Pub Date : 2022-09-30DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000028
A. Lovecraft, O. Lee, Nicholas Parlato
Capturing the multidimensionality of a bounded social-environmental system (SES) presents a range of challenges to interdisciplinary researchers due to the need to integrate divergent scientific paradigms, scalar data, and social theories. Contemporary Arctic circumpolar SESs studied under conditions of rapid and unprecedented climatic, ecological, economic, and sociopolitical change, defy any singular established methodological approach that aims to schematize and interpret the system for decision-making purposes. As a small interdisciplinary team working within a large Arctic SES modeling effort, we have found that developing systems models to support resilience in the Arctic requires an understanding of system dynamics that is attentive to holistic indicators of change, measured both quantitatively and qualitatively. Using the Alaska North Slope Borough as a case study, we apply three convergent frameworks to capture significant dimensions of the system for improved problem definition in confronting the challenges of Arctic climate change. We describe contemporary “oil and gas” social-ecological system components and dynamics, the historical processes and transformations that fundamentally altered the system, and the scientific projections for the most likely catalysts of future change. This analysis results in a typology for defining subnational Arctic hydrocarbon SESs. We conclude that the future of oil and gas development as a policy pathway in different locations experiencing rapid climate change can be evaluated when difficult-to-quantify variables are included.
{"title":"System identity and transformation in petroleum jurisdictions: A multi-method approach for the North Slope Borough, Alaska","authors":"A. Lovecraft, O. Lee, Nicholas Parlato","doi":"10.1371/journal.pstr.0000028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000028","url":null,"abstract":"Capturing the multidimensionality of a bounded social-environmental system (SES) presents a range of challenges to interdisciplinary researchers due to the need to integrate divergent scientific paradigms, scalar data, and social theories. Contemporary Arctic circumpolar SESs studied under conditions of rapid and unprecedented climatic, ecological, economic, and sociopolitical change, defy any singular established methodological approach that aims to schematize and interpret the system for decision-making purposes. As a small interdisciplinary team working within a large Arctic SES modeling effort, we have found that developing systems models to support resilience in the Arctic requires an understanding of system dynamics that is attentive to holistic indicators of change, measured both quantitatively and qualitatively. Using the Alaska North Slope Borough as a case study, we apply three convergent frameworks to capture significant dimensions of the system for improved problem definition in confronting the challenges of Arctic climate change. We describe contemporary “oil and gas” social-ecological system components and dynamics, the historical processes and transformations that fundamentally altered the system, and the scientific projections for the most likely catalysts of future change. This analysis results in a typology for defining subnational Arctic hydrocarbon SESs. We conclude that the future of oil and gas development as a policy pathway in different locations experiencing rapid climate change can be evaluated when difficult-to-quantify variables are included.","PeriodicalId":384293,"journal":{"name":"PLOS Sustainability and Transformation","volume":"617 ","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114096536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-08DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000029
A. Wierling, Jan Pedro Zeiss, Constantin von Beck, V. Schwanitz
Energy markets have opened up to new actors and business models. We perform an empirical investigation of energy cooperatives (EC) investing in the photo-voltaic (PV) market. Deploying a unique database for Germany with 584 EC covering two decades of activities, we provide statistical evidence on their businesses, members and customer segments, production units, and financial status. The analysis yields that German EC active in the PV sector have invested about one billion EUR, managing more than 4400 PV installations with an aggregate capacity of roughly 700 MWp. Nine different business models currently prevail. The latest developments show that EC are adapting to changing market conditions, expanding their activities, and searching for new investment and business opportunities.
