Triple-win strategy? Why is not everyone doing it? A participant-driven research method to reveal barriers to crop rotation in Ukraine

The agri-food sector must adapt to changes in climate variability, while also helping to mitigate climate change. Measures termed ‘triple-win’ mitigate and adapt to climate change, while also improving soil health, thereby increasing yields. These measures might appear to be the easiest to implement, but in practice, barriers prevent full realisation. This study aims to move beyond previous research efforts that identify and categorise barriers by (i) revealing hidden barriers, (ii) understanding the interactions between barriers and (iii) exploring ways to address barriers. A case study focusing on crop rotation as a triple-win strategy in Ukraine demonstrates how a participant-driven iterative research approach can achieve these objectives. During semi-structured interviews with farmers and stakeholders, crop rotation emerged as an area of considerable dissensus with stakeholders commonly citing the greedy behaviour of producers as the problem. Further discussion indicated that the political economy of Ukraine caused financial constraints for producers and Q methodology allowed for additional clarity on the opposing views of crop rotation. Three factors emerged: producer insecurity, national insecurity and business insecurity. These three perspectives reveal contrasting priorities with producer insecurity and business insecurity concerned with the conditions under which producers must operate, while national insecurity has a focus on improving agricultural production to benefit the nation. Consensus statements across all factors could provide first steps to addressing barriers and an opportunity to open discussions amongst stakeholders. Finally, barriers arising from political processes demonstrate that climate policy needs to be integrated with other sector-specific policy decisions

Triple-win strategy? Why is not everyone doing it? A participant-driven research method to reveal barriers to crop rotation in Ukraine

The agri-food sector must adapt to changes in climate variability, while also helping to mitigate climate change. Measures termed ‘triple-win’ mitigate and adapt to climate change, while also improving soil health, thereby increasing yields. These measures might appear to be the easiest to implement, but in practice, barriers prevent full realisation. This study aims to move beyond previous research efforts that identify and categorise barriers by (i) revealing hidden barriers, (ii) understanding the interactions between barriers and (iii) exploring ways to address barriers. A case study focusing on crop rotation as a triple-win strategy in Ukraine demonstrates how a participant-driven iterative research approach can achieve these objectives. During semi-structured interviews with farmers and stakeholders, crop rotation emerged as an area of considerable dissensus with stakeholders commonly citing the greedy behaviour of producers as the problem. Further discussion indicated that the political economy of Ukraine caused financial constraints for producers and Q methodology allowed for additional clarity on the opposing views of crop rotation. Three factors emerged: producer insecurity, national insecurity and business insecurity. These three perspectives reveal contrasting priorities with producer insecurity and business insecurity concerned with the conditions under which producers must operate, while national insecurity has a focus on improving agricultural production to benefit the nation. Consensus statements across all factors could provide first steps to addressing barriers and an opportunity to open discussions amongst stakeholders. Finally, barriers arising from political processes demonstrate that climate policy needs to be integrated with other sector-specific policy decisions

Розвиток соціально-трудових відносин на селі в умовах інтеграції аграрного сектору АПК в структури ЄС

