Editors wanted for new journal

Editors required for new permaculture journal 

As part of The Permaculture International Research Network, we are developing a new online journal, Permaculture Research.  It will be an interdisciplinary, peer reviewed journal that publishes high quality research on all aspects of permaculture. To strengthen our editorial team, we are seeking Assistant Editors from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Follow the link to find out more.

Organic food is better for you (journal)

Higher antioxidant and lower cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses

  

This study analyzes 343 peer-reviewed publications that indicate statistically significant differences in composition between organic and non-organic crops/ foods. The concentrations of a range of antioxidants were found to be substantially higher in organic crops. Many of these compounds have been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases and certain cancers. Additionally, the occurrence of pesticide residues was found to be four times higher in conventional crops, which also contained significantly higher concentrations of the toxic metal cadmium. Significant differences were also detected for some other minerals and vitamins.

Adoption of conservation agriculture in Malawi (#journal)

Adoption and extent of conservation agriculture practices among smallholder farmers in Malawi

Understanding factors affecting farmers' adoption of improved technologies is critical to success of conservation agriculture (CA). This study explored why  farmers adopted the three principles of CA (minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover, and crop rotations), in 10 communities in Malawi. From a total of 15,854 households in the study areas, 18% of smallholders had adopted CA, on 2.1% of all cultivated land. The first stage of the research showed that hired labor, area of land cultivated, membership to farmer group, and district influenced farmers' decisions to adopt CA. The second stage suggested that total cultivated land, duration of practicing CA, and district influenced farmers' decisions. Agency and social structures influenced adoption and extent of CA. Future policy should address ways to provide access to information and long-term support to farmers to enable them to embrace the technology fully.

Land use practices to improve water quality (#journal)

Estimating water quality effects of conservation practices and grazing land use scenarios

Conservation management practices such as reduced tillage, fertilizer management, and buffer strips are well-established means by which to control erosion and nutrient losses from fields planted in annual row crops. However, agricultural systems which include perennial plant cover may represent an alternative way to reduce these losses. In this study, management intensive rotational grazing (MIRG) was tested as a means by which to improve water quality on highly vulnerable row crop land, compared to more traditional conservation management schemes in Southeastern Minnesota. The effects of both sets of alternative scenarios were evaluated with a watershed-based modeling approach using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Watershed-wide implementation of all conservation management practices resulted in reductions in sediment (52%) and total P (28%) loads.

No till cropping cools the hottest days (#journal)

Preferential cooling of hot extremes from cropland albedo management

The projected increase in warm extremes associated with climate change is a major concern for society and represents a threat to humans and ecosystems. This study shows that heat wave impacts could be attenuated locally by increasing surface albedo through no-till farming. This is due to an identified asymmetric impact of surface albedo change on summer temperature distribution resulting in a much stronger influence on hot extremes than on mean temperatures. This finding has important implications for the development of sustainable land management strategies and for the design of climate-engineering measures acting upon high-impact climate extremes.

Social care farming (#journal)

Farming with care: the evolution of care farming in the Netherlands

 The aim of this paper is to describe the evolution of the care farming sector in one of its pioneering countries, the Netherlands. Care farms combine agricultural production with health and social services. The number of care farms, and the legitimacy and diversity of the care farming sector, have increased rapidly over time due to changes in the care regime, increased media exposure, contacts with ministries and politicians, and the development of a quality system have contributed to the legitimacy of the sector. Changes in the care regime and collective action promoted a further expansion of the sector. The article sheds light on changes in agriculture and transsectoral collaboration.

Legume/corn intercropping - weeds (#journal)

Baby Corn-Legumes Intercropping System: II Weed Dynamics and Community Structure

Field experiments were conducted by Indian Statistical Institute on sandy loam soil. Randomized block design was followed to study the performance of sole and intercrops of legumes (Chickpea, Pea, Groundnut, Lentil) with baby corn in 2:1 (one row of legume planted in between of baby corn rows) and 2:2 (two rows of legume planted in between of baby corn rows) systems. Intercrops suppress weeds growth and population more than their respective sole crop. The intercropping systems of pea or chickpea with baby corn were most suppressive of weeds. The 2:2 row arrangement appeared to be the most weed competitive row arrangement. Intercropping of legumes suppressed the emergence of the most troublesome weeds in the study.