{"title":"Business models of energy cooperatives active in the PV sector—A statistical analysis for Germany","authors":"A. Wierling, Jan Pedro Zeiss, Constantin von Beck, V. Schwanitz","doi":"10.1371/journal.pstr.0000029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000029","url":null,"abstract":"Energy markets have opened up to new actors and business models. We perform an empirical investigation of energy cooperatives (EC) investing in the photo-voltaic (PV) market. Deploying a unique database for Germany with 584 EC covering two decades of activities, we provide statistical evidence on their businesses, members and customer segments, production units, and financial status. The analysis yields that German EC active in the PV sector have invested about one billion EUR, managing more than 4400 PV installations with an aggregate capacity of roughly 700 MWp. Nine different business models currently prevail. The latest developments show that EC are adapting to changing market conditions, expanding their activities, and searching for new investment and business opportunities.","PeriodicalId":384293,"journal":{"name":"PLOS Sustainability and Transformation","volume":"41 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127188568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-08-30DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000025
C. McDougall, J. Kariuki, B. M. Lenjiso, P. Marimo, M. Mehar, S. Murphy, B. Teeken, M. Akester, J. Benzie, A. Galiè, P. Kulakow, W. Mekkawy, L. Nkengla-Asi, J. Ojango, R. Tumuhimbise, B. Uwimana, A. Orr
Client-responsiveness is a foundation for effectiveness of public sector breeding programs in agriculture, aquaculture and livestock. However, there remains a considerable lack of clarity about what this means, specifically in terms of how programs can be gender-responsive. This study contributes to addressing that need. It does so through sharing higher-level insights emerging from the combined experiences of eight gendered trait preference cases from across nine countries in Asia and Africa. The cases spanned crops, fish and livestock. This study inquires into the nature of gendered trait preference information that can be generated, if there are systematic gendered preference differences and how to understand these, and implications for breeding programs seeking to be more gender-responsive. Key findings include that while not all data are immediately usable by programs, the information that is generated through mixed method, intersectional gender preference assessments usefully deepens and widens programs’ knowledge. The study evidences differences in trait preferences between women and men. It also reveals that these differences are more complex than previously thought. In doing so, it challenges binary or homogenous models of preferences, suggesting instead that preferences are likely to be overlapping and nuanced. The study applies a novel ‘Three models of gendered trait preferences’ framework and sub-framework and finds these useful in that they challenge misconceptions and enable a needed analytical nuance to inform gender-responsive breeding programs. Finally, the study highlights implications and offers a call to action for gender-responsive breeding, proposing ways forward for public breeding programs, teams and funding agencies. These include investments in interdisciplinary capabilities and considerations for navigating trade-offs while orienting to sustainable development goals.
{"title":"Understanding gendered trait preferences: Implications for client-responsive breeding programs","authors":"C. McDougall, J. Kariuki, B. M. Lenjiso, P. Marimo, M. Mehar, S. Murphy, B. Teeken, M. Akester, J. Benzie, A. Galiè, P. Kulakow, W. Mekkawy, L. Nkengla-Asi, J. Ojango, R. Tumuhimbise, B. Uwimana, A. Orr","doi":"10.1371/journal.pstr.0000025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000025","url":null,"abstract":"Client-responsiveness is a foundation for effectiveness of public sector breeding programs in agriculture, aquaculture and livestock. However, there remains a considerable lack of clarity about what this means, specifically in terms of how programs can be gender-responsive. This study contributes to addressing that need. It does so through sharing higher-level insights emerging from the combined experiences of eight gendered trait preference cases from across nine countries in Asia and Africa. The cases spanned crops, fish and livestock. This study inquires into the nature of gendered trait preference information that can be generated, if there are systematic gendered preference differences and how to understand these, and implications for breeding programs seeking to be more gender-responsive. Key findings include that while not all data are immediately usable by programs, the information that is generated through mixed method, intersectional gender preference assessments usefully deepens and widens programs’ knowledge. The study evidences differences in trait preferences between women and men. It also reveals that these differences are more complex than previously thought. In doing so, it challenges binary or homogenous models of preferences, suggesting instead that preferences are likely to be overlapping and nuanced. The study applies a novel ‘Three models of gendered trait preferences’ framework and sub-framework and finds these useful in that they challenge misconceptions and enable a needed analytical nuance to inform gender-responsive breeding programs. Finally, the study highlights implications and offers a call to action for gender-responsive breeding, proposing ways forward for public breeding programs, teams and funding agencies. These include investments in interdisciplinary capabilities and considerations for navigating trade-offs while orienting to sustainable development goals.","PeriodicalId":384293,"journal":{"name":"PLOS Sustainability and Transformation","volume":"55 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126173549","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-08-18DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000026
