utilisation of a multitude of possibilities in a variety of ways, adjustment adaption capability and conditions of a particular rural environment. There is also a need to emphasise the strong integration of innovations in agriculture with other sectors of the economy, which is translated into the acquisition of new solutions and the introduction of innovations that encourage adjustment and the capability to cooperate as well as the application of modern technologies in the economy. Innovative activities that solve problems become the main stimulant to a dynamic economy in agriculture, allowing the most beneficial implementation of its potential. This article has been divided into three parts, in the first, the author conducts a theoretical deliberation on the agricultural sector. The second part presents the conditions for innovation processes in this sector and the third, ‘Innovative tendencies in the development of agriculture’, includes the areas of innovative change in agriculture.Preparation and printing funded by the National Agency for Research and Development under project “Kreator Innowacyjności – wparcie dla Przedsiębiorczości akademickiej

Technologies for climate change adaptation: agricultural sector

This Guidebook presents a selection of technologies for climate change adaptation in the agricultural sector. A set of twenty two adaptation technologies are showcased that are primarily based on the principals of agroecology, but also include scientific technologies of climate and biological sciences complemented with important sociological and institutional capacity building processes that are required to make adaptation function. The technologies cover monitoring and forecasting the climate, sustainable water use and management, soil management, sustainable crop management, seed conservation, sustainable forest management and sustainable livestock management. Technologies that tend to homogenize the natural environment and agricultural production have low possibilities of success in conditions of environmental stress that are likely to result from climate change. On the other hand, technologies that allow for, and indeed promote, diversity are more likely to provide a strategy which strengthens agricultural production in the face of uncertain future climate change scenarios. In this sense, the twenty two technologies showcased in this Guidebook have been selected because they facilitate the conservation and restoration of diversity while at the same time providing opportunities for increasing agricultural productivity. Many of these technologies are not new to agricultural production practices, but they are implemented based on assessment of current and possible future impacts of climate change in a particular location. Agro-ecology is an approach that encompasses concepts of sustainable production and biodiversity promotion and therefore provides a useful framework for identifying and selecting appropriate adaptation technologies for the agricultural sector. The Guidebook provides a systematic analysis of the most relevant information available on climate change adaptation technologies in the agriculture sector. It has been compiled based on a literature review of key publications, journal articles, and e-platforms, and by drawing on documented experiences sourced from a range of organizations working on projects and programmes concerned with climate change adaptation technologies in the agricultural sector. Its geographic scope is focused on developing countries where high levels of poverty, agricultural production, climate variability and biological diversity currently intersect. Key concepts around climate change adaptation are not universally agreed. It is therefore important to understand local contexts – especially social and cultural norms - when working with national and sub-national stakeholders to make informed decisions about appropriate technology options. Thus, decision-making processes should be participative, facilitated, and consensus-building oriented and should be based on the following key guiding principles: increasing awareness and knowledge, strengthening institutions, protecting natural resources, providing financial assistance and developing context-specific strategies. For decision-making the Community–Based Adaptation framework is proposed for creating inclusive governance that engages a range of stakeholders directly with local or district government and national coordinating bodies, and facilitates participatory planning, monitoring and implementation of adaptation activities. Seven criteria are suggested for the prioritization of adaptation technologies: (i) The extent to which the technology maintains or strengthens biological diversity and is environmentally sustainable; (ii) The extent to which the technology facilitates access to information systems and awareness of climate change information; (iii) Whether the technology support water, carbon and nutrient cycles and enables stable and/or increased productivity; (iv) Income-generating potential, cost-benefit analysis and contribution to improved equity; (v) Respect for cultural diversity and facilitation of inter-cultural exchange; (vi) Potential for integration into regional and national policies and can be scaled-up; (vii) The extent to which the technology builds formal and information institutions and social networks. Finally, recommendations are set out for practitioners and policy makers: • There is an urgent need for improved climate modelling and forecasting which can provide a basis for informed decision-making and the implementation of adaptation strategies. This should include traditional knowledge. • Information is also required to better understand the behaviour of plants, animals, pests and diseases as they react to climate change. • Potential changes in economic and social systems in the future under different climate scenarios should also be investigated so that the implications of adaptation strategy and planning choices are better understood. • It is important to secure effective flows of information through appropriate dissemination channels. This is vital for building adaptive capacity and decision-making processes. • Improved analysis of adaptation technologies is required to show how they can contribute to building adaptive capacity and resilience in the agricultural sector. This information needs to be compiled and disseminated for a range of stakeholders from local to national level. • Relationships between policy makers, researchers and communities should be built so that technologies and planning processes are developed in partnership, responding to producers’ needs and integrating their knowledge

