{"type": "FeatureCollection", "features": [{"id": "10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100081", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-30T16:16:38Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2024-03-07", "title": "Determinants of soil and water conservation practices adoption by smallholder farmers in the central highlands of Kenya", "description": "The central highlands of Kenya play a vital role in supporting agricultural activities and sustaining the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Despite its crucial role, the region faces substantial environmental challenges like soil erosion and land degradation, necessitating the adoption of sustainable land management practices. The aim of this study was to investigate the determinants of the adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practices (SWCPs) among smallholder farmers in central Kenya. Primary data was collected from three administrative wards of Tharaka Nithi County (TNC) using 150 semi-structured household (HH) questionnaires, Key Informant Interviews (KII), and field observations. STATA and Microsoft Office Excel software were used to analyse the HH survey data, using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, and the binary logistic regression model. Qualitative data from the KII was analysed through synthesized text summaries. The results show that 65.33 % of the respondents adopted SWCPs on their farms, while 34.67 % did not at the time of our study. The study findings further revealed that farm size (\u03b2\u00a0\u200b=\u00a0\u200b0.641; p\u00a0\u200b<\u00a0\u200b0.05), and Agro-ecological zone (AEZ) (\u03b2\u00a0\u200b=\u00a0\u200b1.341; p\u00a0\u200b<\u00a0\u200b0.05) positively influenced the adoption of SWCPs. On the other hand, distance from homestead to farm (\u03b2\u00a0\u200b=\u00a0\u200b\u22120.003; p\u00a0\u200b<\u00a0\u200b0.05), and age (\u03b2\u00a0\u200b=\u00a0\u200b\u22120.039; p\u00a0\u200b\u2264\u00a0\u200b0.05) negatively influenced the adoption of SWCPs by the farmers. Challenges in SWCPs implementation included inadequate capital (76.53 %), high labor costs (62.24 %), lack of technical knowledge (34.69 %), lack of infrastructure (17.35 %), and insecure land tenure (1.02 %). These study findings hold the potential to guide the TNC government in formulating tailored strategies that can foster the adoption and sustainable implementation of SWCPs among smallholder farmers. If properly implemented, the strategies will bolster agricultural productivity, mitigate soil erosion, and enhance the region's overall environmental and economic well-being.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "05.02. K\u00f6zgazdas\u00e1gi \u00e9s gazd\u00e1lkod\u00e1studom\u00e1nyok", "Agriculture (General)", "1. No poverty", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "ddc:910", "Soil fertility", "Smallholder farmers", "Binary logistic model", "01 natural sciences", "S1-972", "12. Responsible consumption", "Mount Kenya east", "11. Sustainability", "Soil erosion", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Sustainable management", "0105 earth and related environmental sciences"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://publicatio.bibl.u-szeged.hu/37448/1/34763630.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100081"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Farming%20System", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100081", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100081", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.farsys.2024.100081"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-04-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1002/ldr.3080", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-30T16:14:35Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-07-04", "title": "A framework for scaling sustainable land management options", "description": "Abstract

Improvements in land use and management are needed at a global scale to tackle interconnected global challenges of population growth, poverty, migration, climate change, biodiversity loss, and degrading land and water resources. There are hundreds of technical options for improving the sustainability of land management and preventing or reversing degradation, but there are many sociocultural, institutional, economic, and policy barriers hindering their adoption at large scale. To tackle this challenge, the Dryland Systems Program of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification convened an expert group to consider barriers and incentives to scaling technologies, processes, policies, or institutional arrangements. The group reviewed existing frameworks for scaling sustainable land management (SLM) interventions across a range of contexts and identified eight critical actions for success: (a) plan iteratively; (b) consistently fund; (c) select SLM options for scaling based on best available evidence; (d) identify and engage with stakeholders at all scales; (e) build capacity for scaling; (f) foster institutional leadership and policy change to support scaling; (g) achieve early benefits and incentives for as many stakeholders as possible; and (h) monitor, evaluate, and communicate. Incentives for scaling were identified for the private sector, farmers and their communities, and policy makers. Based on these findings, a new action framework for scaling is presented that analyses the contexts where specific SLM interventions can be scaled, so that SLM options can be screened and adapted to these contexts, piloted and disseminated. The framework can help countries achieve land degradation neutrality.The exponential rise of information available means we can now, in theory, access knowledge on almost any question we ask. However, as the amount of unverified information increases, so too does the challenge in deciding which information to trust. Farmers, when learning about agricultural innovations, have historically relied on in-person advice from traditional \uffe2\uff80\uff98experts\uffe2\uff80\uff99, such as agricultural advisers, to inform farm management. As