Sporotrichosis caused by Sporotrix globosa in an elderly male farmer at the site of a cat scratch.

We report a case of sporotrichosis in an elderly male farmer at the site of a cat scratch scar. An 84-year-old Japanese farmer was scratched by his cat two months before his visit to our hospital. A skin biopsy was performed. Tissue culture revealed the presence of Sporothrix globosa. The patient was treated with oral itraconazole 200 mg/day for 13 months due to a slow healing ulceration, and the symptoms resolved. (71 words).

Influences on Perceived Feasibility of Animal-Based Measures in a Producer-Driven Welfare Benchmarking System.

A voluntary, producer-driven welfare benchmarking system has been explored as a way of incentivising welfare improvement in pasture-based beef cattle and providing transparency and accountability to the industry. This study aimed to determine the acceptability and feasibility of measures for inclusion in a welfare benchmarking system and how this is influenced by respondents' attitudes and beliefs. A survey was disseminated online to Australian producers in July 2020. Producers were asked to indicate the welfare measures (n = 59) they thought most important to check to determine if cattle on pasture-based farms have a good quality of life (QOL) and the feasibility of collecting animal-based welfare data and completing a stockperson attitudes questionnaire. Basic demographic and attitude data were also collected. Responses from 274 producers were included (52% male) with median land size 340 Ha (range 4-500,000) and herd size 200 head (2-200,000). Feasibility was related to QOL attitudes for 11 of the 17 animal-based measures (p < 0.01-0.02). Feasibility was also related to land or herd size but was not affected by other demographics, such as gender. In all significant dependencies, feasibility was reported as greater in those who thought it important to check the corresponding welfare measure. Producers who rated QOL as very important were also more likely to perceive the collection of animal-based data as feasible. A well-designed and targeted programme to educate producers on why certain welfare measures are important will be crucial to increase uptake and retention in a voluntary producer-driven welfare benchmarking scheme.

Factors influencing farmers' intention to participate in the voluntary carbon market: An extended theory of planned behavior.

Carbon sequestration in agricultural soils is essential for sustainable agriculture, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and combating climate change. The Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM), designed to encourage farmers to implement sequestration practices, is a recent innovation in Europe, in contrast to the well-established American system. Consequently, there is limited understanding of farmers' intentions to participate. The study analyzes farmers' willingness to participate in VCM and the influencing factors through the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior (ETPB). For this purpose, data were collected from 241 Italian farmers located in the Sicily region and the partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was applied. The results show that Attitude, Perceived Behavioral Control and Knowledge of VCM have a statistically significant influence on farmers' intention to participate in VCM. In contrast, Subjective Norms and Perceived Environmental Risk do not have a statistically significant influence. Our findings suggest that farmers' intention is strongly influenced by confidence in their capabilities and knowledge of the topic. This should guide policymakers and practitioners to offer extension services and technical assistance, helping farmers understand the potential of the VCM. Indeed, limited knowledge is a major barrier to participation in this initiative.

Farmer adaptation strategies through local farming systems in Enrekang, Indonesia.

Farmers in tropical Indonesia who manage agroecological systems face multiple challenges related to food security. Despite the conditions caused by climate change, these farming households have effectively utilized agroforestry to build food security. However, prolonged dry seasons pose new constraints to their livelihood strategies. This study uses a qualitative methodology and a rural farmer livelihood framework to analyze and evaluate household livelihood strategies, attitudes, and reactions to climate change. The findings show that farmers constantly modify their management techniques using flexible and adaptive decision-making processes to cope with and minimize climate change challenges. Moreover, the role of climate variation as a significant catalyst for change in farming practices is challenging to distinguish from some of the routine problems that farmers face each year. Through knowledge accumulation and adaptive management, farmers in Enrekang utilize several livelihood adaptation strategies to reduce risks in the face of changing climate conditions. In addition, farmers utilize on-farm crops to obtain various ecosystem services that provide services such as food, nutrition, and medicine and improve ecology, nutrient cycling, and climate regulation. Further research is needed to understand how on-farm tree inclusion affects various biophysical properties and the rationale behind species selection.

