Production of the Persian lime (Citrus latifolia tanaka) has been the main objective of several studies related to the problem of low performance of yield and fruit quality in the orchard, attributed among different technological factors to the minimal application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and to the cultural aspects of the producer. This paper contributes to the recognition of the behavior patterns of GAP for seasonal orchard (SO), to allow the Persian lime producers to make the right decisions assessing and improving the management of their orchards. To identify the behavior patterns in the Persian lime production process an expert system (ES) based on fuzzy logic proposed by Fernández et al. (2014) has been used, in which a set of inference rules based on the knowledge of experts in this field is encoded to explain the interrelationship of the agricultural practices and uncertainties in the production of Persian lime: Pruning, Soil nutrition, Pests Control, Planting density, Tree production, Wind, Rainfall. The ES simulates from agricultural practices and uncertainties, the Persian lime production system in three stages of fruit growth, which represent the fuzzy models of the ES: flowering, bud, and fruit. The manipulation of the agricultural practices in the ES allowed to model production scenarios for SO of Persian lime, and helped to identify behavior patterns in these practices with production yield and fruit quality. The results demonstrate that if prior to fertilization, the practice of "pruning" the tree is performed, orchard productivity increases. However, when the "pruning" (aesthetics or stressful) is performed less than 50mmmonth-1 of rain, even in optimal conditions of application of nutrients and pest control, the production yield is similar. The modeling scenarios of the ES provide information regarding behavior patterns to the producer, and the interrelation of agricultural practices in uncertain environments of rain and wind in order to improve the decision-making process in Persian lime production.
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In this publication, the four authors provide several solution directions to shape that transition to a new, sustainable agricultural system. With a different relationship between food production and nature and the environment. It is the - necessary - basis for a good agricultural agreement. And the way to work towards a sustainable future for our agricultural sector and food system.
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Agricultural by-products, that is primary residue, industrial by-products and animal manure, are an important source of nutrients and carbon for maintaining soil quality and crop production but can also be valorised through treatment pathways such as fermentation, incineration or a combination of these called bio-refinery. Here, we provide an overview of opportunity to reduce environmental impact of valorising agricultural by-products. We estimate the available by-products in Northwestern Europe as a case study and the maximum and realistic greenhouse gas reduction potentials. Availability, collectability, the original use and environmental impact including land use changes, soil carbon sequestration and pollution swapping are discussed as critical factors when valorising agricultural by-products.
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Expectations are high for digital technologies to address sustainability related challenges. While research into such applications and the twin transformation is growing rapidly, insights in the actual daily practices of digital sustainability within organizations is lacking. This is problematic as the contributions of digital tools to sustainability goals gain shape in organizational practices. To bridge this gap, we develop a theoretical perspective on digital sustainability practices based on practice theory, with an emphasis on the concept of sociomateriality. We argue that connecting meanings related to sustainability with digital technologies is essential to establish beneficial practices. Next, we contend that the meaning of sustainability is contextspecific, which calls for a local meaning making process. Based on our theoretical exploration we develop an empirical research agenda.
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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find determinants about risk resilience and develop a new risk resilience approach for (agricultural) enterprises. This approach creates the ability to respond resiliently to major environmental challenges and changes in the short term and adjust the management of the organization, and to learn and transform to adapt to the new environment in the long term while creating multiple value creation. Design/methodology: The authors present a new risk resilience approach for multiple value creation of (agricultural) enterprises, which consists of a main process starting with strategy design, followed by an environmental analysis, stakeholder collaboration, implement ESG goals, defining risk expose & response options, and report, learn & evaluate. In each step the organizational perspective, as well as the value chain/area perspective is considered and aligned. The authors have used focus groups and analysed literature from and outside the field of finance and accounting, to design this new approach. Findings: Researchers propose a new risk resilience approach for (agricultural) enterprises, based on a narrative about transforming to multiple value creation, founded determinants of risk resilience, competitive advantage and agricultural resilience. Originality and value: This study contributes by conceptualizing risk resilience for (agricultural) enterprises, by looking through a lens of multiple value creation in a dynamic context and based on insights from different fields, actual ESG knowledge, and determinants for risk resilience, competitive advantage and agricultural resilience.
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By combining different disciplines such as entrepreneurship, psychology, and business administration, this paper provides insights into the decision-making process involved in the succession of agricultural family businesses. It offers an overview of how choices and decisions are influenced among all actors involved in the process, including the incumbent, successor, non-succeeding family members, and both informal and formal advisors. This overview creates practical insights to support a more successful business succession process. Decision-making in business succession is influenced by several factors such as business systems and culture, as well as mutual relationships, personality traits, behavioral patterns, and habits of those involved. Communication and trust, between both succeeding and incumbent family members, are important aspects that can lead to a successful process. When family relationships are strong, there is a better chance that the social-emotional aspects of business succession do not become a bottleneck. Financial, tax and legal issues can often be resolved if the social-emotional foundation is solid.
