Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Economics, Policies and Rural Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 February 2023) | Viewed by 11014

Special Issue Editors

Department of Human and Economic Geography, University of Bucharest, 0010041 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: identity heritage assessment and responsible resource management; representations of territorial identity and development; deindustrialization and adaptive reuse of industrial heritage; territorial dynamics; urban planning; urban regeneration; economic geography; geography of resources; rural development in less-favoured areas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Department of Human and Economic Geography, University of Bucharest, 0010041 Bucharest, Romania
Interests: economics; cultural geography; sustainable rural economy; social economics; economic impacts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Agricultural citizen science covers various activities related to the close collaboration between groups and communities with scientists, decision makers, and organizations in shaping aims, fields and scientific methods; providing scientific discoveries and expertise to stakeholders in society, including volunteers, to consolidate results; and improving projects focused on identifying viable solutions for sustainable agriculture. The concept of citizen science is still less used in the development of sustainable agricultural practices, although its potential is great as a way to motivate rural communities to get involved in projects focused on identifying ways to capitalize on their strengths and meet challenges. In the current context of climatic change, globalization, the COVID-19 crisis, and armed conflicts, which have multiple negative effects on agriculture and food security, it is a real challenge to ensure a balance between improving the efficiency of agricultural production and limiting the impact on the environment. Positive results can be obtained based on the implementation of participatory projects by using the existing infrastructure and tools of the extension programmes.

This Special Issue aims to offer new perspectives on the importance of the wider use of citizen science in agriculture, with a particular focus on its impact on sustainable regional development. This Special Issue welcomes submissions on the following topics: the role of citizen science in addressing challenges in agriculture and food research; citizen science and the efficient use of resources and enhancing food safety; citizen science and the impacts of climate change on agriculture; and even emerging opportunities in relation to agricultural citizen science (role of technology; involving citizen scientists to support local decision making; involving citizen scientists in linking agriculture with other economic sectors, emergency management and rural extension). Original research articles and reviews are accepted.

Dr. Florentina-Cristina Merciu
Dr. Camelia Teodorescu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable rural development
  • community engagement
  • capacity building
  • innovative strategies
  • agricultural economics
  • agricultural policies
  • agricultural planning
  • food security
  • climate impacts
  • environmental impacts
  • rural extension
  • geographic information system