more farmers go online for information, it is not clear whether they are now using digital information to corroborate in-person advice from traditional \uffe2\uff80\uff98experts\uffe2\uff80\uff99, or if they are foregoing \uffe2\uff80\uff98expert\uffe2\uff80\uff99 advice in preference for peer-generated information. To fill this knowledge gap, we sought to understand how farmers in two contrasting European countries (Hungary and the UK) learnt about sustainable soil innovations and who influenced them to innovate. Through interviews with 82 respondents, we found farmers in both countries regularly used online sources to access soil information; some were prompted to change their soil management by farmer social media \uffe2\uff80\uff98influencers\uffe2\uff80\uff99. However, online information and interactions were not usually the main factor influencing farmers to change their practices. Farmers placed most trust in other farmers to learn about new soil practices and were less trusting of traditional \uffe2\uff80\uff98experts\uffe2\uff80\uff99, particularly agricultural researchers from academic and government institutions, who they believed were not empathetic towards farmers\uffe2\uff80\uff99 needs. We suggest that some farmers may indeed have had enough of traditional \uffe2\uff80\uff98experts\uffe2\uff80\uff99, instead relying more on their own peer networks to learn and innovate. We discuss ways to improve trustworthy knowledge exchange between agricultural stakeholders to increase uptake of sustainable soil management practices, while acknowledging the value of peer influence and online interactions for innovation and trust building.Growing sustainability demands on land have a high knowledge requirement across multiple scientific domains. Exploring networks can expose opportunities for targeting. Using mixed-methods combining social network analysis (SNA) and surveys, networks for key soil functions in case studies in Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands are explored. We find a diversity of contrasting networks that reflect local conditions, sustainability challenges and governance structure. Farmers were found to occupy a central role in the agri-environmental governance network. A comparison of the SNA and survey results indicate low acceptance of messages from many central actors indicating scope to better harness the network for sustainable land management. The source of the messages was important when it came to the implementation of farm management actions. Two pathways for enhanced farmer uptake of multi-functionality are proposed that have wider application are; to increase trust between farmers and actors that are agents of multi-functional messages and/or to increase the bundling or multi-functionality of messages (mandate) of actors trusted by farmers.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed is representative of governance challenges relating to agricultural nonpoint source pollution and, more generally, of sustainable resources governance in complex multi-actor settings. We assess information flows around Best Management Practices (BMPs) undertaken by dairy farmers in central Pennsylvania, a subregion of the watershed. We apply a mixed-method approach, combining Social Network Analysis, the analysis of BMP-messaging (i.e. information source, flow, and their influences), and qualitative content analysis of stakeholders\u2019 interviews. Key strategic actors were identified through network centrality measures such as degree of node, betweenness centrality, and clustering coefficient. The perceived influence/credibility (by farmers) of BMP-messages and their source, allowed for the identification of strategic entry points for BMP-messages diffusion. Finally, the inductive coding process of stakeholders\u2019 interviews revealed major hindrances and opportunities for BMPs adoption. We demonstrate how improved targeting of policy interventions for BMPs uptake may be achieved, by better distributing entry-points across stakeholders. Our results reveal governance gaps and opportunities, on which we draw to provide insights for better tailored policy interventions. We propose strategies to optimize the coverage of policy mixes and the dissemination of BMP-messages by building on network diversity and actors\u2019 complementarities, and by targeting intervention towards specific BMPs and actors. We suggest that (i) conservation incentives could target supply chain actors as conservation intermediaries; (ii) compliance-control of manure management planning could be conducted by accredited private certifiers; (iii) policy should focus on incentivizing inter-farmers interaction (e.g. farmers\u2019 mobility, training, knowledge-exchange, and engagement in multi-stakeholders collaboration) via financial or non-pecuniary compensation; (iv) collective incentives could help better coordinate conservation efforts at the landscape or (sub-)watershed scale; (v) all relevant stakeholders (including farmers) should be concerted and included in the discussion, proposition, co-design and decision process of policy, in order to take their respective interests and responsibilities into account.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Conservation of Natural Resources", "Farmers", "Science", "Q", "Water Pollution", "R", "Agriculture", "Pennsylvania", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "12. Responsible consumption", "13. Climate action", "11. Sustainability", "Life Science", "Medicine", "Humans", "Social Network Analysis", "Research Article"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0303745"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PLOS%20ONE", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1371/journal.pone.0303745", "name": "item", "description": "10.1371/journal.pone.0303745", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1371/journal.pone.0303745"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-05-23T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.cropro.2009.05.014", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-30T16:16:23Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2009-06-29", "title": "Integration