L. Jaacks, N. Gupta, Jagjit Plage, A. Awasthi, D. Veluguri, S. Rastogi, Elena Dall’Agnese, GV Ramanjaneyulu, A. Jain
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted agriculture in India in many ways, yet no nationally representative survey has been conducted to quantify these impacts. The three objectives of this study were to evaluate how the pandemic has influenced: (1) cropping patterns and input use, (2) farmers’ willingness to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, and (3) farmers’ COVID-19 symptoms. Phone surveys were conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 with farmers who had previously participated in a nationally representative survey. Values are reported as weighted percent (95% confidence interval). A total of 3,637 farmers completed the survey; 59% (56–61%) were small/marginal farmers; 72% (69–74%) were male; and 52% (49–55%) had a below poverty line ration card. A majority of farmers (84% [82–86%]) reported cultivating the same crops in 2019 and 2020. Farmers who reported a change in their cropping patterns were more likely to be cultivating vegetables (p = 0.001) and soybean (p<0.001) and less likely to be cultivating rice (p<0.001). Concerning inputs, 66% (63–68%) of farmers reported no change in fertilizers; 66% (64–69%) reported no change in pesticides; and 59% (56–62%) reported no change in labor. More than half of farmers (62% [59–65%]) were interested in trying sustainable farming, primarily because of government schemes or because their peers were practicing it. About one-fifth (18% [15–21%]) of farmers reported COVID-19 symptoms in the past month (cough, fever, or shortness of breath) and among those with symptoms, 37% (28–47%) reported it affected their ability to work. In conclusion, COVID-19 infections had started to impact farmers’ productivity even during the first wave in India. Most farmers continued to grow the same crops with no change in input use. However, many expressed an interest in learning more about practicing sustainable farming. Findings will inform future directions for resilient agri-food systems.
{"title":"Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture in India: Cross-sectional results from a nationally representative survey","authors":"L. Jaacks, N. Gupta, Jagjit Plage, A. Awasthi, D. Veluguri, S. Rastogi, Elena Dall’Agnese, GV Ramanjaneyulu, A. Jain","doi":"10.1371/journal.pstr.0000026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000026","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted agriculture in India in many ways, yet no nationally representative survey has been conducted to quantify these impacts. The three objectives of this study were to evaluate how the pandemic has influenced: (1) cropping patterns and input use, (2) farmers’ willingness to adopt sustainable agricultural practices, and (3) farmers’ COVID-19 symptoms. Phone surveys were conducted between December 2020 and January 2021 with farmers who had previously participated in a nationally representative survey. Values are reported as weighted percent (95% confidence interval). A total of 3,637 farmers completed the survey; 59% (56–61%) were small/marginal farmers; 72% (69–74%) were male; and 52% (49–55%) had a below poverty line ration card. A majority of farmers (84% [82–86%]) reported cultivating the same crops in 2019 and 2020. Farmers who reported a change in their cropping patterns were more likely to be cultivating vegetables (p = 0.001) and soybean (p<0.001) and less likely to be cultivating rice (p<0.001). Concerning inputs, 66% (63–68%) of farmers reported no change in fertilizers; 66% (64–69%) reported no change in pesticides; and 59% (56–62%) reported no change in labor. More than half of farmers (62% [59–65%]) were interested in trying sustainable farming, primarily because of government schemes or because their peers were practicing it. About one-fifth (18% [15–21%]) of farmers reported COVID-19 symptoms in the past month (cough, fever, or shortness of breath) and among those with symptoms, 37% (28–47%) reported it affected their ability to work. In conclusion, COVID-19 infections had started to impact farmers’ productivity even during the first wave in India. Most farmers continued to grow the same crops with no change in input use. However, many expressed an interest in learning more about practicing sustainable farming. Findings will inform future directions for resilient agri-food systems.","PeriodicalId":384293,"journal":{"name":"PLOS Sustainability and Transformation","volume":"67 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"116625502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-08-18DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000027