Social learning for sustainability special issue (#journal)

Special issue: Social learning towards sustainability: problematic, perspectives and promise

 Six articles linked by the common thread that sustainability is not a destiny to reach, but a continuous learning path towards transformation that is profound (e.g. affecting moral standards and value systems), transversal (e.g. requiring the involvement of individuals, groups and collectives) and counter-hegemonic (e.g. requiring the exposure and questioning of stubborn routines). The aim of the special issue is to assess the added-value of a social learning perspective from at least three different ‘disciplinary’ perspectives: systems innovation, natural resource management, and environmental education.

Healing the world with permaculture (#journal)

Feeding and healing the world: through regenerative agriculture and permaculture.

The study of soil is a mature science, whereas related practical methods of regenerative agriculture and permaculture are not. However, despite a paucity of detailed peer reviewed research published on these topics, there is overwhelming evidence both that the methods work and they may offer the means to address a number of prevailing environmental challenges. What is lacking is a proper scientific study, made in hand with actual development projects. By elucidating the scientific basis of these remarkable phenomena, we may obtain the means for solving some of the otherwise insurmountable problems confronting humanity, simply by observing, and working with, the patterns and forces of nature. This article is intended as a call to arms to make serious investment in researching and actualising these methods on a global scale. Permaculture and regenerative agriculture offer potentially the means to provide food and materials on the small scale, and may provide a crucial strategy in achieving a measured descent in our use of energy and other resources, rather than an abrupt collapse of civilization.

Food movements as social networks (#journal)

The food movement in Canada: a social movement network perspective

In the Global North, there has been increasing analysis of the ways that alternative food initiatives (AFIs) are developing viable, place-based solutions that challenge the corporate-led industrial food system; however, there has been little study of the interrelationships among them. In an effort to better understand the possibilities for food system transformation, this paper builds on existing studies to investigate the increasing collaborations among AFIs occurring through provincial food networks in Canada. Contrary to assumptions that AFIs act in isolation, the paper demonstrates that they are part of actual and existing mobilizations through robust social movement networks. Together, these collaborative efforts may be illustrative of a new wave in food activism that is represented by the emergence of a multi-scaled and cross-sectoral ‘food movement’ – a network of networks.

State-facilitated land grabbing in Rwanda (#journal)

‘Control Grabbing’ and small-scale agricultural intensification: emerging patterns of state-facilitated ‘agricultural investment’ in Rwanda

The Rwandan government's ongoing reconfiguration of the agricultural sector seeks to facilitate increased penetration of smallholder farming systems by domestic and international capital, which may include some land acquisition (‘land grabbing’) as well as contract farming arrangements. Such contracts are arranged by the state, which sometimes uses coercive mechanisms and interventionist strategies to encourage agricultural investment. Activities of international development agencies are becoming intertwined with those of the state and foreign capital, so that a variety of actors and objectives are starting to collaboratively change the relations between land and labour. The global ‘land grab’ is only one aspect of broader patterns of reconfiguration of control over land, labour and markets in the Global South. This paper demonstrates the ways in which the state is orienting public resources towards private interests in Rwanda.

Climate justice; rooted in historical oppression (#journal)

 Climate justice: the claim of the past

This appraisal of the collection of papers in this issue argues that historical injustice saturates the problem of climate change. Those most vulnerable to climate change today are largely those who already lack resources – who have been on the wrong end of colonial history, or who have been globalization's losers, or who have suffered neglect, or exclusion at the hands of their own governments. They are those who have benefited little or not at all from a carbon-intensive global economy, but who have long suffered its side effects. The paper notes that the particular form taken by law in international and transnational affairs, having largely followed the historical progress of industrialism, colonialism and globalization, is peculiarly ill-suited to the task of addressing this vulnerability.

Climate change and human rights (#journal)

Climate ethics and human rights

Compared to other ethical approaches to climate change, a human rights approach has several advantages: it draws on a widely accepted, coherent and well-developed set of legal norms, it places the human beings most affected by climate change at the centre of its analysis, and it has strong connections to mechanisms of implementation and enforcement. Human rights already provide a sturdy framework for addressing climate change at the micro level of specific projects and national adaptation policies, but face greater challenges at the macro level of global mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Nevertheless, human rights law contains elements that should allow it to address climate change as a global challenge to human rights.

The future of legumes in Europe (#journal)

Legumes for feed, food, biomaterials and bioenergy in Europe: a review

Legume growing has many benefits; provision of plant proteins for animals and humans, fixation of atmospheric N₂, cheap and green N fertilisers, diversification crops in rotations based on oilseed rape and cereals. Yet legume crops in Europe represent less than 4 % of arable lands. The authors show that legumes can contribute to the agroecological transition for sustainable agriculture, food and energy and for sustainable agri-food systems. However high added-value niche markets are required for supporting legume production. The major research needs identified are (1) analysing the constraints of the current systems and identifying ways of moving towards systems that include more legumes, (2) identifying new and diversified uses for legumes in a sustainable food chain, (3) assessing and improving the ecosystem services provided by legumes at cropping system and territory scales and (4) promoting agroecology through and for legume crop management.

