Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jana R. Holz
Summary: This paper critically examines the extractivist patterns in the forest sector, which is portrayed as a central element in the bioeconomy. Using the Finnish forest-based bioeconomy and the bioproduct mill (BPM) as a case study, it argues that the current development of the bioeconomy might threaten sustainability. The analysis applies the lens of extractivism to identify extractivist and unsustainable characteristics in various dimensions.
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Dennis Eversberg, Martin Fritz
Summary: The article emphasizes the need to understand the societal changes envisioned and contested in the bioeconomy debate beyond policy debates and stakeholder positions. Using German survey data, the study explores social conflicts and coalitions related to bio-based, post-fossil transformations, revealing tensions between different socio-ecological mentalities that shape possibilities for transformations in Germany.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Charis M. M. Galanakis
Summary: In recent years, the world has faced multiple crises, including climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russian-Ukrainian war, which have had a significant impact on the food sector. To address the challenges posed by these crises, it is crucial to transform food systems and increase their resilience and sustainability. This requires the cooperation and involvement of all actors within the supply chain, as well as the adoption of proactive measures such as food safety, circular economy principles, digitalization, and inclusivity. Modernizing food production and developing shorter, domestic supply chains are also key to achieving food resilience and security.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
D. K. Pandey, Shantanu Kumar Dubey, A. K. Tripathi, Barun Singh, B. N. Hazarika
Summary: This study provides empirical evidence to support the argument that the expansion of oil palm and rubber plantations in Northeast India poses threats to the ecosystem and biodiversity. Instead of focusing on short-term economic gains, we should regulate the use of renewable biological resources based on their environmental impact and develop optimization models for sustainable land use.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sarah Namany, Rajesh Govindan, Marcello Di Martino, Efstratios N. Pistikopoulos, Patrick Linke, Styliani Avraamidou, Tareq Al-Ansari
Summary: This study proposes an Agent-based model that supports decision-making for the food system by simulating multiple scenarios. The model is applied to Qatar's food sector and evaluates its performance under economic, environmental, and social scenarios. The findings suggest that ensuring food supply requires significant investment and may result in substantial greenhouse gas emissions.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Petr Prochazka, Josef Abrham, Jaroslav Cerveny, Lukas Kobera, Petra Sanova, Daniel Benes, Julia-Maria Fink, Eliska Jiraskova, Simona Primasova, Jana Soukupova, Lubos Smutka
Summary: This paper explores the relationship between deforestation and key economic, social, environmental, and geographical variables. Using a regression model and introducing dummy variables, the study analyzes the impact of these variables on deforestation. The results show how different socio-economic variables influence deforestation, and disruptive events like COVID-19 pandemic and financial crisis have a negative effect on forest area development. GDP per capita has varying impacts depending on the size of a country, and former colonies seem to have more deforestation issues.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Margaret Anne Defeyter, Paul B. Stretesky, Michael A. Long, Sinead Furey, Christian Reynolds, Debbie Porteous, Alyson Dodd, Emily Mann, Anna Kemp, James Fox, Andrew McAnallen, Lara Goncalves
Summary: This study uses the concept of recreancy to examine the mental well-being of university students during the Covid-19 pandemic, finding that many students face low levels of mental well-being. High levels of recreancy, measured as low trust in universities and the government, are associated with low levels of mental well-being. Recommendations include increasing food and housing security during the pandemic and combating sector trends that may intensify recreancy.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Review
Food Science & Technology
E. F. Okpala, L. Manning, R. N. Baines
Summary: This narrative review paper explores the connection between poverty and food security in urban and rural Nigeria, focusing on economic, social, and environmental implications. The study suggests the importance of establishing appropriate governance mechanisms when developing strategies and policies to address poverty and food insecurity. It also highlights the significance of improving infrastructure, mitigating the impact of population growth and income inequality, and identifying educational opportunities in developing food security policies and strategies for the Nigerian people.
FOOD REVIEWS INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Guanglong Dong, Zhonghao Liu, Yuanzhao Niu, Wenya Jiang
Summary: This study takes Shandong Province as an example and evaluates the importance of ecosystem service function and environmental sensitivity based on ecological security. It identifies land use conflicts through spatial overlay analysis and constructs ecological security patterns. The study provides important theoretical and practical reference values for protecting regional ecological security and optimizing land use patterns.
Article
Ecology
Fabiana de Souza Batista, Confidence Duku, Lars Hein
Summary: This study investigates the impact of deforestation on crop yields, revealing that the loss of forest cover has altered rainfall patterns and subsequently affected agricultural production. The findings demonstrate that soybean and maize yields could have been significantly higher in the past decade if rainfall patterns hadn't been changed due to deforestation. This highlights the importance of preserving forest cover for agricultural resilience and food security.