L. Munishi, I. Ngondya
As the influx of different invasive species and their spread to new areas increases, there is a need for a rigorous and relevant scientific evidence-based control and restoration (EBCR) approaches to inform practical decisions and policymaking. While evidence-based decision is gaining popularity in science and policy, its potential for transformative change especially in the management of invasive plant species remains unexplored. Control and restoration of areas invaded by invasive plant species in natural and protected ecosystems require such decisions. Here, we provide a framework to guide how EBCR can contribute to transformative change and we argue that upscaling existing EBCR practices in areas invaded by invasive plant species (especially in protected areas (PAs)) requires coalitions of interdisciplinary science, public, private, and civil society actors with a common goal. Since actors’ roles and stakeholder interactions are dynamic, to achieve durable impacts, the upscaling process must continually engage and involve actors, while maintaining a balance of incentives among them. Social and cultural dimensions of local communities as well as their indigenous and local knowledge need to be incorporated. Pathways to upscaling EBCR may involve leveraging adaptive governance, integrating successful initiatives and lessons into public policy and practices, or reinforcing governance and management-led change with private efforts. We identify general lessons from (complex) PAs for successful upscaling of EBCR and illustrate the components of our framework through a novel application of a nature-based approach (NbA) in PAs invaded by invasive plant species.
{"title":"Realizing UN decade on ecosystem restoration through a nature-based approach: A case review of management of biological invasions in protected areas","authors":"L. Munishi, I. Ngondya","doi":"10.1371/journal.pstr.0000027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000027","url":null,"abstract":"As the influx of different invasive species and their spread to new areas increases, there is a need for a rigorous and relevant scientific evidence-based control and restoration (EBCR) approaches to inform practical decisions and policymaking. While evidence-based decision is gaining popularity in science and policy, its potential for transformative change especially in the management of invasive plant species remains unexplored. Control and restoration of areas invaded by invasive plant species in natural and protected ecosystems require such decisions. Here, we provide a framework to guide how EBCR can contribute to transformative change and we argue that upscaling existing EBCR practices in areas invaded by invasive plant species (especially in protected areas (PAs)) requires coalitions of interdisciplinary science, public, private, and civil society actors with a common goal. Since actors’ roles and stakeholder interactions are dynamic, to achieve durable impacts, the upscaling process must continually engage and involve actors, while maintaining a balance of incentives among them. Social and cultural dimensions of local communities as well as their indigenous and local knowledge need to be incorporated. Pathways to upscaling EBCR may involve leveraging adaptive governance, integrating successful initiatives and lessons into public policy and practices, or reinforcing governance and management-led change with private efforts. We identify general lessons from (complex) PAs for successful upscaling of EBCR and illustrate the components of our framework through a novel application of a nature-based approach (NbA) in PAs invaded by invasive plant species.","PeriodicalId":384293,"journal":{"name":"PLOS Sustainability and Transformation","volume":"47 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127223625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-25DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000023
Megan Popkin, V. J. Reiss-Woolever, E. Turner, S. Luke
Although oil palm expansion has had severe environmental impacts, oil palm also has the highest yield per hectare of any vegetable oil crop. Compared to many other crops, it has the potential to support high complexity habitats, with minimal chemical input, and relatively high levels of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, there has been little synthesis of available research on oil palm management strategies to support delivery of more sustainable cultivation. In this paper, we provide a systematic map compiling all available evidence assessing within-plantation oil palm management practices at the cultivation stage, with a focus on practices that affect biodiversity and environmental processes. Using approaches adapted from systematic review protocols, we catalogued oil palm management publications to provide details of geographic location, year, interventions tested (i.e. agricultural practices), targeted outcomes of interventions, co-occurrences between different interventions and outcomes (including multiple outcomes), and study design. Most studies were conducted in Southeast Asia, with fewer studies conducted in South America or Africa. Twenty-six interventions were observed in the