Abstract We investigate the impact of farmers’ egocentric information network on technical efficiency and its distribution in network, using observational data 600 farmers from northern Ghana. exploit community detection algorithms to endogenously identify homogeneous communities with known structures account for spatial heterogeneity, a stochastic frontier model that controls social selection ...

It has been persuasively argued that relationship networks affect the socio-economic behaviors of actors. However, few studies have recognized location and context actors in network. To address this challenge, paper examined skill learning chain migration which were affected by network within spatial situation, using data covering 115 households specialized village fried dough sticks (youtiao)....

BACKGROUND Pesticide consumption is increasing in Bolivia as well as pest resistance, pesticide poisonings and pollution of the environment. This survey evaluates the training of small holder farmers on pesticide handling and ecological alternatives to reduce the negative pesticide effects. METHOD A baseline survey was performed in 2002 and follow-up surveys in 2004 and 2009. Farmers were sel...

The study was conducted to assess the impact of conservation agriculture practice on livelihood status of farmers in Bangladesh. A total of 300 farmers (50 focal, 100 proximal and 150 control) from five districts (Mymensingh, Bogra, Tangail, Sherpur and Jamalpur) were selected. Focal farmers were selected purposively; and proximal and control farmers were selected randomly. Descriptive statisti...

The chapter present the report of a study that examined information needs and seeking haviour of farmers in Laduba community, Kwara State, Nigeria. This study adopted a survey research design using simple sampling technique to select 28 respondents from the population. Structured questionnaire was designed for the collection of data. It was discovered from the findings that majority of the farm...

This paper describes a cost effective Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technology for monitoring the health of dairy cows. By monitoring and understanding the cow individual and herd behaviour, farmers can potentially identify the onset of illness, lameness or other undesirable health conditions. However, the WSN implementation needs to cope with various technical challenges before it can be suita...

Although farm biosecurity reduces the risk of disease spread among livestock, this knowledge is not always applied. Farmers' application of disease preventive measures is expected to depend on many things, e.g. whether they consider disease prevention possible and demographic factors. In this study, Swedish livestock farmers' perspectives on occurrence, control and communication related to infe...

Does poverty lead to stress? Despite several studies showing correlations between socioeconomic status and levels of the stress hormone cortisol, it remains unknown whether this relationship is causal. We used random weather shocks in Kenya to address this question. Our identification strategy exploits the fact that rainfall is an important input for farmers, but not for non-farmers such as urb...

While modern agriculture relies on genetic homogeneity, diversifying practices associated with seed exchange and seed recycling may allow crops to adapt to their environment. This socio-genetic model is an original experimental evolution design referred to as on-farm dynamic management of crop diversity. Investigating such model can help in understanding how evolutionary mechanisms shape crop d...

BACKGROUND Agriculture is one of the most hazardous occupations in the world. The aim of an occupational health service (OHS) is to reduce the risk of work-related diseases, occupational diseases and injuries and to promote workers' health. In Finland, they are part of the public health care system, but for farmers OHS is voluntary. AIMS To explore factors associated with farmers joining farm...