An improved agricultural household margin insurance scheme with insured-insurer risk protection: a time-varying copula approach.

Agricultural household margin insurance (AHMI) is a crop insurance scheme that considers a farmer's trading capability. The scheme examines farmers' losses in terms of both agricultural input and output using the farmer exchange rate index. In this article, we improve the previous design of the AHMI [A. Ahdika, D. Rosadi, A.R. Effendie, and Gunardi, Household margin insurance of agricultural sector in Indonesia using a farmer exchange rate index, Agric. Finance Rev. 81 (2020), pp. 169-188.] proposed to be implemented in Indonesia - which only provided risk protection for companies - by broadening the formula of losses so that risk protection covers both farmers and companies. We also provide premium payment scenarios, both seasonally and non-seasonally. We employ a time-varying Student-t copula with the extended dynamic parameter to identify the dynamic dependency between the indexes involved in determining the loss variable. We also determine the premium rate for the insurance scheme with various payment scenarios and investigate the implications for farmer survival and company management. Examining the farmer exchange rate index data of Indonesia, the empirical results show that the improved AHMI using a time-varying copula approach produces more reasonable loss estimates and various premium payment options with low premium rates for farmers, compared to either the previous AHMI design or the current crop insurance program in Indonesia.

Smallholder farmers' challenges and opportunities: Implications for agricultural production, environment and food security.

In an era of growing environmental, socioeconomic, and market uncertainties, understanding the adaptive strategies of smallholder farmers is paramount for sustainable agricultural productivity and environmental management efforts. We adopted a mixed-methods approach to investigate the adaptive strategies of smallholders in Northwest Cambodia. Our methodology included downscaled climate projections to project future climate conditions and scenarios, household surveys to collect detailed demographic and socioeconomic data, crop monitoring and record-keeping to gather data on productivity and profitability, and semi-structured interviews to obtain qualitative insights on constraints and adaptation. Our analyses revealed that all smallholders are increasingly vulnerable to climate change which projections reveal will result in more intense and extreme weather events. Specifically, 92% of respondents reported reductions in household income, and 63% indicated the necessity to cut household expenses, which negatively affect agricultural productivity, as evidenced by 33% of respondents reporting declining crop yields and 10% experiencing food shortages. We also uncovered significant differences in farming strategies to mitigate vulnerability among distinct household clusters. Some households prioritise maximising yields through high-expense production strategies, while others focus on optimising inputs to enhance profit-margins, indirectly minimising their environmental impact. These varying strategies have different implications for poverty, food security, and the environment, but were doing very little to mitigate overall vulnerability. To enhance the adaptive capacity of smallholders, policies should target interventions that balance economic growth with environmental sustainability, tailored to the specific needs of different farmer and household types. Promoting the adoption of climate-resilient agricultural practices, investing in water management infrastructure, enhancing access to timely and accurate climate information, and implementing social protection measures are strongly recommended.

Assessing farmers' knowledge of environmental policy along the Ayeyarwady River: Strides towards the Indian Ocean marine life safety.

The Ayeyarwady River Basin in Myanmar is grappling with severe environmental challenges, including soil erosion and water pollution, primarily driven by unsustainable agricultural practices. This study aims to evaluate farmers' awareness of environmental policies and identify barriers to their effective implementation. In-depth interviews were conducted with 45 stakeholders, encompassing farmers, government officials, and researchers. The findings highlight a significant lack of policy awareness among farmers, exacerbated by socio-cultural, economic, and institutional obstacles. These barriers impede the successful application of environmental policies, perpetuating environmental degradation. The study advocates for integrative strategies that encompass education, community engagement, and adaptive policy frameworks to address these complex issues. Detailed policy implications are provided, offering insights into potential solutions for enhancing the region's environmental governance and sustainable development. This research contributes to understanding the critical interplay between policy awareness and ecological management, underscoring the importance of targeted interventions to mitigate environmental threats.