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Sana Arshad, Jamil Hasan Kazmi, Muhammad Gohar Javed, Safwan Mohammed
Summary: Machine learning algorithms outperform classical statistical approaches in exploring hidden nonlinear relationships. This research aims to predict wheat yield in southern Pakistan using remote sensing and climatic data. Eight model combinations were built and random forest regression showed the best performance with a specific combination of variables. This research highlights the significance and potential of machine learning techniques for timely crop yield prediction.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alexandru Giurca, Nicolas Befort
Summary: Under the European Union's bioeconomy strategy, wood-based bioeconomy innovations are analyzed to understand the drop-in vs functional-innovations framework and criticize the current trajectory of the forest-based sector. This discussion is relevant for bioeconomy innovation scholars, policymakers, and entrepreneurs seeking to shape sustainable and transformative bioeconomy innovations beyond the current substitution narrative of the forest industry.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2023)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Helene Ralimanana, Allison L. Perrigo, Rhian J. Smith, James S. Borrell, Soren Faurby, Mamy Tiana Rajaonah, Tianjanahary Randriamboavonjy, Maria S. Vorontsova, Robert S. C. Cooke, Leanne N. Phelps, Ferran Sayol, Niels Andela, Tobias Andermann, Andotiana M. Andriamanohera, Sylvie Andriambololonera, Steven P. Bachman, Christine D. Bacon, William J. Baker, Francesco Belluardo, Chris Birkinshaw, Stuart Cable, Nataly A. Canales, Juan D. Carrillo, Rosie Clegg, Colin Clubbe, Angelica Crottini, Gabriel Damasco, Sonia Dhanda, Daniel Edler, Harith Farooq, Paola de Lima Ferreira, Brian L. Fisher, Felix Forest, Lauren M. Gardiner, Steven M. Goodman, Olwen M. Grace, Thais B. Guedes, Jan Hackel, Marie C. Henniges, Rowena Hill, Caroline E. R. Lehmann, Porter P. Lowry, Lovanomenjanahary Marline, Pavel Matos-Maravi, Justin Moat, Beatriz Neves, Matheus G. C. Nogueira, Renske E. Onstein, Alexander S. T. Papadopulos, Oscar A. Perez-Escobar, Peter B. Phillipson, Samuel Pironon, Natalia A. S. Przelomska, Marina Rabarimanarivo, David Rabehevitra, Jeannie Raharimampionona, Fano Rajaonary, Landy R. Rajaovelona, Mijoro Rakotoarinivo, Amedee A. Rakotoarisoa, Solofo E. Rakotoarisoa, Herizo N. Rakotomalala, Franck Rakotonasolo, Berthe A. Ralaiveloarisoa, Myriam Ramirez-Herranz, Jean Emmanuel N. Randriamamonjy, Vonona Randrianasolo, Andriambolantsoa Rasolohery, Anitry N. Ratsifandrihamanana, Noro Ravololomanana, Velosoa Razafiniary, Henintsoa Razanajatovo, Estelle Razanatsoa, Malin Rivers, Daniele Silvestro, Weston Testo, Maria F. Torres Jimenez, Kim Walker, Barnaby E. Walker, Paul Wilkin, Jenny Williams, Thomas Ziegler, Alexander Zizka, Alexandre Antonelli
Summary: Madagascar's unique biota is facing intense threat from human activity, and the existing protected area network covers 10.4% of the land area. Overexploitation of biological resources and unsustainable agriculture are identified as the most prominent threats to Madagascar's biodiversity.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Claudia de Brito Quadros Goncalves, Madalena Maria Schlindwein, Gabrielli do Carmo Martinelli
Summary: Agroforestry systems are traditional indigenous farming practices that are crucial for food security and cultural preservation. Women play a vital role in managing these practices, ensuring food consumption for the family, but they face challenges such as long working hours and lack of land ownership. Research also highlights the economic viability of agroforestry systems but calls for further analysis to address the concerns of indigenous communities.
Article
Remote Sensing
Mariana Belgiu, Wietske Bijker, Ovidiu Csillik, Alfred Stein
Summary: Crop type mapping is important for food security applications, and supervised classification methods are commonly used for generating data from satellite images. Various solutions like transfer learning, temporal-spectral signatures, re-utilization of inventories, and crowdsourcing are applied to generate samples for coarser classifications, but rarely for generating crop type samples. This study proposes a method that leverages phenology information to automatically generate crop samples, showing promising results for classes with reduced inter-class similarity. However, the method may not perform as well for crops with high inter-class similarity, particularly in regions with imbalanced crop samples. Despite its shortcomings, the proposed methodology offers a viable option for generating crop samples in regions with limited ground labels.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATION AND GEOINFORMATION
(2021)
Article
Forestry
E. M. Kumeh, D. K. Abu
INTERNATIONAL FORESTRY REVIEW
(2019)
Article
Environmental Studies
Eric Mensah Kumeh, Claudia Bieling, Regina Birner
Summary: This study examines the balance between forest conservation and agriculture by investigating the narratives of forest-fringe communities in protected forests. The findings reveal that the neglect of food insecurity issues by forest conservation policies leads to forest encroachment by these communities. The paper proposes the concept of food security corridors to facilitate the negotiation and establishment of food security and conservation goals within these communities.