Of Edible Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) Into The Push\u2013Pull Technology Developed For Stemborer And Striga Control In Maize-Based Cropping Systems", "description": "Smallholder farming systems in eastern Africa are characterized by cereal/edible legume intercrops in fields severely constrained by parasitic weed, Striga hermonthica, cereal stemborers and declining soil fertility. The push\u2013pull technology concurrently addresses these constraints. It involves intercropping maize with stemborer repellent fodder legume, Desmodium spp. (push), with an attractant crop, Napier grass, Pennisetum purpureum (pull), planted around this intercrop, thus making it difficult to interplant edible legumes. We assessed farmers\u2019 practice and perceptions on intercropping and willingness to integrate beans in their push\u2013pull plots from a sample of 300 farmers in six districts in western Kenya. All the respondents traditionally intercropped maize with beans, planted either between the rows of maize, in the same holes with maize or in between maize plants within a row. The majority (92%) were willing to integrate beans in their push\u2013pull plots. We, therefore, evaluated effects of integrating beans in the maize\u2013desmodium intercrops. Treatments comprised a maize monocrop, maize\u2013bean intercrop and three maize\u2013desmodium intercrops, two of which were integrated with beans, either in the same holes with maize or in between maize plants in a row (bean integration plots). On-farm trials were similarly established among 56 farmers in four districts in western Kenya to assess the two integration methods. S. hermonthica counts and stemborer damage to maize were significantly lower and maize yields significantly higher in the maize\u2013desmodium and bean integration plots than in the other systems. Overall, integration of beans in the maize\u2013desmodium intercrops and the planting arrangement did not compromise the S. hermonthica and stemborer control efficacy of desmodium. Integration of beans significantly increased labour and total variable costs, with these being significantly higher in plots with both crops in different holes than in the same hole. Total revenue, gross benefits and benefit cost ratios did not significantly differ between the bean integration and maize\u2013desmodium intercrops. Furthermore, these parameters were for most part not affected by the planting arrangements, both on-station and on-farm. These results show that integration of beans in the maize\u2013desmodium and indeed push\u2013 pull technology while guaranteeing an additional crop, a protein source, to the farmers does not compromise the observed benefits of the technology but yields same economic benefits. Where labour is easily available, farmers are, however, advised to plant maize and beans in separate holes to avoid the risk of competition for moisture and nutrients where these might be limiting.", "keywords": ["580", "2. Zero hunger", "0106 biological sciences", "Push\u2013pull", "Stemborers", "Economics", "Bean", "Striga", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "01 natural sciences", "Maize", "Farmers' perceptions", "Intercropping", "8. Economic growth", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Western Kenya"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2009.05.014"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Crop%20Protection", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.cropro.2009.05.014", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.cropro.2009.05.014", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.cropro.2009.05.014"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2009-11-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1016/j.still.2018.05.016", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-30T16:17:49Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-06-11", "title": "The Benefits Of Conservation Agriculture On Soil Organic Carbon And Yield In Southern Africa Are Site-Specific", "description": "Abstract Conservation agriculture (CA), with reduced tillage, permanent soil cover and diversified cropping systems, is advocated in southern Africa to improve soil quality, reduce input costs and mitigate climate-induced risks. However, improvements in terms of yield and soil organic carbon (SOC) under CA are slow and variable and many small-scale farmers are unable to buffer themselves against potential short-term financial losses. In this study we examined the effects of CA-related management practices on SOC sequestration and productivity at two medium-term sites on a sandy soil (eight year trial) and clay soil (six years) in maize producing areas of South Africa. Using field data, current input costs and market prices for crops, we calculated the gross margin for each system. Treatments compared conventional ploughing under maize monoculture with reduced tillage, intercropping and crop rotation. On the clay soil, SOC was increased under reduced tillage (57.6\u202ft C ha\u22121) compared to conventional tillage (54.9\u202ft C ha\u22121) while there was no difference for the sandy soil (19.7\u202ft C ha\u22121 average across treatments). Profitability was most strongly influenced by seasonal rainfall, but was higher on the sandy soil than the clay soil, with an average gross margin of R11,344 ha\u22121 and R5,686 ha\u22121, respectively. This study has demonstrated that while certain CA practices can create site-specific benefits for farmers, it is highly dependent on local weather and soil conditions. For the clay soil an additional payment scheme would be required to reward farmers in southern Africa for C-sequestration to make CA profitable and achieve increased C-mitigation through soil sequestration.