Overcoming barriers to agri-environmental management at landscape scale: Balancing farmer coordination and collaboration with the aid of facilitators and pioneers.

Policy instruments that integrate the actions of multiple farmers are of growing interest for improving landscape scale environmental sustainability of agriculture. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with farmers in south-east England and applied thematic analysis to the responses to perform a qualitative investigation into the combined role of economic, social, and cultural barriers to cooperative environmental management, and identify possible solutions for these barriers. Interviewees recognised environmental benefits of cooperative management, but this was a low priority compared to other management activities, being seen as complex and time-consuming, with uncertainty over direct benefits to participants. External coordination could address this by overseeing information sharing on cooperation benefits and minimising the logistical burden for participants, but given farmer mistrust of outside intervention, these projects will be more successful when collaborating farmers feel they are in control. The efforts of both pioneering farmers able to initiate projects with their peers, and respected facilitators who embody local knowledge and experience, will be vital for balancing coordination and collaboration. Finding the optimal balance between these different elements will vary with local circumstances: policy should have the flexibility to accommodate this. Farmers were wary of connecting with others possessing different farming ideals and thus having to compromise on their management approach. Some respondents sought to bridge these gaps by focusing on aspects of farming identities they shared with their peers, raising the possibility that support targeting these individuals will help develop relationships that foster lasting cultural change for farmer cooperative environmental management.

Dairy farmers' considerations for antimicrobial treatment of clinical mastitis in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada.

Introduction: Clinical mastitis (CM) treatment decision-making is a multifaceted process that remains relatively understudied, despite CM being one of the most prevalent diseases on dairy farms worldwide, contributing greatly to the use of antimicrobials in the dairy industry. This study aimed to gain insights into decision-making mechanisms employed by dairy farmers in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, when dealing with CM. Methods: Interviews were held with 15 dairy farmers in the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis to develop both the decision-pathway and overarching themes influencing the CM decisions by farmers in this region. Results and discussion: The analysis generated a decision-making process that begins with identification and classification of CM, guided by visual characteristics of milk and the udder, available milk production and quality data, presence of systemic signs, and additional diagnostics. Subsequently, CM cases are assessed based on the likelihood of cure, value of the cow, and herd goals to decide whether antimicrobial treatment is desired. Next, a treatment choice is made by evaluating severity and urgency of the case, availability of drugs and timing of the case. Finally, definition of treatment success and progression over time following the treatment decision guides the termination of treatment. Three overarching themes were generated that shape the decision-making process: 'Personal attributes', including personal approach and experiential knowledge; 'Inter-actor dynamics', such as shared decision-making and dynamics among producers, veterinarians, and milkers; and 'Moving beyond protocols', which highlights the dynamic nature of mastitis decision-making. These insights have the potential to inform the development of effective interventions to improve CM antimicrobial use that align with the reality of farming operations within Western Canada, and potentially beyond.

Toward a Public Health Approach to Farmer Suicide Prevention: The Potential Power of Systems Change.

OBJECTIVE: Suicide among farmers has, over the past 20 years, garnered attention from scholars around the world. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, this paper will present a framework for considering farmer suicide that builds upon the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior and extends our current explanations of suicide to include a multilevel, multifactorial focus on individual, interpersonal, community and systemic factors at the root of stressors contributing to suicide among farmers. Secondly, a blueprint for farmer suicide prevention, leveraging the Water of Systems Change Model, is proposed. METHOD: In the spirit of conveying multi-layered influence on farmer suicide while highlighting relevant levels for prevention a parsimonious, prevention-based model of farmer suicide is presented. RESULTS: The Water of Systems Change (WSC) model incorporates research to bring attention to the community, organizational, and societal conditions that keep a problem, such as farmer suicide, from being eradicated. CONCLUSION: Suicide is a societal issue that requires a multi-level response. Farmer suicide is a particular concern, as farmers provide for and support all of us. It is incumbent upon public health and the community-at-large to improve our policies, systems, and contexts to create an environment in which farmers are also provided for and supported.

