‘Would it sell more pork?’ Pig farmers’ perceptions of Real Welfare,the welfare outcome component of their farm assurance scheme

In the UK, the pig industry is leading the way in the adoption of welfare outcome measures as part of their farm assurance scheme. The welfare outcome assessment (WOA), known as Real Welfare, is conducted by the farmers’ own veterinary surgeon. For the first time, this has allowed the pig industry to evaluate welfare by directly assessing the animal itself and to document the welfare of the UK pig industry as a whole. Farmer perspectives of the addition of a welfare outcome assessment to their farm assurance scheme have yet to be explored. Here, we investigate how the introduction of the Real Welfare protocol has been perceived by the farmers involved, what value it has (if any), whether any practical changes on farm have been a direct consequence of Real Welfare and ultimately whether they consider that the welfare of their pigs has been improved by the introduction of the Real Welfare protocol. Semi-structured interviews with 15 English pig farmers were conducted to explore their perceptions and experiences of the Real Welfare process. Our findings fall into three key areas: the lived experience of Real Welfare, on-farm changes resulting from Real Welfare and suggested improvements to the Real Welfare process as it currently stands. In all the three areas, the value farmers placed on the addition of WOA appeared to reflect their veterinary surgeon’s attitude towards the Real Welfare protocol. If the vet was engaged in the process and actively included the farmer, for example through discussion of their findings, the farmers interviewed had a greater appreciation of the benefits of Real Welfare themselves. It is recommended that future similar schemes should work with veterinary surgeons to ensure their understanding and engagement with the process, as well as identifying and promoting how the scheme will practically benefit individual farmers rather than assuming that they will be motivated to engage for the good of the industry alone. Retailers should be encouraged to use Real Welfare as a marketing tool for pig products to enhance the perceived commercial value of this protocol to farmers.     

Population dynamics of Myzus persicae on tobacco in Yunnan Province,China, before and after augmentative releases of Aphidius gifuensis

The population dynamics of Myzus persicae were investigated in the field in a year without releases of Aphidius gifuensis (1998–1999), in a year with A. gifuensis releases (2000–2001) and several years later (2005–2007). The results showed that both high mean population densities and damage rates did not differ between 1998 and 1999, but were significantly lower in 2000–2001 and 2005–2007. Moreover, farmers also reported the decrease of M. persicae populations and attributed the declines to augmentative releases of A. gifuensis in their own fields, indicating farmers’ recognition in the effectiveness of A. gifuensis for M. persicae control. In addition, compared with the historical data on pesticide use for M. persicae control, the number of insecticide applications and cost of M. persicae control was sustained at a low level in 2007 (several years after release of A. gifuensis). This suggests that the augmentative releases of A. gifuensis could be effective and sustainable in M. persicae control.     

平衡施肥及雨强对紫色土养分流失的影响

利用人工降雨装置模拟3种不同强度的降雨,采用模拟径流小区,研究了四川紫色丘陵区玉米净作条件下雨强及平衡施肥对土壤养分损失量及载体的影响.结果表明:雨强是影响地表径流量、径流总量及土壤侵蚀量的最主要因素.在小雨强条件下,无地表径流及土壤侵蚀发生;随着雨强的增大,地表径流量、径流总量及土壤侵蚀量都急剧增加.磷素和钾素流失总量也随雨强的增加而增加,而雨强对氮素流失的影响不大.在3种雨强条件下,3种施肥处理的氮素流失总量表现为:高氮施肥>农户习惯施肥>平衡施肥,平衡施肥能减少氮素流失,而高氮施肥增加氮素的流失.农户习惯施肥处理的磷流失总量和钾流失总量均高于平衡施肥和高氮施肥两种施钾处理,在紫色土坡耕地增施钾肥能减少磷、钾养分的流失.     

Attitudes of Dairy Farmers toward Cow Welfare in Relation to Housing,Management and Productivity

ABSTRACT

The quality of stockmanship contributes to the human–animal relationship, animal welfare and productivity. Attitudes can affect the way farmers treat their animals, the environment they provide the animals with, and even their own job satisfaction through the feedback received from the animals. Farmers' perceptions of animals have also been shown to have an impact on productivity. We investigated 161 Finnish dairy farmers' attitudes toward improving animal welfare through an attitude questionnaire that used the Theory of Planned Behavior as a theoretical framework. The theory states that personal attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, together shape an individual's behavioral intentions and behaviors. To study the relationship between attitudes, animal welfare, and milk production, we used environment-based animal welfare indicator data consisting of categorized housing and management parameters, and mean milk production data. Non-parametric partial correlation analyses and regression analyses revealed that perceiving the measures to improve animal welfare to be important and easy were positively, although weakly, related to higher animal welfare standards/indicators, while no connection with production was established. Contrary to our expectations, sources of subjective norms, such as an agricultural adviser, were mostly negatively linked with animal welfare indicators and even with production. The farmers considered taking care of their own well-being as the most important way of improving animal welfare, and intending to do so was weakly but positively linked with animal welfare indicators. Any causal relationships, however, cannot be derived from the data.     

