| 11. |
- Owusu Sekyere, Enoch
(författare)
-
Examining the social, physical and institutional determinants of pineapple farmers’ choice of production systems in Central Ghana
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 9, s. 315-329
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Various researchers have determined the different factors influencing farmers’ decisions to adopt certified organic production, without considering factors about the social and institutional environments of smallholder farmers in developing countries. In this paper, we examined the social, physical and institutional factors that affect farmers’ choice of production systems for pineapple in Ghana. A multinomial logit model was used to examine the factors influencing the pineapple farmers’ choice of a production system. Empirical findings indicate that apart from personal and attitudinal factors, the social, physical and institutional factors are also very important in individual farmer’s decisions to adopt certified organic production systems. Policy implications of these findings are that besides farmers’ personal and attitudinal characteristics, the social, physical and institutional features were also crucial in their decision to adopt certified organic production systems. The identified factors contribute to informing the government and other key players along the pineapple value chain on the elements to strive for when designing strategies and programmes to promote certified organic pineapple production. The study proposes that to encourage and sustain certified organic pineapple production systems, stakeholders in the pineapple sector should help farmers to consider the environmental sustainability in their production decision making and educate farmers on the potential cost and benefits of certifying their products organically. Effective policy and strategy design should, therefore, consider these factors to improve the adoption rate from conventional to certified organic production systems.
|
|
| 12. |
- Prunier, Armelle, et al.
(författare)
-
Characteristics of organic pig farms in selected European countries and their possible influence on litter size and piglet mortality
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Netherlands. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 4:2, s. 163-173
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Better knowledge of piglet losses around birth and during lactation, and the role of litter size, housing and management characteristics, should help to identify critical points and hence to improve the situation in organic pig farms. For this purpose, a project was initiated in five EU countries collecting interview data, measures of animal and housing characteristics and production records. This paper presents results regarding production characteristics from 82 herds. Among them, 42 farms were included in an analysis based on the production records. Based on sows’ housing system during the first 2 weeks after farrowing, farms were classified as “indoor” (n = 49) or “outdoor” (n = 33). For each group, a multiple correspondence analysis and subsequent hierarchical classification were carried out to identify distinct farm categories. In total, 30 variables from the questionnaires and measured characteristics were used after binary transformation when necessary. Three types of indoor farms and two types of outdoor farms were identified. Regarding litter size at birth and weaning, there was no clear difference between all types of indoor farms and one type of outdoor farms, whereas the second type of outdoor farms, that were more “extensive”, had lower performance. Production records showed a detrimental influence of high farm average litter size at birth on piglet mortality and that high-standard deviation in litter size may exacerbate this problem. © 2013, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
|
|
| 13. |
- Rezaei, Mehdi, et al.
(författare)
-
Feed Efficiency, growth performance, and carcass characteristics of a fast- and a slower-growing broiler hybrid fed low- or high-protein organic diets
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 8, s. 121-128
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Organic poultry meat production in Sweden is characterized by diets based on organic and locally produced feedstuffs, roughage allowance, a long rearing period (>10 weeks), outdoor access for the birds, and ban of synthetic amino acids and prophylactic use of antibiotics and anthelmintic. Until recently, the main hybrids used in organic broiler chicken production in Sweden were the same as used in conventional broiler chicken production. These birds are bred to reach market weight at 5 to 6 weeks on a high-protein quality nonorganic diet. In this study, organic high- and low- protein diets were fed to fast- and slower-growing hybrid broiler chickens with 5 pens per genotype × diet treatment and 21 to 22 broiler chickens per pen. Weight gain, feed conversion, health, and mortality were recorded during a 71-day rearing period. The fast-growing hybrid birds grew faster (55.4 ± 0.7 versus 38.3 ± 0.5 g/day, P = 0.001) and had a better feed conversion ratio (2.6 ± 0.1 versus 2.9 ± 0.1 kg feed/kg body weight, P = 0.001) than the slower-growing hybrid birds. The fast-growing hybrid birds grew slower when fed the high-protein compared to the low-protein diet (55.3 ± 0.5 versus 57.8 ± 1.4 g/day, P = 0.050), while the slower- growing hybrid birds grew faster when fed the high-protein compared to the low-protein diet (39.4 ± 0.7 and 37.2 ± 0.4 g/day, P = 0.038). A higher proportion of fast- compared to slower-growing hybrid birds had sticky droppings at 1 week of age (18.8 ± 1.6 versus 3.8 ± 1.6%, P = 0.001) and were culled because of leg weakness during the 10-week rearing period (10.0 ± 2.0 versus 3.3 ± 2.0%, P = 0.031), indicating poorer welfare among fast-growing hybrid birds when reared for 10 weeks on organic diets.
|
|
| 14. |
- Salevid, Pernilla, et al.