Innovation practices in agricultural transformation in East China: Exploring the impact and implications of the new professional farmer training model.

This study aims to invigorate China's Rural Revitalization Strategy by focusing on the training of China's new generation of professional farmers, particularly enhancing the skills of modern agricultural practitioners. Utilizing a mixed-method research approach, which includes the analysis of 343 questionnaire surveys and personal interviews, significant shortcomings in the previous training of farmers were revealed, such as limited reach, high conformity in training content, and outdated methods. These findings highlight the challenges traditional training methods face in the digital technology era. In response to these challenges, this study proposes a novel training model designed for the digital era. This model encompasses seven aspects: training goals, subjects, content, means, management, methods, and effect assessment, with the aspiration to reform traditional farmer training methods. This research expands the existing literature by constructing a comprehensive framework for training the new generation of farmers, bridging the gap between traditional practices and the demands of modern agricultural training influenced by digital advancements. The study's innovation lies in its proposition of a modernized training model for the new generation of farmers, leveraging the advancements of the digital technology era. By modernizing agricultural training and enhancing the capabilities of new professional farmers, it significantly contributes to the progression of China's Rural Revitalization Strategy.

A needs-based approach to promoting gender equity and inclusivity: insights from participatory research with farmer-producer organisations (FPOs).

The farmer-producer organisation (FPO) is an umbrella term used to describe modes of farmer collectivisation in India, i.e. co-operatives and companies. While women cultivators play a central role in agriculture, their continued marginalisation is reflected in a lack of engagement in FPO activities and governance structures, with only 3% of existing FPOs being female-led ventures. This paper examines the nature of tensions around social inequities-and how such tensions might be addressed in the collective spaces offered by FPOs-using a gender lens, specifically in balancing conflicting pressures of economic performance versus inclusion and meeting specific members' needs. Using a participatory research approach, a conceptual framework is developed and applied in three FPOs operating at various stages of development. With a specific focus on gender equity and social inclusion, selected cases involved FPOs with > 75% female membership and scheduled caste/tribe participation. Qualitative data on societal needs, based on the expectations and experiences of FPO participants, are then analysed to better understand (1) what might promote FPO participation and (2) how equity and inclusion may be enabled from the 'bottom-up'. This exploratory study informs the collective action debate with its new and intersectional approach to gender equity and inclusivity. Empirical observations and within-case analyses involving FPOs provide new insights into the functioning of these institutions and nuanced interactions involving their members. Findings suggest that informal micro-producer arrangements or vyavastha, in the FPO pre-registration phase, are well positioned to act as spatial agents for establishing ethical norms as FPOs collectivise and grow. In terms of promoting social objectives and evaluating FPOs operating in different stages, a set of guiding principles are proposed with follow-on implications for policy.

Assessment of the 2022 post-market environmental monitoring report on the cultivation of genetically modified maize MON 810 in the EU.

Following a request from the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed the 2022 post-market environmental monitoring (PMEM) report on the cultivation of Cry1Ab-expressing maize event MON 810. Overall, the 2022 PMEM report provides no evidence of adverse effects of maize MON 810 cultivation. It shows a high level of compliance with refuge requirements by Spanish and Portuguese farmers growing maize MON 810, but uncertainty remains on compliance in areas where the clustered surface of maize MON 810 farms exceeds 5 ha. There are no signs of practical resistance to Cry1Ab in the field in corn borer populations collected in north-eastern Spain in 2022, although a decrease in Cry1Ab susceptibility in Mediterranean corn borer populations from this area cannot be excluded. Information retrieved through farmer questionnaires in Spain and from the scientific literature reveals no unanticipated adverse effects on human and animal health or the environment arising from the cultivation of maize MON 810. Uncertainties remain on whether 'very highly' and 'extremely' sensitive non-target lepidoptera are potentially exposed to harmful amounts of MON 810 pollen. EFSA notes that several recommendations made in the frame of the assessment of previous PMEM reports remain unaddressed and identified additional shortcomings in the 2022 PMEM report that require further consideration by the consent holder in future annual PMEM reports. Particularly, EFSA emphasises the urgent need to increase the sensitivity of the insect resistance monitoring strategy and implement mitigation measures to ensure that the exposure of non-target lepidoptera to maize MON 810 pollen is reduced to levels of no concern.

