Participatory guarantee systems (PGS) are an emerging strategy in the organic farming and agroecology movement for ensuring the sustainable origin of food. This study focused on the perspectives of ...stakeholders involved in PGS in Peru (Lima and Apurímac) in order to acquire a greater understanding of how these PGS operate and the context in which they are embedded. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used for data collection in 2016. PGS in Peru have a fairly centralized pyramid structure, with non-governmental organizations and regional farmers’ associations the main driving forces behind PGS implementation. Improved access to markets and additional commercialization channels are major motivations for farmers to participate in PGS, but major difficulties in these two areas are still being encountered in both regions. There is a high demand among farmers for technical training. Farmers acting as internal evaluators play a special role in their local nuclei and are crucial in the PGS process. The PGS in Lima and Apurímac are an important tool in the agro-ecological movement in Peru and offer considerable potential for the support of small-scale farmers. However, there is a need for official recognition and support together with improvements in internal organization and communication for PGS to be able to maintain their principles.
Human well-being is tightly linked to the natural environment. Although this notion is well-established, it remains difficult to assess how the biophysical features of a specific area contribute ...towards the well-being of the people attached to it. We explore this topic using the case of four areas in Germany and Austria by performing open, single-question interviews with 262 respondents. Data reveal an outstanding relevance of nonmaterial values. Linkages between landscapes and human well-being are tied to specific features of the material environment but, likewise, practices and experiences play an important role in the creation and acknowledgment of such values. Our results accord with the conceptual outline of the cultural values model but fit to a lesser degree into the ecosystem services framework. Due to the high relevance of experiential factors, providing manifold opportunities for people to engage with their natural surroundings should be considered a strategy for fostering human well-being.
•We explore perceived linkages between landscapes and human well-being.•Short interviews with 262 respondents in four study sites have been carried out.•Nonmaterial benefits and values play an outstanding role.•Practices and experiences are formative for perceived well-being.•Results fit with the cultural values model, less with the ecosystem services concept.
Third-party certification (TPC), the most common organic certification system, has faced growing criticism in recent years. This has led to the development of alternative certification systems, most ...of which can be classed as Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS). PGS have been promoted as a more suitable, cheaper and less bureaucratic alternative to TPC for local markets and are associated with additional benefits such as empowering smallholder farmers, facilitating farmer-to-farmer learning and enhancing food security and sovereignty. PGS have spread rapidly in the past few years, but studies suggest that they are facing numerous challenges that, if not addressed, may jeopardise these benefits. Using the example of three Mexican PGS initiatives, this paper explores the main challenges faced by PGS, specifically those predominantly found in producer-run PGS initiatives. Based on producer and consumer surveys, semi-structured and informal interviews, and participant and non-participant observation, the key challenges that emerged were continuous implementation of the certification process, time constraints, personal conflicts and conflict avoidance. The paper further argues that the requirements for PGS recognition under the Mexican Law for Organic Products may also threaten the continued existence of PGS and suggests that mechanisms for managing conflicts, incentivising PGS participation and mitigating opportunity costs are key if PGS are to continue to develop.
In the mammalian cochlea, specialized ribbon-type synapses between sensory inner hair cells (IHCs) and postsynaptic spiral ganglion neurons ensure the temporal precision and indefatigability of ...synaptic sound encoding. These high-through-put synapses are presynaptically characterized by an electron-dense projection-the synaptic ribbon-which provides structural scaffolding and tethers a large pool of synaptic vesicles. While advances have been made in recent years in deciphering the molecular anatomy and function of these specialized active zones, the developmental assembly of this presynaptic interaction hub remains largely elusive. In this review, we discuss the dynamic nature of IHC (pre-) synaptogenesis and highlight molecular key players as well as the transport pathways underlying this process. Since developmental assembly appears to be a highly dynamic process, we further ask if this structural plasticity might be maintained into adulthood, how this may influence the functional properties of a given IHC synapse and how such plasticity could be regulated on the molecular level. To do so, we take a closer look at other ribbon-bearing systems, such as retinal photoreceptors and pinealocytes and aim to infer conserved mechanisms that may mediate these phenomena.
•Organic consumers attach different characteristics to wild versus cultivated foods.•Organic consumers are unaware of the market relevance of wild plant foods.•Labelling of wild ingredients is needed ...to raise awareness of wild plant foods.•Organic consumers barely differentiate between organic and non-organic wild food.•Better consumer information is needed about added value of organic certification.
Organically-certified wild plant foods are rarely addressed in scientific or public discourses on organic food even though 30% of the world’s organically-certified land is dedicated to wild plant gathering. This oversight may leave organic consumers unaware of the market relevance of wild plant foods. The aim of this study was therefore to understand organic consumers’ attitudes, knowledge and purchasing and gathering practices with respect to wild plant foods, and how sociodemographic variables and attitudes can predict knowledge and practices. A purposive sample was drawn from 22 urban and rural food markets across Austria and 497 organic consumers were interviewed using successive freelists and four-point Likert scale questions on attitudes. Data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regressions. Organic consumers knew a median of nine wild food plants, and reported five as being gathered and one as being purchased. They valued food quality and the responsible harvest of wild food plants, but assigned them a low economic relevance, with some respondents sceptical about their suitability as food. Rural residence, a higher share of organic consumption and a greater emphasis on responsible harvesting predicted knowledge and gathering of a larger number of plant species. These results confirm that organic consumers know, gather and have positive attitudes with respect to wild plant foods, although they are hardly aware about their market relevance. We argue that consumers need to be better informed about the wild origin of food ingredients and the added value of organic certification of wild plant foods.