literature, across six categories: soil, understory, within-crop, landscape-level, replanting, and mixed/multiple interventions. The most common interventions tested were landscape-scale interventions, such as maintaining forest fragments/buffer zones, whereas interventions involved in replanting were the least researched. Eight outcomes were considered: soil fertility, soil erosion, water quality and availability, pest control, replanting, maintenance of biodiversity and areas of high conservation value, and reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Studies researching biodiversity were the most common, whereas comparatively few studies considered replanting and reducing emissions. Most primary studies were observational, with experimental studies being rarer, especially in biodiversity research. We match our findings to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’s environmental sustainability criteria to illustrate how policy-makers and producers may use our map to access evidence supporting cultivation-stage oil palm sustainability management. This study provides valuable information to inform best management practices and direction for necessary future research.
{"title":"A systematic map of within-plantation oil palm management practices reveals a rapidly growing but patchy evidence base","authors":"Megan Popkin, V. J. Reiss-Woolever, E. Turner, S. Luke","doi":"10.1371/journal.pstr.0000023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000023","url":null,"abstract":"Although oil palm expansion has had severe environmental impacts, oil palm also has the highest yield per hectare of any vegetable oil crop. Compared to many other crops, it has the potential to support high complexity habitats, with minimal chemical input, and relatively high levels of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. However, there has been little synthesis of available research on oil palm management strategies to support delivery of more sustainable cultivation. In this paper, we provide a systematic map compiling all available evidence assessing within-plantation oil palm management practices at the cultivation stage, with a focus on practices that affect biodiversity and environmental processes. Using approaches adapted from systematic review protocols, we catalogued oil palm management publications to provide details of geographic location, year, interventions tested (i.e. agricultural practices), targeted outcomes of interventions, co-occurrences between different interventions and outcomes (including multiple outcomes), and study design. Most studies were conducted in Southeast Asia, with fewer studies conducted in South America or Africa. Twenty-six interventions were observed in the literature, across six categories: soil, understory, within-crop, landscape-level, replanting, and mixed/multiple interventions. The most common interventions tested were landscape-scale interventions, such as maintaining forest fragments/buffer zones, whereas interventions involved in replanting were the least researched. Eight outcomes were considered: soil fertility, soil erosion, water quality and availability, pest control, replanting, maintenance of biodiversity and areas of high conservation value, and reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Studies researching biodiversity were the most common, whereas comparatively few studies considered replanting and reducing emissions. Most primary studies were observational, with experimental studies being rarer, especially in biodiversity research. We match our findings to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil’s environmental sustainability criteria to illustrate how policy-makers and producers may use our map to access evidence supporting cultivation-stage oil palm sustainability management. This study provides valuable information to inform best management practices and direction for necessary future research.","PeriodicalId":384293,"journal":{"name":"PLOS Sustainability and Transformation","volume":"10 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130955288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-20DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000024
E. Susan, Manases Mbengwor Natu
Distributed ledger technology (DLT) is a disruptive technology with the potential to reengineer the entire trading cycle by alleviating inefficiencies such as time lags, multiple record keeping, human errors, and transparency common with the traditional trade cycle. This study evaluates the potential benefits of DLT in mitigating information asymmetry in trading relationships and how a DLT model can be deployed to revamp the trading process. We find that information friction results from differences in stakeholder preferences by identifying and categorizing information friction into 4 groups through a review of key studies in leading management journals. This finding aligns with conclusions reached in scientific research that the benefits of DLT prevail in markets with imperfect information. In addition, we illustrate the potential benefits of DLT in mitigating inefficiencies in trading relationships resulting from information asymmetry. The article concludes with a word of caution for potential users to take gradual steps of adoption to keep pace with changing technology so as not to become laggards.