Making Sustainable Agriculture Real in CAP 2020: The Role of Conservation Agriculture

Europe is about to redefine its Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) for the near future. The question is whether this redefinition is more a fine-tuning of the existing CAP or whether thorough changes can be expected. Looking back to the last revision of CAP the most notable change is, undoubtedly, the concern about EU and global food security. The revival of the interest in agricultural production already became evident during the Health Check as a consequence of climbing commodity prices in 2007/08. It is therefore no surprise that “rising concerns regarding both EU and global food security” is the first topic to appear in the list of justifications for the need for a CAP reform. Other challenges mentioned in this list such as sustainable management of natural resources, climate change and its mitigation, improvement of competitiveness to withstand globalization and rising price volatility, etc., while not new are considered worthwhile enough to be maintained and reappraised

Green revolution: Indian agricultural experience – a paradigm for Eritrea

Food problem became more severe after the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, presenting a series challenges to India’s agricultural sector. Even during good harvest years, food imports remain high. A large segment of people were poor. To mitigate these problems, India adopted farming strategies under the “Green Revolution” in the mid 1960s. The application of modern farming technology, introduction of high-yielding varieties of seeds, increased use of fertilizers, development and expansion of irrigation systems, extension of credit and educational services to farmers. These activities resulted in a drastic increase of farm products leading India to achieve self-sufficiency in food within a short period of time. The “Green Revolution” has contributed to Indian agriculture tremendously and transformed India from a starving nation to a food exporter. The activities that comprise the “Green Revolution” are worth emulating in the Eritrean environment. This paper explores the impact of the “Green Revolution” on Indian agricultural production with the aim of drawing lessons for Eritrea to modernize its agriculture and subsequently solve its food insecurity problem. The Indian experience serves as a model for Eritrea to achieve self-sufficiency in food.Green Revolution, Agriculture and Technology, India, Eritrea, Food Security

Development of Organic Farming in Poland After 2013 in Terms of Common Agricultural Policy

Organic farming in the European Union is still a small percentage, but there is a noticeable upward trend, albeit mainly in the countries of the old EU (EU-15). At the same time, according to Eurostat data and taking into account the average for the European Union, organic farms are larger than conventional farms, as well as the average age of organic farmers is lower. As a result, organic farming (biological, organic) as a system of permanent self-sustaining and economically sustainable safe management of plant and animal production should be an important alternative to conventional agriculture. In addition, efforts to develop organic farming create the capacity to deal with environmental, animal welfare and rural development, while producing high quality food. The aim of the paper is to provide opportunities for development of organic farming in Poland in the light of EU regulations for the years 2014–2020

Research Investments and Market Structure in the Food Processing, Agricultural Input, and Biofuel Industries Worldwide

Meeting growing global demand for food, fiber, and biofuel requires robust investment in agricultural research and development (R&D) from both public and private sectors. This study examines global R&D spending by private industry in seven agricultural input sectors, food manufacturing, and biofuel and describes the changing structure of these industries. In 2007 (the latest year for which comprehensive estimates are available), the private sector spent 19.7 billion on food and agricultural research (56 percent in food manufacturing and 44 percent in agricultural input sectors) and accounted for about half of total public and private spending on food and agricultural R&D in high-income countries. In R&D related to biofuel, annual private-sector investments are estimated to have reached 1.47 billion worldwide by 2009. Incentives to invest in R&D are influenced by market structure and other factors. Agricultural input industries have undergone significant structural change over the past two decades, with industry concentration on the rise. A relatively small number of large, multinational firms with global R&D and marketing networks account for most R&D in each input industry. Rising market concentration has not generally been associated with increased R&D investment as a percentage of industry sales.agricultural biotechnology, agricultural chemicals, agricultural inputs, animal breeding, animal health, animal nutrition, aquaculture, biofuel, concentration ratio, crop breeding, crop protection, farm machinery, fertilizers, Herfindahl index, globalization, market share, market structure, research intensity, seed improvement, Productivity Analysis,

Academic Catalog Volume 2:1935-36 to 1947-48

https://digitalcommons.esf.edu/acadcat/1001/thumbnail.jp

Industrial Policy and Technology Diffusion: Evidence from Paper Making Machinery in Indonesia

technology diffusion, Indonesia