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Conservation agriculture (CA)", "Losses", "Cropping systems", "Soil organic carbon (SOC)", "Crops", "Small-scale farmers", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "Zea mays", "Maize", "Costs", "Intercropping", "Crop rotation", "Soil conservation", "Sand", "Monoculture", "Reduced tillage", "Soil conditions", "Clay", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Profitability", "Agricultural machinery", "Organic carbon"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2018.05.016"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20and%20Tillage%20Research", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1016/j.still.2018.05.016", "name": "item", "description": "10.1016/j.still.2018.05.016", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1016/j.still.2018.05.016"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2018-11-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/SUM.12506", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-30T16:19:17Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-02-26", "title": "Harvesting European knowledge on soil functions and land management using multi\u2010criteria decision analysis", "description": "Abstract

Soil and its ecosystem functions play a societal role in securing sustainable food production while safeguarding natural resources. A functional land management framework has been proposed to optimize the agro\uffe2\uff80\uff90environmental outputs from the land and specifically the supply and demand of soil functions such as (a) primary productivity, (b) carbon sequestration, (c) water purification and regulation, (d) biodiversity and (e) nutrient cycling, for which soil knowledge is essential. From the outset, the LANDMARK multi\uffe2\uff80\uff90actor research project integrates harvested knowledge from local, national and European stakeholders to develop such guidelines, creating a sense of ownership, trust and reciprocity of the outcomes. About 470 stakeholders from five European countries participated in 32 structured workshops covering multiple land uses in six climatic zones. The harmonized results include stakeholders\uffe2\uff80\uff99 priorities and concerns, perceptions on soil quality and functions, implementation of tools, management techniques, indicators and monitoring, activities and policies, knowledge gaps and ideas. Multi\uffe2\uff80\uff90criteria decision analysis was used for data analysis. Two qualitative models were developed using Decision EXpert methodology to evaluate \uffe2\uff80\uff9cknowledge\uffe2\uff80\uff9d and \uffe2\uff80\uff9cneeds\uffe2\uff80\uff9d. Soil quality perceptions differed across workshops, depending on the stakeholder level and regionally established terminologies. Stakeholders had good inherent knowledge about soil functioning, but several gaps were identified. In terms of critical requirements, stakeholders defined high technical, activity and policy needs in (a) financial incentives, (b) credible information on improving more sustainable management practices, (c) locally relevant advice, (d) farmers\uffe2\uff80\uff99 discussion groups, (e) training programmes, (f) funding for applied research and monitoring, and (g) strengthening soil science in education.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "locally relevant advice", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "12. Responsible consumption", "DEX model", "13. Climate action", "11. Sustainability", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "participatory research", "farmers and multi-stakeholders", "soil quality", "Biology"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/sum.12506"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/SUM.12506"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Soil%20Use%20and%20Management", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/SUM.12506", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/SUM.12506", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/SUM.12506"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2019-03-01T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/sum.12506", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-30T16:19:52Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2019-02-26", "title": "Harvesting European knowledge on soil functions and land management using multi\u2010criteria decision analysis", "description": "Abstract

Soil and its ecosystem functions play a societal role in securing sustainable food production while safeguarding natural resources. A functional land management framework has been proposed to optimize the agro\uffe2\uff80\uff90environmental outputs from the land and specifically the supply and demand of soil functions such as (a) primary productivity, (b) carbon sequestration, (c) water purification and regulation, (d) biodiversity and (e) nutrient cycling, for which soil knowledge is essential. From the outset, the LANDMARK multi\uffe2\uff80\uff90actor research project integrates harvested knowledge from local, national and European stakeholders to develop such guidelines, creating a sense of ownership, trust and reciprocity of the outcomes. About 470 stakeholders from five European countries participated in 32 structured workshops covering multiple land uses in six climatic zones. The harmonized results include stakeholders\uffe2\uff80\uff99 priorities and concerns, perceptions on soil quality and functions, implementation of tools, management techniques, indicators and monitoring, activities and policies, knowledge gaps and ideas. Multi\uffe2\uff80\uff90criteria decision analysis was used for data analysis. Two qualitative models were developed using Decision EXpert methodology to evaluate \uffe2\uff80\uff9cknowledge\uffe2\uff80\uff9d and \uffe2\uff80\uff9cneeds\uffe2\uff80\uff9d. Soil quality perceptions differed across workshops, depending on the stakeholder level and regionally established terminologies. Stakeholders had good inherent knowledge about soil functioning, but several gaps were identified. In terms of critical requirements, stakeholders defined high technical, activity and policy needs in (a) financial incentives, (b) credible information on improving more sustainable management practices, (c) locally relevant advice, (d) farmers\uffe2\uff80\uff99 discussion groups, (e) training programmes, (f) funding for applied research and monitoring, and (g) strengthening soil science in education.