Social and labor relations in the process of market environment development in the agricultural sector of the agro-industrial complex are undergoing significant changes. The study of these changes is necessary to identify trends that characterize all the processes associated with the use of labor, increase its productivity and impact on the efficiency of agricultural production. Miscalculations in socio-economic policy result in negative consequences and loss of human capital. One of the peculiarities of the period of Ukraine's integration with the EU in Ukraine is that the state does not regulate the content of social and labor relations, and other regulators, such as social partnership, are not yet working at full capacity. The most serious problems were in social and labor relations directly on agricultural enterprises and especially in farms and households. There is a need for effective state influence, using the opportunities of OTG, on the formation of a national model of social and labor relations and the effective use of labor potential. Further development of social and labor relations should be carried out in the context of Ukraine's integration with the EU, which raises the need to improve socio-economic policy towards the agricultural sector in terms of its transformation and adaptation to European integration structures. It is advisable to determine the main directions and priorities of socio-economic modernization of OTG in the coming years. The main ones are: and popularization of knowledge, including the reform of rural vocational schools, the search for new forms of adult learning, the development of economic, technical and social infrastructure, support for entrepreneurship and non-agricultural activities in rural areas.Соціально-трудові відносини в процесі розвитку ринкового середовища в аграрному секторі АПК зазнають суттєвих змін. Дослідження цих змін необхідно для визначення тенденцій, які характеризують всі процеси, пов'язані з використанням праці, підвищенням її продуктивності і впливу на ефективність сільськогосподарського виробництва. Прорахунки в соціально-економічній політиці обертаються негативними наслідками і втратою людського капіталу. Одна з особливостей періоду інтеграції України з ЄС в Україні полягає в тому, що держава не регламентує змісту соціально-трудових відносин, а інші регулятори, такі як соціальне партнерство ще не працюють на повну потужність. Найбільш серйозні проблеми були в соціально-трудових відносинах безпосередньо на сільгосппідприємствах і особливо у фермерських та господарствах населення. Необхідно ефективний державний вплив, використовуючи можливості ОТГ, на формування національної моделі соціально-трудових відносин та ефективного використання трудового потенціалу. Подальший розвиток соціально-трудових відносин повинен здійснюватись в контексті інтеграції України з ЄС, що висуває необхідність вдосконалення соціально-економічної політики щодо аграрного сектора в умовах його трансформації і пристосування до інтеграційних структур Європи. Доцільно визначити основні напрямки і пріоритети соціально-економічної модернізації ОТГ в найближчі роки. Головними з них є: популяризація знань, в тому числі реформа сільських профтехучилищ, пошук нових форм навчання дорослих,  розвиток економічної, технічної та соціальної інфраструктури, підтримка підприємництва і несільськогосподарської діяльності в сільській місцевості

Supporting Sustainable Innovations: An Examination of India Farmer Agrobiodiversity Conservation

Critical to sustainable agriculture, agrobiodiversity conservation provides immediate benefits and retains options for climate change adaptation. Reframing conservation as sustainable seed innovation allows for a dynamic view of farmer contributions. Sustainable seed innovation entails in situ conservation and the innovation of new plant varieties through traditional practices. Farmer interviews from regions throughout India form the empirical basis, while the concept intellectual property-broad, integrated with evolutionary economics, informs theory. Sustainable seed innovation within India receives support primarily from nonprofit groups favoring open-source systems. Conserving natural and financial capital motivated farmers to adopt sustainable techniques, but farmers believed attracting additional innovators required development of new markets. India’s Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act recognizes farmers as plant breeders but does not provide incentive to innovate sustainably. Moreover, agricultural policies reinforced by an underlying discourse where “progressive” farmers follow unsustainable practices incentivizes formal innovations, at the expense of sustainable innovations of farmers

What role can a livelihood strategy play in addressing climate change? Lessons in improving social capital from an agricultural cooperative in Ukraine

Increasing support to small-holder farmers plays an important part in meeting the climate and development challenges of agriculture: realizing global food security under increasing climate variability, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and conserving natural resources. Cooperatives offer a well-established livelihood strategy and means to support small-holders. This case study examined a Ukrainian cooperative using the sustainable livelihoods framework (SLF) to understand the role cooperatives play in addressing climate change, and the process by which capacity is used to adapt and/or mitigate climate change. Climate change does not prompt cooperative formation and climate change mitigation might not be a planned outcome in a livelihood strategy. However, modifying the SLF to include climate change outcomes provides a means of understanding the process by which building capacity results in mitigation and adaptation. Cooperative members and stakeholders outside of the cooperative participated in semi-structure interviews. Social capital emerged as a theme with interviewees from all backgrounds. Initially closed networks and distrust prevented members from joining the cooperative. As the cooperative built new networks, the benefit of joining became apparent to members. Information gained through networks improved access to other capitals, improved livelihood outcomes and addressed climate change. Social capital fulfils key roles in the process of capacity building and implementation of sustainable measures; thus improving social capital could arguably be the chief benefit of cooperatives