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In Eastern Africa, increasing climate variability and changing socioeconomic conditions are exacerbating the frequency and intensity of drought disasters. Droughts pose a severe threat to food security in this region, which is characterized by a large dependency on smallholder rain-fed agriculture and a low level of technological development in the food production systems. Future drought risk will be determined by the adaptation choices made by farmers, yet few drought risk models … incorporate adaptive behavior in the estimation of drought risk. Here, we present an innovative dynamic drought risk adaptation model, ADOPT, to evaluate the factors that influence adaptation decisions and the subsequent adoption of measures, and how this affects drought risk for agricultural production. ADOPT combines socio-hydrological and agent-based modeling approaches by coupling the FAO crop model AquacropOS with a behavioral model capable of simulating different adaptive behavioral theories. In this paper, we compare the protection motivation theory, which describes bounded rationality, with a business-as-usual and an economic rational adaptive behavior. The inclusion of these scenarios serves to evaluate and compare the effect of different assumptions about adaptive behavior on the evolution of drought risk over time. Applied to a semi-arid case in Kenya, ADOPT is parameterized using field data collected from 250 households in the Kitui region and discussions with local decision-makers. The results show that estimations of drought risk and the need for emergency food aid can be improved using an agent-based approach: we show that ignoring individual household characteristics leads to an underestimation of food-aid needs. Moreover, we show that the bounded rational scenario is better able to reflect historic food security, poverty levels, and crop yields. Thus, we demonstrate that the reality of complex human adaptation decisions can best be described assuming bounded rational adaptive behavior; furthermore, an agent-based approach and the choice of adaptation theory matter when quantifying risk and estimating emergency aid needs.
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In recent years academics and industrials have shown an interest in agricultural systems and their complex and non-linear nature, aiming to improve production yield in the agricultural field. Innovative strategies and methodological frameworks are thus required to assist farmers in decision making for an efficient and effective resource management. In particular, this research concerns the structural problem of the Persian lime supply chain in Mexico, which still leads to low production yield over short time periods with heterogeneous fruit quality and also to the emergence of excessive middleman businesses arising from a fragmentation between orchard and exporting companies that constitute the first two links in the associated supply chain. Based on the Persian lime production cycle, an Expert System (ES) using Fuzzy Logic involving an inference engine with IF - THEN type rules is presented in this paper. A Mamdani model codifies the decision criteria related to agricultural practices for growing Persian lime in non-irrigated orchards. The ES allows the farmer to boost production in orchards by modeling application scenarios for agricultural practices. A case study based on an exporting companys fruit supply is discussed, in which the ES proves to be a useful tool to aid the decision making involved in the application of agricultural practices in the orchard. Results show an increase in production yield and fruit quality in the orchard, as well as a better synchronization between orchard and exporting companies, with a significant impact on inventory levels of fresh fruit in the link Persian lime exporting company.
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New consumer awareness is shifting industry towards more sustainable practices, creating a virtuous cycle between producers and consumers enabled by eco-labelling. Eco-labelling informs consumers of specific characteristics of products and has been used to market greener products. Eco-labelling in the food industry has yet been mostly focused on promoting organic farming, limiting the scope to the agricultural stage of the supply chain, while carbon labelling informs on the carbon footprint throughout the life cycle of the product. These labelling strategies help value products in the eyes of the consumer. Because of this, decision makers are motivated to adopt more sustainable models. In the food industry, this has led to important environmental impact improvements at the agricultural stage, while most other stages in the Food Supply Chain (FSC) have continued to be designed inefficiently. The objective of this work is to define a framework showing how carbon labelling can be integrated into the design process of the FSC. For this purpose, the concept of Green Supply Chain Network Design (GSCND) focusing on the strategic decision making for location and allocation of resources and production capacity is developed considering operational, financial and environmental (CO2 emissions) issues along key stages in the product life cycle. A multi-objective optimization strategy implemented by use of a genetic algorithm is applied to a case study on orange juice production. The results show that the consideration of CO2 emission minimization as an objective function during the GSCND process together with techno-economic criteria produces improved FSC environmental performance compared to both organic and conventional orange juice production. Typical results thus highlight the importance that carbon emissions optimization and labelling may have to improve FSC beyond organic labelling. Finally, CO2 emission-oriented labelling could be an important tool to improve the effects eco-labelling has on food product environmental impact going forward.
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