Food insecurity is a multidimensional and intricate problem, known to have significant implications for individuals, communities, and countries worldwide. Africa has become the continent that is experiencing this uncertainty the most. Food Security (FS) encompasses several aspects such as availability, accessibility, nutrient use, and supply system stability with time and, more recently, other obliges to governance/agency and sustainability. Knowing the interconnection between these aspects and the Ecosystems Services (ES) and understanding the relationship and interactions between FS and ES is important. Moreover, this knowledge may contribute to supporting policies that promote long-term sustainable and secure food systems. Hereby, a conceptual framework is presented, that examines interactions between food insecurity drivers and ecosystem change drivers and the combined influence on ES. Our review further introduces existing trade-offs between ES on account of agricultural intensification vs. key existing strategies to promote sustainable agricultural production. These strategies include climate-smart agriculture, sustainably managed land, and effective handling of water resources. In the end, the potential of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), as a suitable approach to ensuring these strategies are adopted, especially in African countries where sustainable financial incentives are currently under-explored is discussed. In resume, this review aims to make a conceptual contribution to understanding how drivers of food insecurity influence drivers of ecosystem changes, the impact of these influences on the services of ecosystems, and how sustainable agro approaches and PES introduction can help to reduce such negative impacts.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0301 basic medicine", "0303 health sciences", "Nutrition. Foods and food supply", "1. No poverty", "food security", "TP368-456", "15. Life on land", "Food processing and manufacture", "12. Responsible consumption", "03 medical and health sciences", "13. Climate action", "sustainable agriculture intensification", "smallholder farmers", "TX341-641", "payment for ecosystem services", "climate change adaptation"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1272332"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Sustainable%20Food%20Systems", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.3389/fsufs.2024.1272332", "name": "item", "description": "10.3389/fsufs.2024.1272332", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1272332"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-08-15T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.48350/169997", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-30T16:22:19Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-05-12", "title": "A New Framework to Assess Sustainability of Soil Improving Cropping Systems in Europe", "description": "

Assessing agricultural sustainability is one of the most challenging tasks related to expertise and support methodologies because it entails multidisciplinary aspects and builds on cultural and value-based elements. Thus, agricultural sustainability should be considered a social concept, reliable enough to support decision makers and policy development in a broad context. The aim of this manuscript was to develop a methodology for the assessment of the sustainability of soil improving cropping systems (SICS) in Europe. For this purpose, a decision tree based on weights (%) was chosen because it allows more flexibility. The methodology was tested with data from the SoilCare Horizon 2020 study site in Germany for the assessment of the impact of the integration of cover crops into the crop rotation. The effect on the environmental indicators was slightly positive, but most assessed properties did not change over the short course of the experiment. Farmers reported that the increase in workload was outweighed by a reputation gain for using cover crops. The incorporation of cover crops reduced slightly the profitability, due to the costs for seeds and establishment of cover crops. The proposed assessment methodology provides a comprehensive summary to assess the agricultural sustainability of SICS.