Energy Field Trips: Chernobyl and the Catastrophe with Nuclear Power

Energy poses challenges to environmental studies because of climate change and other effects, and field trips are indispensable aids to learning. They enable students to see situations first-hand, and many are joyous and fun, such as field trips to forests, wetlands, wildlife reserves, or communities exhibiting positive contributions to safeguarding the natural world. Field trips to the built environment, especially those illustrating sites with raging controversies or past catastrophes are equally important in helping students turn theory into understanding of real situations. Chernobyl, one of the two worst nuclear power plant disasters, provided the venue for a field trip examining the strengths and weaknesses of nuclear power. Students had 3 weeks of preparatory classwork before departing for Kyiv, Ukraine. They spent 2 weeks there, with 1 day touring the Exclusion Zone surrounding the Chernobyl plant. Background work included basic concepts and units for measuring radiation and their biological and medical effects, types of nuclear power plants, disaster planning and response, Ukrainian history, and details of the Chernobyl accident and its effects. Participants heard from a wide variety of speakers, who presented details of the accident, its lingering consequences, efforts of the Ukrainian government and various NGOs to deal with the consequences, and Ukrainian plans for new nuclear power plants. Participants also heard both strong pro-nuclear and anti-nuclear proponents. At the end, students prepared a paper on the lessons about nuclear power from Chernobyl. Evaluations of the experience indicated the trip’s objectives were achieved. For some, the expedition proved life-altering

Some Aspects оf Applying оf Interactive Whiteboard оn Mathematics Lessons іn Secondary Schools

Стаття присвячена актуальному питанню сьогодення – проблемі ефективного використання візуальних технічних засобів навчання математики (на прикладі інтерактивної дошки). Автором проаналізовано основні можливості інтерактивної дошки у сучасній школі, виявлено базові принципи створення візуальної підтримки уроку математики. Висвітлено авторський досвід розробки і використання електронних навчальних матеріалів для інтерактивної дошки Нitachi Starboard. Наводяться приклади фрагментів презентацій уроків з математики, створених у програмному середовищі для Нitachi Starboard.The paper is devoted to a very topical issue of today – the problem of effective applying of visual technical didactic tools during teaching mathematics (interactive whiteboard as an example). We know that pupils of the new informational society are characterized by their ability to engage in “multitasking,” which means to do many things concurrently. They require constant visual stimulation and the rapid dynamic educational process. One of the tools that can provide visual support to the learning process is an interactive whiteboard. An interactive whiteboard is a relatively new tool that provides interesting affordances in the classroom environment, such as multiple visualization and multimedia presentation and ability for movement and animation. Interactive whiteboards have been introduced into schools in Ukraine to enhance the ease with which teachers can readily incorporate computer and multi-media technology into lesson planning and delivery. Interactive whiteboards connect a computer (linked to a data projector) and a large touch-sensitive board that displays the image projected from the computer and allows direct input and manipulation through the using of fingers or styli. Interactive whiteboard software has a wide range of features and functions in teaching mathematics. The base of designed visual teaching materials allows the teacher to apply it into the practice, improve it and make some changes. The authors analyze the main features of implementing the interactive whiteboard on mathematics lessons in modern secondary school. The basic principles of designing visual presentations for mathematics lessons are presented in the paper. Some organizational and methodological requirements for applying of interactive whiteboards in educational practice are given by authors. The authors’ experience of designing and implementig of electronic educational materials for interactive whiteboard Nitachi Starboard is shown in the paper. Some samples of interactive presentations for mathematics lessons designing with applying of Nitachi Starboard software are given