{"title":"A critical review of information asymmetry in the business cycle: How digital ledger technology can transform and sustain the business cycle","authors":"E. Susan, Manases Mbengwor Natu","doi":"10.1371/journal.pstr.0000024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000024","url":null,"abstract":"Distributed ledger technology (DLT) is a disruptive technology with the potential to reengineer the entire trading cycle by alleviating inefficiencies such as time lags, multiple record keeping, human errors, and transparency common with the traditional trade cycle. This study evaluates the potential benefits of DLT in mitigating information asymmetry in trading relationships and how a DLT model can be deployed to revamp the trading process. We find that information friction results from differences in stakeholder preferences by identifying and categorizing information friction into 4 groups through a review of key studies in leading management journals. This finding aligns with conclusions reached in scientific research that the benefits of DLT prevail in markets with imperfect information. In addition, we illustrate the potential benefits of DLT in mitigating inefficiencies in trading relationships resulting from information asymmetry. The article concludes with a word of caution for potential users to take gradual steps of adoption to keep pace with changing technology so as not to become laggards.","PeriodicalId":384293,"journal":{"name":"PLOS Sustainability and Transformation","volume":"357 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115939269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-15DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000021
A. Dorin, T. Taylor, A. Dyer
Industrial agriculture’s expansive monocultures contrast against community farms of diverse crops in small allotments constrained by urban regulations. These human-controlled differences in scale, arrangement and crop diversity, may differently impact insect foraging and pollination. The relationship between human management and insect pollination is under-explored, especially regarding the implications of insect flower constancy–the tendency of insects to favour visits to a single rewarding flower species during a foraging bout. Although high flower-constancy is associated with reliable pollen transport, its impact on pollination depends also on planting regimes, the vicinity of neighbouring crops, weeds and wildflowers. This study explores the potential pollination impacts of insect flower constancy, heterospecific pollen transfer, and human-dictated crop patch size, using an agent-based model of insect pollinators foraging from two flowering plant species. Highly constant pollinators were most effective in the smallest patches when heterospecific pollen transfer was an issue. As patch size increased, pollination rates improved overall, but less constant insects produced better pollination rates for intermediate sized areas because they rapidly switched preferences between flower species. As patch size increased further, the influence of flower constancy on pollination rates was reduced. Study results suggest that typical community farms containing small single-crop patches operated by independent growers within an allotment, may be better pollinated if operated collaboratively to increase single-crop patch size. Crop patches needn’t be large homogeneous agricultural monocultures, but neither should they be so small and heterogeneous as to inhibit pollination. We found a “Goldilocks zone” around 11m x 11m to be a good compromise for pollination, regardless of the level of flower constancy in local insects. As climate and human land use increasingly impact insect populations, the relationships between pollination systems, growers and policy makers must be continually examined to safeguard food supplies and native ecosystems.