Folk taxonomy and evolutionary dynamics of cassava: A case study in Ubatuba, Brazil

A survey was conducted of Caicara farmers from Ubatuba in the Brazilian coastland between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro States regarding the folk-taxonomy for cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) landraces they cultivate and cassava evolutionary dynamics in swidden cultivation. The accuracy of their folk taxonomy was assessed. Cluster analysis was used to make comparisons between names given by the farmers to sampled individuals and their isozyme phenotypes obtained with four isozyme systems. Interviews with farmers were done and ethnobiological data collected. These farmers possess a loose taxonomic system and tend to underestimate cassava genetic diversity in their gardens. However, classification skills vary considerably among them. The accuracy of their taxonomy along with the results of interviews with farmers and ethnobiological data are discussed in light of a proposed evolutionary dynamics model for cultivated cassava and its ecology in tropical swidden cultivation.     

高寒生态脆弱区农户对气候变化的感知与适应意向——以甘南高原为例

以地处青藏高原东缘的甘南高原为研究区,基于农户调查数据,分析了农户的气候变化感知对其适应意向的影响,为制定有效的气候变化适应政策提供依据.结果表明: 纯农户、兼业户、非农户对气候变化的严重性的感知依次降低,但适应功效感知依次增强,且与非农户、纯农户相比,兼业户的可能性感知、自我效能感知与适应成本感知均较高;纯农户、兼业户、非农户对气候变化的积极适应意向趋于增强;气候变化风险感知、适应功效感知促使农户产生积极适应意向,而适应成本感知促使其产生消极适应意向.同时,农户拥有的耕地面积、牲畜数量、收入水平以及性格乐观程度与积极适应意向发生概率呈显著正相关,而固定资产拥有量、无偿现金援助机会、亲戚网及帮助网规模与其呈显著负相关.最后,提出了促使农户产生积极适应意向的对策建议及未来研究中需关注的问题.     

Social Learning Processes in Swiss Soil Protection—The ‘From Farmer - To Farmer’ Project

Social learning approaches have become a prominent focus in studies related to sustainable agriculture. In order to better understand the potential of social learning for more sustainable development, the present study assessed the processes, effects and facilitating elements of interaction related to social learning in the context of Swiss soil protection and the innovative ‘From Farmer - To Farmer’ project. The study reveals that social learning contributes to fundamental transformations of patterns of interactions. However, the study also demonstrates that a learning-oriented understanding of sustainable development implies including analysis of the institutional environments in which the organizations of the individual representatives of face-to-face-based social learning processes are operating. This has shown to be a decisive element when face-to-face-based learning processes of the organisations’ representatives are translated into organisational learning. Moreover, the study revealed that this was achieved not directly through formalisation of new lines of institutionalised cooperation but by establishing links in a ‘boundary space’ trying out new forms of collaboration, aiming at social learning and co-production of knowledge. It is argued that further research on social learning processes should give greater emphasis to this intermediary level of ‘boundary spaces’.

西双版纳社区村民对亚洲象保护廊道建设的认知与态度

采用条件价值评估法(CVM),2007年11月至2008年3月,调查分析了地处西双版纳的2条亚洲象保护廊道内5个村寨196户村民对廊道建设的认知与态度.结果表明：研究区80.61%的村民愿意有条件地支持廊道建设;影响村民支持意愿的因素包括村民的文化程度、人均年收入以及村民就亚洲象保护、人象关系、廊道利用方式和受益群体的认知;该区村民对亚洲象的保护意识、廊道的利用方式和受益群体对村民支持意愿的影响较大,其影响系数分别为0.231、0.236和-0.304.拥有土地使用权的社区村民在生物保护廊道建设中扮演着重要角色,有效的廊道设计与规划必须深入了解社区村民对生物保护廊道的认知和态度,并获得他们的支持和参与.     

生计方式对农户生活能源消费模式的影响——以甘南高原为例

生计方式变迁对农户的生活能源消费模式产生深远影响,从而给农村能源与环境问题带来新的挑战。以地处青藏高原东缘的甘南高原为研究区,基于农户调查资料,采用STIRPAT模型与二元logistic模型分析了生计方式对农户的生活能源消费量及生活能源消费模式选择的影响。结果发现:(1)随着非农化水平的提高,甘南高原农户的生活能源消费量显著下降,但它引起的生活能源消费量下降速度低于其自身的变化速度;此外,家庭规模扩大、收入提高将使农户的生活能源消费量增加;(2)生计方式对农户能源消费模式选择的影响远高于其他因素,随着非农化水平的提高,农户选择以商品性能源为主消费模式的概率将增大,收入增加、受教育程度提高及商品性能源的可得性改善亦会如此,但生物质能源的可得性增强会降低农户选择以商品性能源为主消费模式的概率。最后,提出了优化农户生活能源消费模式的建议。