(författare)
-
Profitability of organic and conventional cow-calf operations under Swedish conditions
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 2, s. 205-217
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In order to maintain the high natural values of Swedish semi-natural pasture, suckler cow numbers must increase, but numbers are more likely to decrease due to low profitability, changes to the EU support system and increasing wage levels. This study sought to identify production models for cow-calf operations with sufficient profitability to pay at least stipulated farm workers wage. In the calculations, the income from weaned calves and EU support was reduced by operating costs, excluding labour. The surplus was divided by hours spent on labour, resulting in a return to labour per hour. The calculations were carried out in varying future scenarios where the Common Agricultural Policy is changing. The results showed that organic production models created a higher return to labour than conventional production models. One reason for this is the environmental payment for organic farming. Another reason is that organic production maintains more acreage, equalling higher environmental payments and other EU support per suckler cow. Other more profitable production models included spring calving, heavy cows and winter feed based on silage. Some organic production models gave a return to labour above the stipulated farm workers wage. However, if the single farm payment scheme is phased out and not replaced by an increase in environmental payments, the return to labour will be at best half the stipulated farm workers wage.
|
|
| 15. |
- Salomon, Eva, et al.
(författare)
-
Flows and budgets of nutrients and potentially toxic elements on four Swedish organic farms using digestate from agricultural residues
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 12:2, s. 279-292
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Few fertilizers are permitted for organic farming, which is a challenge when securing nutrient availability, particularly of nitrogen (N). Digestate from biogas production could be a valuable fertilizer for increasing crop yields, through its high content of plant-available nitrogen (NH4-N), but is rarely used in practice. This study evaluated how anaerobic digestion of manure and use of digestate affected inflows and outflows of nutrients and potentially toxic elements on four organic farms with different solutions for digestate production. Mass flows and element concentrations were documented 3 years on three dairy farms and one crop farm and used for calculating farm budgets. Nitrogen and phosphorus (P) budgets were also calculated for biogas reactor and storage pits on three farms. Nitrogen surplus exhibited large variation (18–87 kg N ha−1 year−1) at farm level, with purchased digestate or poultry manure giving major N inputs. The risk of process losses was high, with up to 40% of N and P in feedstock entering farm biogas reactors not recovered in digestate. The proportion of NH4-N in total N in digestate was slightly higher (2–9%) or lower (37%) than in feedstocks entering farm biogas reactors. Improved stirring in farm biogas reactors and storage pits to decrease N and P sedimentation, particularly when digesting poultry manure, would directly increase digestate value. Two farms purchasing digestate from central biogas plants received a digestate causing significant cadmium inputs. Keeping records on element flows can help to tailor the use of digestate for organic farms to achieve a sustainable use of nutrients.
|
|
| 16. |
- Stenberg, Maria, et al.
(författare)
-
Nitrogen management strategies in organic winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) production
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 3, s. 71-82
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The efficiency of four different organic fertilisers applied to winter oilseed rape, before (early) or at the beginning of regrowth in spring (normal application time), was studied in two row spacing systems of 12 and 48 cm with inter row hoeing to provide strategies to optimise spring nitrogen (N) fertilisation to organic winter oilseed rape. Six annual field experiments were performed during 2005-2008 in south central Sweden. The following amendments, i.e., Vinass from yeast production, Biofer meat and bone meal, dairy slurry and chicken manure, were applied at a rate corresponding to 100 kgN ha-1. CropN uptake, seed yield and oil content indicated greater and earlier N availability of Vinass after application compared with the other amendments. Yield increased by 1,300 kg ha-1 at early spring application (27 March) of Vinass and by 700 kg ha-1 when applied at normal application time (18-26 April). The yield increase was 400 kg ha-1 regardless of application time of Biofer, chicken manure and dairy slurry. The substantially greater yield increase in the Vinass application in relation to the other fertilisers demonstrated the yield potential when N is available earlier. The smaller effect on the yield by the other organic amendments indicated that the N release was not synchronised with the crop demand, and available too late during crop development to affect yield or less N was available due to N losses. Consequently, only Vinass can be recommended for spring application. The two row spacing systems tested can both be recommended, since yield levels were similar.
|
|
| 17. |
|
|
| 18. |
- Wallenbeck, Anna, et al.
(författare)
-
Leg health, growth and carcass characteristics in growing-finishing pigs of two different genotypes reared on Swedish organic farms
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 10, s. 97-103
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Increased prevalence of joint abnormalities at slaughter among pigs from organically certified herds in Sweden has been reported. Most of these abnormalities are caused by osteochondrosis, which has a genetic background. Thus, we investigated whether changing the sire breed from the commonly used Hampshire to the commercially available sire breed Duroc affected joint health and growth rate. We studied 766 commercially reared growing-finishing pigs from insemination of the mother sow until slaughter. The pigs were raised at four commercial organic farms (integrated or externally integrated, and had 40–160 sows in production)and slaughtered at one slaughter plant. We found no significant difference between the offspring of the two sire breeds regarding back conformation, leg conformation, swollen joints, locomotion or lameness at 13 or 24 weeks of age, or regarding joint abnormalities at slaughter. This indicates that clinical leg health will not be improved by changing sire breed. However, the Hampshire-sired pigs had higher daily growth rate(P< 0.008), allowing earlier slaughter.
|
|
| 19. |
|
|
| 20. |
- Wiberg, Sofia Elisabet
(författare)
-
Description of organic pig production in Europe
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Organic Agriculture. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1879-4238 .- 1879-4246. ; 4, s. 83-92
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
|
|