工业化农业广阔的单一栽培与社区农场形成鲜明对比，社区农场受城市法规的限制，在小块土地上种植多种作物。这些人为控制的规模、排列和作物多样性的差异可能对昆虫的觅食和授粉产生不同的影响。人类管理和昆虫授粉之间的关系还没有得到充分的探索，特别是关于昆虫花的稳定性的影响——昆虫在觅食过程中倾向于访问单一的有益的花朵物种。虽然高花稳定性与可靠的花粉运输有关，但它对授粉的影响还取决于种植制度、邻近作物的邻近程度、杂草和野花。本研究利用基于agent的昆虫传粉者觅食两种开花植物的模型，探讨了昆虫花的稳定性、异种花粉传递和人类决定的作物斑块大小对传粉的潜在影响。当存在异种花粉转移问题时，高度恒定的传粉者在最小的斑块中最有效。随着斑块大小的增加，传粉率总体上提高了，但在中等大小的区域，较少的昆虫产生了更好的传粉率，因为它们迅速地在不同的花种类之间转换了偏好。随着斑块大小的进一步增大，花恒性对传粉率的影响逐渐减小。研究结果表明，典型的社区农场，如果在一个分配区域内由独立种植者经营的小型单一作物斑块，如果合作经营以增加单一作物斑块的规模，可能会更好地授粉。作物斑块不必是大型的同质农业单一栽培，但它们也不应该如此小和异质，以抑制授粉。我们发现一个约11m x 11m的“金发姑娘区”是一个很好的授粉折衷，无论当地昆虫的开花水平如何。随着气候和人类土地利用对昆虫种群的影响越来越大，必须不断审查授粉系统、种植者和决策者之间的关系，以保障粮食供应和本地生态系统。
{"title":"Goldilocks’ quarter-hectare urban farm: An agent-based model for improved pollination of community gardens and small-holder farms","authors":"A. Dorin, T. Taylor, A. Dyer","doi":"10.1371/journal.pstr.0000021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000021","url":null,"abstract":"Industrial agriculture’s expansive monocultures contrast against community farms of diverse crops in small allotments constrained by urban regulations. These human-controlled differences in scale, arrangement and crop diversity, may differently impact insect foraging and pollination. The relationship between human management and insect pollination is under-explored, especially regarding the implications of insect flower constancy–the tendency of insects to favour visits to a single rewarding flower species during a foraging bout. Although high flower-constancy is associated with reliable pollen transport, its impact on pollination depends also on planting regimes, the vicinity of neighbouring crops, weeds and wildflowers. This study explores the potential pollination impacts of insect flower constancy, heterospecific pollen transfer, and human-dictated crop patch size, using an agent-based model of insect pollinators foraging from two flowering plant species. Highly constant pollinators were most effective in the smallest patches when heterospecific pollen transfer was an issue. As patch size increased, pollination rates improved overall, but less constant insects produced better pollination rates for intermediate sized areas because they rapidly switched preferences between flower species. As patch size increased further, the influence of flower constancy on pollination rates was reduced. Study results suggest that typical community farms containing small single-crop patches operated by independent growers within an allotment, may be better pollinated if operated collaboratively to increase single-crop patch size. Crop patches needn’t be large homogeneous agricultural monocultures, but neither should they be so small and heterogeneous as to inhibit pollination. We found a “Goldilocks zone” around 11m x 11m to be a good compromise for pollination, regardless of the level of flower constancy in local insects. As climate and human land use increasingly impact insect populations, the relationships between pollination systems, growers and policy makers must be continually examined to safeguard food supplies and native ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":384293,"journal":{"name":"PLOS Sustainability and Transformation","volume":"69 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121059736","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-11DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000020
Shridhar Kulkarni, A. Hof, Geanderson Ambrósio, O. Edelenbosch, A. Köberle, Jeroen van Rijn, D. V. van Vuuren
Estimating the investments needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is key to mobilising the financial resources to achieve them. Despite an increasing body of research to estimate the capital and operational costs towards achieving various related SDG targets individually and collectively, an overview of the total estimated investment needs at the global scale has not been conducted since the adoption of SDGs in 2015. This study provides such an overview. Estimates for investment needs are found for nine goals: SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 4 (quality education), SGD 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG7 (access to energy), SDG 9 (infrastructure), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (life below water), and SDG 15 (life on land). The reviewed studies vary significantly in terms of applied methodology, the assumed targets that need to be achieved, and presented estimates, but overall they indicate significantly higher investment needs to achieve all covered SDGs than previous estimates suggest. For most SDGs, annual investment needs are in the order of hundreds of billion USD annually, and for SDG6 and SDG13 estimates of a trillion or more are reported.