", "keywords": ["INDICATORS", "IMPACT", "Environmental Studies", "LEVEL", "Environmental Sciences & Ecology", "3301 Architecture", "12. Responsible consumption", "4104 Environmental management", "11. Sustainability", "MANAGEMENT", "Life Science", "costs and benefits", "0502 Environmental Science and Management", "910 Geography & travel", "550 Earth sciences & geology", "overall sustainability", "2. Zero hunger", "Science & Technology", "S", "MICROBIAL BIOMASS", "3304 Urban and regional planning", "Agriculture", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "sustainability framework; overall sustainability; costs and benefits; cover crops", "sustainability framework", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "cover crops", "Life Sciences & Biomedicine", "FARMERS"]}, "links": [{"href": "http://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/729/pdf"}, {"href": "https://boris.unibe.ch/169997/1/land-11-00729.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10.48350/169997"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Land", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.48350/169997", "name": "item", "description": "10.48350/169997", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.48350/169997"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2022-05-12T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.14506215", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-30T16:23:45Z", "type": "Report", "title": "More than a Dialogue between actors, seeking the integration of soil-based principles in agroecological systems: Synthesis of Into-DIALOGUE outcomes", "description": "The adoption of agroecological approaches is currently relatively limited to pioneering farmers and farmer associations in the EJP-Soil countries (included Turkey); and although the PRACTICES are being stimulated through the European Union Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and some programmes in Turkey, the implementation of sustainable agroecological SYSTEMS is until now not promoted by specific policies in these agricultural landscapes.The Into-DIALOGUE project has sought to identify why the conjunction of various practices, which farmers are already selectively implementing, is complicated and slow to combine as a whole, and on a landscape or a territorial scale (which would constitute a SYSTEM). Does it depend on the ecological identity of the farmers? Of the slowness in the development of policies and measures? Of the characteristics of the farms?.... This report presents the synthesis of the work carried out by Into-DIALOGUE partners and links to the documents in which the most relevant information and results are presented.", "keywords": ["Agroecological Systems", "Agrarian Landscape Characterization", "Agroecological practices", "Farmers Ecological Identity", "Common Agricultural Policy"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Asins-Velis, Sabina, \u00dcn, Akin,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14506215"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.14506215", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.14506215", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.14506215"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-12-17T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.5281/zenodo.5795200", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-30T16:24:33Z", "type": "Report", "title": "Factors affecting farmers' adoption decision of innovative circular farming practices and solutions in EU.", "description": "Abstract: The agricultural and livestock sectors are facing several challenges to achieve the current EU environmental objectives. Reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and ensuring that a great share of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium coming from renewable sources is one of the major policy goals. In this context, farmers are continuously looking to adopt innovative technologies and solutions that may ensure sustainable food production systems. The adoption process of innovations at the farm level based on the circular economy concept may improve resource efficiency, allow the reuse and recovery of nutrients, and reduce the negative effect of emissions on soils, water, and air. The farmers\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd decision to accept and adopt the innovative solutions depends mainly on the initial investments and return, benefits and costs, farm structure, farmers\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd socio-economic characteristics, farmers\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd attitudes, opinions and behavior and, external markets conditions among other determinant reasons. This study aims at identifying the determinant factors and barriers that affect farmers\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd adoption of several Circular Agronomy Solutions using a semi-structured questionnaire on an exploratory sample of farmers in 5 EU countries. Preliminary results showed that the level of acceptance of the proposed innovations is highly related to farmers\ufffd\ufffd\ufffd economic motivations and objectives. The cost of the investment, the return rate, the institutional support, risk, and environmental attitude play a relevant role in the adoption decision. Results of the adoption preferences may assist policy-makers in designing more specific and efficient measures and tools that may help farmers to face the current environmental challenges and social needs.", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "13. Climate action", "11. Sustainability", "innovation; adoption; farmers decision; circular economy", "15. Life on land", "7. Clean energy", "12. Responsible consumption"], "contacts": [{"organization": "Ornelas, Selene, Kallas, Zein, Serebrennikov, Dmytro, Fern\ufffd\ufffdndez, Bel\ufffd\ufffdn, Mantovi, Paolo, Grassauer, Florian, Holba, Mark, McCarthy, Sinead, Riau, Victor,", "roles": ["creator"]}]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5795200"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.5281/zenodo.5795200", "name": "item", "description": "10.5281/zenodo.5795200", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.5281/zenodo.5795200"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2021-09-09T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10072/409703", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-30T16:25:42Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2021-10-11", "title": "Have farmers had enough of experts?", "description": "Abstract

The exponential rise of information available means we can now, in theory, access knowledge on almost any question we ask. However, as the amount of unverified information increases, so too does the challenge in deciding which information to trust. Farmers, when learning about agricultural innovations, have historically relied on in-person advice from traditional \uffe2\uff80\uff98experts\uffe2\uff80\uff99, such as agricultural advisers, to inform farm management. As more farmers go online for information, it is not clear whether they are now using digital information to corroborate in-person advice from traditional \uffe2\uff80\uff98experts\uffe2\uff80\uff99, or if they are foregoing \uffe2\uff80\uff98expert\uffe2\uff80\uff99 advice in preference for peer-generated information. To fill this knowledge gap, we sought to understand how farmers in two contrasting European countries (Hungary and the UK) learnt about sustainable soil innovations and who influenced them to innovate. Through interviews with 82 respondents, we found farmers in both countries regularly used online sources to access soil information; some were prompted to change their soil management by farmer social media \uffe2\uff80\uff98influencers\uffe2\uff80\uff99. However, online information and interactions were not usually the main factor influencing farmers to change their practices. Farmers placed most trust in other farmers to learn about new soil practices and were less trusting of traditional \uffe2\uff80\uff98experts\uffe2\uff80\uff99, particularly agricultural researchers from academic and government institutions, who they believed were not empathetic towards farmers\uffe2\uff80\uff99 needs. We suggest that some farmers may indeed have had enough of traditional \uffe2\uff80\uff98experts\uffe2\uff80\uff99, instead relying more on their own peer networks to learn and innovate. We discuss ways to improve trustworthy knowledge exchange between agricultural stakeholders to increase uptake of sustainable soil management practices, while acknowledging the value of peer influence and online interactions for innovation and trust building.