Factors affecting behavioral intentions of farmers in Southeast Asia to technology adoption: A systematic review analysis.

Agriculture remains one of the most vital economic sectors in Southeast Asia. However, the progress of this sector has been hindered by small-scale production, limited technology application, decreasing agricultural land size and quality, climate change, rapid urbanization, low productivity, and aging farmers. Technology adoption by rural farmers is still lacking, and the factors affecting farmers' behavioral intentions are still unclear, especially in Southeast Asia. Therefore, this study aims to determine the factors affecting behavioral intentions toward technology adoption among rural Southeast Asian farmers. A systematic literature review was performed to determine the factors affecting behavioral attention to technology adoption among smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia. Approximately 18 related studies were found based on the systematic review. According to the results of the study, farmers' behavioral intentions toward technology adoption can be classified as internal factors or external factors. Internal factors explain behavior, while external factors explain household, institutional, technological, social, and economic factors. The review revealed 21 factors categorized into five subthemes: household-specific factors, institutional factors, economic factors, technology factors, and behavior factors. This study is important because agriculture remains one of the most vital and pillar economic sectors in Southeast Asia. In addition, it has become a guideline for determining farmers' behavioral intentions toward the adoption of new agricultural technology.

Exploring Social Media to Understand Perceptions of Milk Quality among Farmers, Processors, and Citizen-Consumers.

Milk consumption is crucial for a balanced diet, yet recent trends indicate a decline, especially in Italy. A significant factor in this decline is the altered perception of milk quality among consumers, which has created a communication gap between them and other stakeholders. This study aimed to explore the discourse on social media and sentiment towards the concept of milk quality among consumers, farmers, and processors. The research adopted social media analysis to examine online-community messages. A sample of 19,906 Italian comments and posts mentioning keywords "milk", "quality", "cow", and "vaccine" was collected and categorized using term-frequency analysis, correspondence analysis, and sentiment analysis. Results highlighted gaps in perceptions of milk quality: farmers focused on economic issues, consumers on animal welfare and health, and processors on lactose content. For farmers, almost all comments were negative, while for processors, nearly all comments were positive. Consumers presented a more mixed picture. This work contributes to the literature by expanding research on milk quality, using social media as a source of information. The findings suggest that enhancing communication and understanding among these groups could lead to more effective strategies for addressing consumer concerns, potentially reversing the decline in milk consumption.

Assessment of smallholder rice farmers' adaptation strategies to climate change in Kebbi state, Nigeria.

The future of food production in Nigeria where smallholding agriculture is prevalent is threatened by climate change. Despite the threats, Nigeria has no specific plan or policy to combat it. Therefore, understanding how smallholder farmers adjust to the changing climate and the factors that influence their adaptation choices will facilitate developing a policy to tackle climate change. This study therefore evaluates climate change adaptation techniques among smallholder rice farmers in Kebbi state, Nigeria. The study employs a simple random sampling technique to select 345 respondents. The data was analysed using multivariate probit and ordered probit regression. The findings revealed that marital status, literacy, farm size, farming experience, major occupation, extension visits, amount of credit, and access to climate information influenced adaptation strategy choice. Furthermore, marital status, literacy, household size, farm size, extension visits, and access to climate information are crucial drivers of adoption intensity. This study concludes that smallholder rice farmers in the study area adopt several practices to cope with climate change, however, farmers' intensity of adoption is low. This study recommends that stakeholders in the food systems in the study area should consider literacy, farm size, extension service, credits, and climate information in designing viable policies toward combating the vagaries of climate.