Participatory Guarantee Systems (PGS) provide an alternative certification system for smallholder organic farmers producing for the domestic market. Officially recognized in Chile since 2007, PGS ...certification has grown in momentum in recent years. We used semi-structured interviews, surveys and participant observations to shed light on the PGS movement in Chile and the respective governance framework. Our results indicate that after PGS formalization, Chilean PGS initiatives struggle to comply with wide-ranging administrative procedures similar to those requested for third-party certification (TPC). Furthermore, lacking resources among PGS initiatives inhibit the PGS movement from impacting the national discourse. We present two PGS initiatives and their organizational structures, exploring 'who' participate, 'how' participation occurs, and 'what kind' of participation takes place. Our results indicate that the interaction as well as the exchange of knowledge among PGS members is a central benefit perceived by PGS participants. However, regular PGS member participation is hindered by the required time investment, the distance that PGS members need to travel and the perceived lacking expertise they have.
Shrimp farming is growing in Bangladesh due to suitable agro-climatic conditions, adequate water resources, cheap labour force, international donor agencies and the involvement of multinational ...corporations. Although it provides immediate economic benefits, contributes to poverty reduction and food security, as well as generates employment from seed collectors to exporters, it has also been facing a host of challenges. They hinder the sustainable development of this otherwise thriving sector. This paper aims to expound the hindrances and challenges for sustainable shrimp farming in Bangladesh by means of reviewing the available scientific literature. It finds that socioeconomic impacts such as traditional livelihood displacement, social unrests and market fluctuations are hindering the sustainable development of shrimp farming in Bangladesh. Similarly, environmental impacts such as mangrove degradation, salt water intrusion, sedimentation, pollution and disease outbreaks are found to be obstacles for the development of sustainable shrimp farming. Inappropriate management practices and inadequate plans regarding water quality, seed supply, irrigation facilities and fishery resources, added to institutional weaknesses, jeopardize the future growth of shrimp farming. Therefore, this paper shall provide substantial input to set the directions that research for alternatives can take and that can contribute to the sustainability of shrimp farming.
►We address organic shrimp farming as an alternative technique which has started in Bangladesh. ►We discuss a detailed overview considering the impacts of shrimp farming. ►We mention that organic farming is sustainable and provides safe quality food for the consumers. ►We additionally address institutional impacts of shrimp farming.
Agricultural policies in Kenya aim to improve farmers' livelihoods. With projected climate change, these policies are short of mechanisms that promote farmers' adaptation. As a result, smallholders ...are confronted with a variety of challenges including climate change, which hinders their agricultural production. Local knowledge can be instrumental in assisting smallholders to cope with climate change and variability. In this paper, we present empirical evidence that demonstrates local knowledge, perceptions and adaptations to climate change and variability amongst smallholders of Laikipia district of Kenya. A Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) calculated for one station is compared with smallholders' perceptions. Data was collected using qualitative and quantitative methods in Umande and Muhonia sub-locations. Qualitative data included 46 transcripts from focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Quantitative data is derived from 206 interviewees. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data using Atlas-ti and SPSS respectively. According to smallholders' perceptions, climatic variability is increasingly changing. Local perceptions include decreasing rainfalls, increasing temperatures, increasing frosts and increasing hunger. The PDSI shows a trend towards severe droughts in the last four decades, which is in accordance with farmers' perceptions. Smallholders use a combination of coping and adaptation strategies to respond to variability, including, among others, diversification of crop varieties, migration and sale of livestock. Significant relationships exist between drought perceptions and some adaptations such as migration and sale of livestock. Farmers have an in-depth knowledge of climatic variability, which they use to inform their coping and adaptation strategies. Knowledge of climatic perceptions and adaptations are vital entry points for decision makers and policy makers to learn how and where to enhance the adaptive capacity of smallholders in rainy and drought periods.
Participatory guarantee systems (PGS) have become increasingly important for organic quality assurance. PGS are promoted as more suitable than third-party certification (TPC) for smallholder farmers ...in the Global South. The advocated benefits of PGS include the promotion of organic agriculture, farmer empowerment, and the facilitation of food system sustainability. To deliver these benefits, local actor participation is key. To date, there is still an absence of in-depth studies on participation in PGS in the literature. The aim of this study was to contribute to closing this research gap by (i) conducting a meta-analysis on PGS participation and (ii) presenting a framework for studying actor participation in PGS. A systematic literature review on participation in PGS was carried out, using a framework based on Cohen and Uphoff (1980). The results showed that data on participation in PGS are still fragmented in scientific literature. Quantitative empirical evidence and data on the extent and purpose of participation and actors’ perception of participation, for example, are very scarce or not available at all. This paper argues that a systematic and theory-based approach to further research on participation in PGS is needed for improved understanding and facilitation, and suggests an adapted version of Cohen and Uphoff’s (1980) framework for conducting this research.
•Organic consumers attach different characteristics to wild versus cultivated foods.•Organic consumers are unaware of the market relevance of wild plant foods.•Labelling of wild ingredients is needed ...to raise awareness of wild plant foods.•Organic consumers barely differentiate between organic and non-organic wild food.•Better consumer information is needed about added value of organic certification.
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