Food insecurity is a multidimensional and intricate problem, known to have significant implications for individuals, communities, and countries worldwide. Africa has become the continent that is experiencing this uncertainty the most. Food Security (FS) encompasses several aspects such as availability, accessibility, nutrient use, and supply system stability with time and, more recently, other obliges to governance/agency and sustainability. Knowing the interconnection between these aspects and the Ecosystems Services (ES) and understanding the relationship and interactions between FS and ES is important. Moreover, this knowledge may contribute to supporting policies that promote long-term sustainable and secure food systems. Hereby, a conceptual framework is presented, that examines interactions between food insecurity drivers and ecosystem change drivers and the combined influence on ES. Our review further introduces existing trade-offs between ES on account of agricultural intensification vs. key existing strategies to promote sustainable agricultural production. These strategies include climate-smart agriculture, sustainably managed land, and effective handling of water resources. In the end, the potential of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), as a suitable approach to ensuring these strategies are adopted, especially in African countries where sustainable financial incentives are currently under-explored is discussed. In resume, this review aims to make a conceptual contribution to understanding how drivers of food insecurity influence drivers of ecosystem changes, the impact of these influences on the services of ecosystems, and how sustainable agro approaches and PES introduction can help to reduce such negative impacts.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "0301 basic medicine", "0303 health sciences", "Nutrition. Foods and food supply", "1. No poverty", "food security", "TP368-456", "15. Life on land", "Food processing and manufacture", "12. Responsible consumption", "03 medical and health sciences", "13. Climate action", "sustainable agriculture intensification", "smallholder farmers", "TX341-641", "payment for ecosystem services", "climate change adaptation"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://repositorio.ulisboa.pt/bitstream/10400.5/97452/1/fsufs-08-1272332%20%281%29.pdf"}, {"href": "https://doi.org/10400.5/97452"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Frontiers%20in%20Sustainable%20Food%20Systems", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10400.5/97452", "name": "item", "description": "10400.5/97452", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10400.5/97452"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-08-15T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10568/97603", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-30T16:26:01Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2018-07-04", "title": "A framework for scaling sustainable land management options", "description": "Abstract

Improvements in land use and management are needed at a global scale to tackle interconnected global challenges of population growth, poverty, migration, climate change, biodiversity loss, and degrading land and water resources. There are hundreds of technical options for improving the sustainability of land management and preventing or reversing degradation, but there are many sociocultural, institutional, economic, and policy barriers hindering their adoption at large scale. To tackle this challenge, the Dryland Systems Program of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification convened an expert group to consider barriers and incentives to scaling technologies, processes, policies, or institutional arrangements. The group reviewed existing frameworks for scaling sustainable land management (SLM) interventions across a range of contexts and identified eight critical actions for success: (a) plan iteratively; (b) consistently fund; (c) select SLM options for scaling based on best available evidence; (d) identify and engage with stakeholders at all scales; (e) build capacity for scaling; (f) foster institutional leadership and policy change to support scaling; (g) achieve early benefits and incentives for as many stakeholders as possible; and (h) monitor, evaluate, and communicate. Incentives for scaling were identified for the private sector, farmers and their communities, and policy makers. Based on these findings, a new action framework for scaling is presented that analyses the contexts where specific SLM interventions can be scaled, so that SLM options can be screened and adapted to these contexts, piloted and disseminated. The framework can help countries achieve land degradation neutrality. Soil and its ecosystem functions play a societal role in securing sustainable food production while safeguarding natural resources. A functional land management framework has been proposed to optimize the agro\uffe2\uff80\uff90environmental outputs from the land and specifically the supply and demand of soil functions such as (a) primary productivity, (b) carbon sequestration, (c) water purification and regulation, (d) biodiversity and (e) nutrient cycling, for which soil knowledge is essential. From the outset, the LANDMARK multi\uffe2\uff80\uff90actor research project integrates harvested knowledge from local, national and European stakeholders to develop such guidelines, creating a sense of ownership, trust and reciprocity of the outcomes. About 470 stakeholders from five European countries participated in 32 structured workshops covering multiple land uses in six climatic zones. The harmonized results include stakeholders\uffe2\uff80\uff99 priorities