Effectiveness of Participatory Training for Prevention of Slips, Trips, and Falls: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of Corn Farmers in Thailand.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a participatory training program for mitigating the risk of slips, trips, and falls (STFs) in agriculture. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial of corn farmers over six months in Thailand. The participatory training intervention comprised lectures, group discussions, and presentation sessions centered around a specifically developed action checklist for occupational fall prevention. Sixty-two individuals were included in the intervention group, with 169 included in the control group. The results revealed a reduction in the incidence of STFs in the intervention group from 42% to 23%; however, this difference was not statistically significant. The study highlights the potential of participatory training for enhancing occupational safety for farmers. However, the absence of statistical significance necessitates cautious interpretation of the results. Future research should examine larger sample sizes, involve employers in the training process, and implement repetitive training interventions.

Reliability, practicability and farmers' acceptance of an animal welfare assessment protocol for broiler chickens and turkeys.

This study presents an evaluation of on-farm self-assessment using animal-based indicators to support fattening poultry farmers in managing the welfare of their animals. Self-assessment guidelines elaborated by a German expert group were evaluated together with 11 trained broiler and 11 trained turkey farmers. The participating farmers tested a protocol with 18 indicators for broilers and a protocol with 20 indicators for turkeys on their farms for 1 y. The reliability of individual animal scoring, the practicability of the protocols, their implementation, and acceptance were then evaluated. Reliability was tested during 2 farm visits by the accompanying scientists, using the scientist as a silver standard. On average, the farmers achieved very good reliability (mean PABAK - prevalence-adjusted and bias-adjusted kappa, broilers: 0.90; turkeys: 0.86), with no detectable influence of the previous training method (online versus in-person), the first versus the second visit of the scientists, the fattening stage of the animals scored, number of animals on the farm or the farmers' professional background. The assessment took longer at the end of the fattening period for both animal species. On farms with more personnel and for farmers with a higher position on farm, the assessment was easier to integrate into their work. Most farmers did not fully document their self-assessment and almost no farmer processed and evaluated the data properly, even though it seemed interesting to them. Overall, there was only moderate acceptance of the welfare self-assessment approach, with mixed responses as to whether it provided early warning information or benefits to animal management. Farmers often pointed to the increased cost associated with carrying out self-assessments in terms of the additional working time required, which is likely to be an important barrier to continuing. Digital applications for data recording, processing and evaluation may help to overcome barriers. Overall, it appears unlikely that the welfare self-assessment approach will be widely implemented in the poultry fattening sector without further incentives.

Parataxonomy and diversity of local varieties of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) and macabo (Xanthosoma sagittifolium (L.) Schott) grown in Benin (West Africa).

Taro and macabo are plants with high food, medicinal and economic value, but are under-utilized in Benin. The aim of this study was to identify local varieties of taro and macabo grown in Benin, with their vernacular names, farmers' recognition criteria and distribution. Data were collected between May 2021 and May 2023, through interviews using semi-structured questionnaires. The sample surveyed consisted of 349 taro/macabo producers, distributed in 40 villages belonging to 9 departments. The variables collected concerned producers' socio-demographic characteristics, local appellations, farmers' recognition criteria and the distribution of local varieties of the two species, and were processed by calculating relative citation frequencies and establishing a generalized linear model in R software. In addition, QGIS software was used to represent the distribution of the varieties surveyed. A total of 42 local appellations have been registered to designate all local varieties. Ten local varieties, including six of C. esculenta (V1 to V6) and four of X. sagittifolium (V7 to V10), were identified on the basis of seven (07) farmers' criteria, the main ones being tuber color (41.88 %) and leaf blade color (23.30 %). Local varieties V1, V3, V4 and V5 were the most widespread for C. esculenta, while varieties V7 and V9 were the most widely distributed from the south to the north of the country for X. sagittifolium. The socio-demographic parameters such as age category, occupation and ethnic groups tested had a significant influence (p < 0.05) on the number of local varieties held by growers. Agro-morphological characterization will provide data for the selection of elite varieties.