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

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4 pages, 198 KiB  
Editorial
Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development
by Florentina-Cristina Merciu and Camelia Teodorescu
Agriculture 2023, 13(6), 1180; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13061180 - 01 Jun 2023
Viewed by 735
Abstract
In the last 70 years, agriculture has evolved from an activity that was traditionally linked to rural areas to a global industry that provides food for the growing world population [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 288 KiB  
Article
Agri-Ecological Policy, Human Capital and Agricultural Green Technology Progress
by Guoqun Ma, Minjuan Li, Yuxi Luo and Tuanbiao Jiang
Agriculture 2023, 13(5), 941; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13050941 - 25 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1053
Abstract
Agri-ecological policy and human capital are important factors affecting agricultural green technology progress (AGTP), but the related research is relatively insufficient. This paper contributes to existing research through new insights on the effect of agri-ecological policy on AGTP, using human capital as a [...] Read more.
Agri-ecological policy and human capital are important factors affecting agricultural green technology progress (AGTP), but the related research is relatively insufficient. This paper contributes to existing research through new insights on the effect of agri-ecological policy on AGTP, using human capital as a moderating variable. We use the Super-efficiency SBM-DEA model to measure AGTP in 30 provinces of China during 2000–2019, and use a two-way fixed effects model to analyze the nonlinear effect of agri-ecological policy on AGTP and the moderating role of human capital. The results show that there is a “U”-shaped relationship between agri-ecological policy and AGTP, where human capital plays a positive moderating role. Intermediate human capital and advanced human capital can significantly moderate the impact of agri-ecological policy on AGTP, while the moderating role of primary human capital is not significant. The “U”-shaped relationship between agri-ecological policy and AGTP involves some heterogeneity based on differences in grain function and the two sides of the Hu Huanyong line. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development)
31 pages, 43899 KiB  
Article
Swine Breeding in the Villages of Vâlcea County, Oltenia (Romania)—Tradition or Necessity?
by Camelia Teodorescu, Marin Burcea, Ana-Irina Lequeux-Dincă, Florentina-Cristina Merciu, Adrian-Nicolae Jipa and Laurenţiu-Ştefan Szemkovics
Agriculture 2023, 13(3), 733; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13030733 - 22 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1505
Abstract
Food supply has been a constant source of concern for mankind. In the present context, with food security a priority of European and national policies, an analysis of pig farming in a representative NUTS2 administrative level of Romania that emphasizes the proportion of [...] Read more.
Food supply has been a constant source of concern for mankind. In the present context, with food security a priority of European and national policies, an analysis of pig farming in a representative NUTS2 administrative level of Romania that emphasizes the proportion of households raising at least one pig and the main factors influencing farmers to adopt or give up swine breeding could allow a much clearer understanding of this phenomenon that lies at the border between cultural tradition and socio-economic necessity. This study uses mixed methods that complement each another to help reveal this complex phenomenon in the analyzed territory. Cluster analysis shows the concentration of swine breeding and maps its spread in terms of both subsistence and larger farms, and qualitative interviews prove the motivation of farmers to continue in this occupation. As a primary result, the study visualizes the spatial distribution of pig farming in the rural environment of Vâlcea county, Romania, from a diachronic perspective in the post-communist period. It also reveals areas of differing concentrations of both very small-sized farms, which prioritize meeting their own food needs, and larger farms, which prioritize commercial production to supplement their revenue streams. Both categories, but particularly the latter, are of particular interest in a period in which the socio-economic environment after 1990—marked by economic restructuring, unemployment, population migration, the economic crisis of 2008–2010, the pandemic of 2020–2021, and the most recent energy crisis—periodically highlights the importance of rural areas in ensuring food security and sufficiency at both the local and regional levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development)
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15 pages, 773 KiB  
Article
Agritourism and Peer-to-Peer Accommodation: A Moderated Mediation Model
by Ibrahim A. Elshaer, Alaa M. S. Azazz, Faleh A. Ameen and Sameh Fayyad
Agriculture 2022, 12(10), 1586; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12101586 - 01 Oct 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1978
Abstract
Agritourism is not a new phenomenon; moreover, it has increased significantly over the past decade and is expected to continue growing in the future. Despite this growth, there is no shared understanding of agritourism, which is problematic because it creates confusion and diminishes [...] Read more.
Agritourism is not a new phenomenon; moreover, it has increased significantly over the past decade and is expected to continue growing in the future. Despite this growth, there is no shared understanding of agritourism, which is problematic because it creates confusion and diminishes its appeal among consumers, thereby impeding communication and collaboration between stakeholders. Agritourism activities can be carried out on a microscale in rural areas by families and agricultural practitioners or on a large scale by hotels, restaurants, and catering firms. Despite many developing countries’ agricultural potential, agritourism has not been inserted into development plans in these countries. Only agritourism in small accommodation enterprises is carried out on a microscale by rural families. This study seeks to test the relationship between the positive impacts of peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation and agritourism performance, with the mediating effects of support for P2P accommodations and organizational citizenship behavior towards P2P accommodations. The data were derived from 300 Airbnb consumers and hosts of agritourism accommodations in the eastern province of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The results of “Structural Equation Modeling” (SEM) via the “Partial least squares” (PLS) showed a positive direct relationship between peer-to-peer accommodation and agritourism performance with a significant mediating role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior and a positive moderating role of information on Agritourism destinations. Several theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development)
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16 pages, 2255 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Sustainability Level of Smallholder Oil Palm Agribusiness in Labuhanbatu Regency, North Sumatra
by Tennisya Febriyanti Suardi, Lies Sulistyowati, Trisna Insan Noor and Iwan Setiawan
Agriculture 2022, 12(9), 1469; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12091469 - 14 Sep 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2120
Abstract
Palm oil is a leading export commodity for Indonesia and the country’s highest foreign exchange earner. This commodity also has a fairly important role in the economy in regions in Indonesia, especially in Labuhanbatu Regency as one of the centers of oil palm [...] Read more.
Palm oil is a leading export commodity for Indonesia and the country’s highest foreign exchange earner. This commodity also has a fairly important role in the economy in regions in Indonesia, especially in Labuhanbatu Regency as one of the centers of oil palm production in the Sumatran Archipelago. This study aimed to analyze the level of sustainability of smallholder oil palm agribusiness in Labuhanbatu Regency. The study was designed using quantitative methods and a proportionate stratified random sampling approach with 249 oil palm farmers as research respondents. The data were analyzed using the multi dimensional scaling (MDS) method assisted by the Rap—Palm Oil (RAPPO) software (version 1.0). The results showed that the multidimensional sustainability of the smallholder oil palm agribusiness in Labuhanbatu Regency was in the “fairly sustainable” category. This illustrates that the oil palm agribusiness needs stakeholder support to improve its sustainability status. The highest value is the economic dimension because it is the main source of livelihood for oil palm farmers, while the lowest value is the environmental dimension. The value obtained was influenced by the use of production inputs that were not in accordance with the recommendations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development)
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18 pages, 2427 KiB  
Article
I Think I Can, I Think I Can: Effects of Entrepreneurship Orientation on Entrepreneurship Intention of Saudi Agriculture and Food Sciences Graduates
by Ibrahim A. Elshaer and Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih
Agriculture 2022, 12(9), 1454; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12091454 - 13 Sep 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2598
Abstract
Entrepreneurship plays a significant role in achieving the national agenda and the development of nations. The leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) pays significant attention to the role of entrepreneurship by supporting the Saudi Vision 2030 and its programs, e.g., the [...] Read more.
Entrepreneurship plays a significant role in achieving the national agenda and the development of nations. The leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) pays significant attention to the role of entrepreneurship by supporting the Saudi Vision 2030 and its programs, e.g., the National Transformation Program and the Human Capability Development Program. The current research examines the effects of entrepreneurship orientation on entrepreneurship intentions among agriculture and food sciences graduates in KSA. More exactly, the research examines the interrelationship and effects of risk-taking, innovativeness, and pro-activeness on the entrepreneurship intentions of higher education graduates, especially among agriculture and food sciences graduates. It also examines the mediating effect of innovativeness and pro-activeness between entrepreneurship orientation and entrepreneurship intention. For this purpose, a pre-examined questionnaire was collected randomly from 440 graduates at several KSA universities. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) supported all research hypotheses and confirmed a direct significant effect of risk-taking on the entrepreneurship intention of students and an indirect effect through innovativeness and pro-activeness. The results confirmed complimentary mediation of innovativeness and pro-activeness in the link between entrepreneurship orientation and entrepreneurship intention. The findings of the research offer some implications for scholars and policymakers in the Saudi context, which are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Citizen Science and Sustainable Regional Development)
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