and concerns, perceptions on soil quality and functions, implementation of tools, management techniques, indicators and monitoring, activities and policies, knowledge gaps and ideas. Multi\uffe2\uff80\uff90criteria decision analysis was used for data analysis. Two qualitative models were developed using Decision EXpert methodology to evaluate \uffe2\uff80\uff9cknowledge\uffe2\uff80\uff9d and \uffe2\uff80\uff9cneeds\uffe2\uff80\uff9d. Soil quality perceptions differed across workshops, depending on the stakeholder level and regionally established terminologies. Stakeholders had good inherent knowledge about soil functioning, but several gaps were identified. In terms of critical requirements, stakeholders defined high technical, activity and policy needs in (a) financial incentives, (b) credible information on improving more sustainable management practices, (c) locally relevant advice, (d) farmers\uffe2\uff80\uff99 discussion groups, (e) training programmes, (f) funding for applied research and monitoring, and (g) strengthening soil science in education.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed is representative of governance challenges relating to agricultural nonpoint source pollution and, more generally, of sustainable resources governance in complex multi-actor settings. We assess information flows around Best Management Practices (BMPs) undertaken by dairy farmers in central Pennsylvania, a subregion of the watershed. We apply a mixed-method approach, combining Social Network Analysis, the analysis of BMP-messaging (i.e. information source, flow, and their influences), and qualitative content analysis of stakeholders\u2019 interviews. Key strategic actors were identified through network centrality measures such as degree of node, betweenness centrality, and clustering coefficient. The perceived influence/credibility (by farmers) of BMP-messages and their source, allowed for the identification of strategic entry points for BMP-messages diffusion. Finally, the inductive coding process of stakeholders\u2019 interviews revealed major hindrances and opportunities for BMPs adoption. We demonstrate how improved targeting of policy interventions for BMPs uptake may be achieved, by better distributing entry-points across stakeholders. Our results reveal governance gaps and opportunities, on which we draw to provide insights for better tailored policy interventions. We propose strategies to optimize the coverage of policy mixes and the dissemination of BMP-messages by building on network diversity and actors\u2019 complementarities, and by targeting intervention towards specific BMPs and actors. We suggest that (i) conservation incentives could target supply chain actors as conservation intermediaries; (ii) compliance-control of manure management planning could be conducted by accredited private certifiers; (iii) policy should focus on incentivizing inter-farmers interaction (e.g. farmers\u2019 mobility, training, knowledge-exchange, and engagement in multi-stakeholders collaboration) via financial or non-pecuniary compensation; (iv) collective incentives could help better coordinate conservation efforts at the landscape or (sub-)watershed scale; (v) all relevant stakeholders (including farmers) should be concerted and included in the discussion, proposition, co-design and decision process of policy, in order to take their respective interests and responsibilities into account.

", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Conservation of Natural Resources", "Farmers", "Science", "Q", "Water Pollution", "R", "Agriculture", "Pennsylvania", "15. Life on land", "6. Clean water", "12. Responsible consumption", "13. Climate action", "11. Sustainability", "Life Science", "Medicine", "Humans", "Social Network Analysis", "Research Article"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/PMC11115221"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PLOS%20ONE", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "PMC11115221", "name": "item", "description": "PMC11115221", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/PMC11115221"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2024-05-23T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "PMC9079025", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"license": "Open Access", "updated": "2026-05-30T16:29:55Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2022-04-22", "title": "Trust Versus Content in Multi-functional Land Management: Assessing Soil Function Messaging in Agricultural Networks", "description": "Abstract

Growing sustainability demands on land have a high knowledge requirement across multiple scientific domains. Exploring networks can expose opportunities for targeting. Using mixed-methods combining social network analysis (SNA) and surveys, networks for key soil functions in case studies in Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands are explored. We find a diversity of contrasting networks that reflect local conditions, sustainability challenges and governance structure. Farmers were found to occupy a central role in the agri-environmental governance network. A comparison of the SNA and survey results indicate low acceptance of messages from many central actors indicating scope to better harness the network for sustainable land management. The source of the messages was important when it came to the implementation of farm management actions. Two pathways for enhanced farmer uptake of multi-functionality are proposed that have wider application are; to increase trust between farmers and actors that are agents of multi-functional messages and/or to increase the bundling or multi-functionality of messages (mandate) of actors trusted by farmers.