Article
Development Studies
Eric Mensah Kumeh, Boateng Kyereh, Joseph Asante, Godfred Ohene-Gyan, Valerie Fummey Nassah, Alexander Asare, Paul P. Bosu, Samuel Kwabena Nketiah
Summary: This study examined the incentives for smallholder forest plantations in rural Ghana and found that the current incentives allow timber merchants to exploit tree growers, discouraging most farmers from participating in restoration activities. However, some tree growers have innovated and converted their plantations into sustainable charcoal systems. However, land tenure insecurity and poor access to finance remain barriers that policymakers and governments need to overcome to reinforce smallholders' contributions and ability to benefit from landscape restoration perennially.
DEVELOPMENT IN PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Eric Mensah Kumeh, Sabaheta Ramcilovic-Suominen
Summary: This paper critically examines the European Union's role in tropical deforestation and argues that its policies deflect attention from the key drivers of deforestation, enabling overconsumption of deforestation-related commodities. Although the EU promotes responsible agro-commodities production, it evades setting firm targets to overcome the inequalities caused by its overconsumption. The paper highlights alternative ideas that could lead to more just and effective measures for confronting the deforestation conundrum.
SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Geography
Kumeh Eric Mensah, Lawrence Damnyag, Nketiah Samuel Kwabena
Summary: This paper reviews the current state of charcoal production in Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasizing the dominance of smallholders who use unsustainable sources and inefficient techniques. The rising demand for charcoal in the region has led to attempts by governments to formalize the sector, but it remains unclear how these efforts address grassroots challenges. To promote sustainability in the charcoal sector, the paper highlights the importance of integrated approaches and proposes the concept of "carbon-neutral charcoal".
AFRICAN GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Business
Godfrey Omulo, Eric Mensah Kumeh
TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE
(2020)
Article
Environmental Studies
Eric Mensah Kumeh, Godfrey Omulo
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eric Mensah Kumeh, Boateng Kyereh, Kwame Antwi Oduro, Lawrence Kwabena Brobbey, Samuel Kwabena Nketiah
SCIENTIFIC AFRICAN
(2019)
Article
Economics
Sara Lorenzini, Nadia von Jacobi
Summary: This paper fills the gap in the literature on polycentric governance by focusing on the micro-processes of conflict that precede its establishment. Through a comparative analysis of four case studies, the authors find that conflict can lead to negotiations and the eventual establishment of common procedural rules, which can sustain polycentric governance.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Economics
Hubert Palus, Lenka Marcinekova, Jaroslav Salka
Summary: The complexity and comprehensiveness of sustainability issues in forest certification schemes require knowledge based and transparent decision-making processes, which involve open and multi-stakeholder participation. This study examines the latest PEFC national sustainable forest management standard revision process in Slovakia from the viewpoint of stakeholder participation. The results highlight the importance of stakeholder understanding, trust, and satisfaction in the effectiveness of the revision process.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Economics
Nicholas Palaschuk, Jason Gauthier, Ryan Bullock
Summary: Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) are important for the spiritual and cultural identity of Indigenous communities, but current forest policies in Canada do not adequately protect these resources. This research used a participatory approach and community interviews to document local criteria, elements, and values related to NTFP development and conservation. The resulting framework can guide decision making and promote socio-economic benefits for the Missanabie Cree First Nation.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Economics
Laila Berning, Metodi Sotirov
Summary: This paper analyzes the coalition politics driven by beliefs and interests in the new European Union Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR). The study identifies pro-regulation and contra-regulation coalitions and highlights the strategic alliance formed between pro-EUDR business actors and other pro-coalitions. Despite opposition from a weaker contra-regulation coalition, the EUDR was ultimately institutionalized as a compromise solution accommodating different beliefs and interests of state and non-state actors.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Economics
Mehwish Zuberi, Michael Spies, Jonas o. Nielsen
Summary: Smallholder farmers play a crucial role in agrarian value chains in the Global South, but they are often neglected in technology-oriented agricultural interventions. However, they face challenges such as lack of resources, established crop rotation patterns, and market and climatic factors.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Economics
James Chamberlain, Carsten Smith-Hall
Summary: More countries are adopting novel approaches to transition to a forest-based bioeconomy, which can address global challenges such as sustainable forest management, poverty alleviation, and climate change mitigation. Utilizing non-timber forest products is crucial for the realization of a forest-based bioeconomy.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2024)
Article
Economics
Keith Barney
Summary: The social impacts of industrial wood plantations in Southeast Asia, specifically in Laos, are debated. This study finds that under certain conditions, these plantations can positively contribute to local livelihoods, but there are still issues of land dispossession and inadequate compensation.
FOREST POLICY AND ECONOMICS
(2024)