{"title":"Investment needs to achieve SDGs: An overview","authors":"Shridhar Kulkarni, A. Hof, Geanderson Ambrósio, O. Edelenbosch, A. Köberle, Jeroen van Rijn, D. V. van Vuuren","doi":"10.1371/journal.pstr.0000020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000020","url":null,"abstract":"Estimating the investments needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is key to mobilising the financial resources to achieve them. Despite an increasing body of research to estimate the capital and operational costs towards achieving various related SDG targets individually and collectively, an overview of the total estimated investment needs at the global scale has not been conducted since the adoption of SDGs in 2015. This study provides such an overview. Estimates for investment needs are found for nine goals: SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 4 (quality education), SGD 6 (clean water and sanitation), SDG7 (access to energy), SDG 9 (infrastructure), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (life below water), and SDG 15 (life on land). The reviewed studies vary significantly in terms of applied methodology, the assumed targets that need to be achieved, and presented estimates, but overall they indicate significantly higher investment needs to achieve all covered SDGs than previous estimates suggest. For most SDGs, annual investment needs are in the order of hundreds of billion USD annually, and for SDG6 and SDG13 estimates of a trillion or more are reported.","PeriodicalId":384293,"journal":{"name":"PLOS Sustainability and Transformation","volume":"21 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"121419637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000018
A. Arslan, Kristin M. Floress, C. Lamanna, L. Lipper, T. Rosenstock
Both global poverty and hunger have increased in recent years, endangering progress towards accomplishing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2. The regression has been most pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Meeting the SDG targets requires achieving resilient farm productivity. Although many farm management technologies exist to improve yields, farmers in SSA largely have not adopted these approaches. A long-standing literature about technology adoption identifies multiple hypotheses as to why farmers may or may not adopt new agricultural technologies, culminating in numerous micro-econometric studies. We analyse a metadata set capturing the findings of 164 published studies specifically focusing on SSA and show that 20 out of 38, or 53%, of the determinants commonly believed to influence technology adoption lack empirical support. Eighteen determinants—primarily related to information access, wealth, group membership and social capital, and land tenure—consistently influence adoption across studies. Wealth remains a significant determinant of fertilizer adoption, despite long-running subsidies in most countries, although it is decoupled from the adoption of improved seeds and alternative crop and nutrient management technologies. We highlight the foundational determinants of adoption and offer guidance to design effective interventions that can decrease poverty and hunger towards 2030.
{"title":"A meta-analysis of the adoption of agricultural technology in Sub-Saharan Africa","authors":"A. Arslan, Kristin M. Floress, C. Lamanna, L. Lipper, T. Rosenstock","doi":"10.1371/journal.pstr.0000018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pstr.0000018","url":null,"abstract":"Both global poverty and hunger have increased in recent years, endangering progress towards accomplishing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2. The regression has been most pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Meeting the SDG targets requires achieving resilient farm productivity. Although many farm management technologies exist to improve yields, farmers in SSA largely have not adopted these approaches. A long-standing literature about technology adoption identifies multiple hypotheses as to why farmers may or may not adopt new agricultural technologies, culminating in numerous micro-econometric studies. We analyse a metadata set capturing the findings of 164 published studies specifically focusing on SSA and show that 20 out of 38, or 53%, of the determinants commonly believed to influence technology adoption lack empirical support. Eighteen determinants—primarily related to information access, wealth, group membership and social capital, and land tenure—consistently influence adoption across studies. Wealth remains a significant determinant of fertilizer adoption, despite long-running subsidies in most countries, although it is decoupled from the adoption of improved seeds and alternative crop and nutrient management technologies. We highlight the foundational determinants of adoption and offer guidance to design effective interventions that can decrease poverty and hunger towards 2030.","PeriodicalId":384293,"journal":{"name":"PLOS Sustainability and Transformation","volume":"49 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"130758481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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