Agronomy with global impact (#journal)

 Global agronomy, a new field of research. A review

Agriculture management is influencing the quality of water, air, soil, and biodiversity at the global scale. Therefore, a research plan for global agronomy is proposed. Agronomists should update their research objects, methods, and tools to address global issues. Yield trends and variations among various regions should be analyzed to understand the sources of these variations. Crop model simulations should be upscaled to estimate potential yields and to assess the effect of climate change and resource scarcity at the global scale. Advanced methods should analyze output uncertainty of complex models used at a global scale. The meta-analysis of published data is a promising approach for addressing global issues, though meta-analysis must be applied carefully with appropriate techniques. Finally, global datasets on the performance and environmental impact of cropping systems should be developed.

Farmer designed organic systems (#journal)

Farmers and agronomists design new biological agricultural practices for organic cropping systems in France

Current innovations in organic farming such as non-inversion tillage with cover crops are promising, but investigations usually do not take farmers views into account. Therefore, research work should include farmer participation to maximize success. The authors developed a method to help farmers in designing innovative cropping systems, involving several design workshops with farmers.  The farmers generated 14 system prototypes, which differed radically from current practices because they used biological rather than mechanical methods. Cover crop use was almost four times more frequent than in current systems, moldboard plowing and mechanical weeding frequencies respectively two and eight times lower. The main benefits are (1) the involvement of volunteer farmers in the design process, (2) the combination of farmer knowledge and scientific knowledge, and (3) the use of various methodological supports.

Organic rice-prawn aquaculture (#journal)

Organic rice–prawn farming yields 20% higher revenues

Organic farming of rice and giant river prawns in rotational crops was tested in the waterlogged paddy fields of Kuttanad, Kerala as part of the Indian Organic Aquaculture Project. Rice was cultivated during November to February, followed by a crop of freshwater prawns in the same field from March to September. Farming rice organically reduced yields by 23 %. However, the organic prawn crop yield was 10 % higher than the yield of the conventional system, so although organic rice farming realized lower returns than conventional, its combination with organic prawn farming enhanced net revenue by 20 % over conventional rice/conventional prawn production.

Winter legume rotation improves rice yield (#journal)

Winter legumes in rice crop rotations reduces nitrogen loss, and improves rice yield and soil nitrogen supply

Intensive irrigated rice-wheat crop systems have caused serious soil depletion and nitrogen loss in  China. A possible solution is the incorporation of legumes in rice, but little is known on the impact of legumes on rotation, soil fertility, and nitrogen loss. This study considered the effect of five rice-based rotations on soil nitrogen, rice yield, and runoff loss. Results show that replacing 9.5–21.4 % of nitrogen fertilizer by rape, vetch or bean residues maintained rice yields, and using legumes as a winter crop in rice-bean and rice-vetch combinations increased rice grain yield 5 % while decreasing nitrogen runoff 30–60 %.

Low input maize for biofuel (#journal)

Efficient biofuel production from traditional maize under low input

Traditional crop varieties are adapted to low inputs of fertilizers, pesticides, and water. The authors tested the suitability of traditional maize varieties as solid biofuel, cultivating traditional maize varieties without pesticides and irrigation and then measuring the heating value, the ash content, and the elemental composition. Results show that plants harvested at maturity, 150 days after sowing, have about 10 % more biomass and 20–30 % less ash, N, K, and Cl than plants harvested 115 days after sowing. Traditional maize varieties can produce an energy of 15–23 · 10⁴ MJ/ha. These findings demonstrate that traditional maize cultivation can be optimized to increase the efficiency of biomass production and to reduce the environmental impact.

Allotments are great for soil quality (journal)

Urban cultivation in allotments maintains soil qualities adversely affected by conventional agriculture  

Maintenance and protection of our soil resource is essential for sustainable food production and for regulating and supporting ecosystem services upon which we depend. This study establishes, for the first time, that small-scale urban food production can occur without the penalty of soil degradation seen in conventional agriculture, and maintains the high soil quality seen in urban greenspaces. Given the involvement of over 800 million people in urban agriculture globally, our findings suggest that to better protect soil functions, local, national and international urban planning and policy making should promote more urban own-growing in preference to further intensification.