Thesis (MTech (Design)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011. Bibliogr.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 179-185). / This study investigates the production, consumption and regulation within the South African Organic Cotton Project (SAOCP). It argues that the implementation of design strategies has the potential to promote the consumption of organic cotton clothing products in South Africa. This is necessary because of growing global concerns about environmental and social issues, such as global warming, environmental degradation and pressurised working condition. These point to a need for fundamental change of our industries to sustain future generations. In the fashion and textiles industry, cotton production specifically is among the most environmentally damaging. Organic cotton production serves as a sustainable alternative to conventional production, and has increasingly been included by brands and organisations in the United States and several European countries. However, in South Africa, organic cotton production and consumption remains in a formative stage. Though sustainable consumer intentions are there, they do not manifest in the consumers‟ buying behaviour. This study wants an attempt to promote the consumption of organic cotton apparel products by South African consumers through suggesting a more interconnected, transparent value chain providing a collaborative learning and teaching experience. The literature extensively reviews the cotton fibre industry and notion of fashion and design in connection to the sustainability debate. Further, it presents innovative design projects encouraging sustainable consumer lifestyles, indicating the necessity of a holistic and re-connective strategy to promote such behaviour. A qualitative multi-method research approach is employed – including a consumer survey, an in-context immersion, focus groups and interviews with key informants. These (mainly) participatory research methods aim to include participants in the design process as co-designers. Activity Theory is utilised as an analytical lens in this study to examine the dynamics of a number of actors in the SAOCP who share the objective of promoting organic cotton consumption in South Africa. Consequently, the Design for Sustainability model guides the adaptable design strategies that are relevant and sustainable within South Africa, and possibly also internationally in similar industrial contexts. This research study concludes that promotion of organic cotton consumption can be achieved through stakeholder re-connection in the organic cotton value chain, and the development of a humanised and transparent system. Ultimately, the strategies attempt to contribute to an increased well-being among actors through a deeper level of understanding of one‟s role in the SAOCP system.

Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2016-05-19T14:46:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruno Leonardo Quirino de Oliveira Freitas.pdf: 1416572 bytes, checksum: 4113eab1915b55f921e16af6ce24c5de (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-19T14:46:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruno Leonardo Quirino de Oliveira Freitas.pdf: 1416572 bytes, checksum: 4113eab1915b55f921e16af6ce24c5de (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-27 / The search for an alternative and more efficient agricultural production model concern ed with the preservation of natural resources leader to agroecology, on opproach that has been developing more and more. In order to bring this new vision of agriculture, in the 90's it was taken to, the community Maracajá in Taquaritinga North-PE Northeast of Brazil. However, until now agroecology is finding difficulty to be implementaed, in this context. This paper aims to identify the main difficulties in implementing agroecological activities in this community, as well as understand why some farmers adopted these practices and others don’t. We used questionnaires and interviews end the analyzes was besed on the model diffusion and analytical decision-making, model proposed by Everett Rogers (2003). We conclude that many farmers abandoned their agroecological practices due to lack of incentives, low economic return, and or different environment. This experience has shown great potential to farmers in semi arid Pernambuco. / Com a busca de um modo alternativo e mais eficiente de produção agrícola tendo preocupação com a preservação dos recursos naturais foi criada a agroecologia que vem se desenvolvendo cada vez mais. Com o intuito de trazer esta nova visão da atividade agrícola, na década de 90 foi levada esta tecnologia para comunidade Maracajá no município de Taquaritinga do Norte-PE. Entretanto, esta atividade até hoje vem encontrando dificuldade em sua implementação. Este trabalho tem como objetivo identificar as principais dificuldades de implantação de atividades agroecológicas nesta localidade, bem como, entender porque uma parcela de agricultores adotou estas práticas e outra não. Para isso foram utilizados questionários e entrevistas, e na análise dos dados usou-se modelo analítico de difusão e tomada de decisão proposto por Everett Rogers (2003). Conclui-se que grande parte dos agricultores abandonaram as práticas agroecologicas por falta de incentivos, baixo retorno econômico e condições climáticas diversas. Essa experiência mostrou grandes possibilidades de implantação da agroecologia para os agricultores do semi árido pernambucano.

Total agriculture area has during the last decades been reduced because of urbanization, land deterioration, and inputs of chemicals. Today many farmers produce monocultures and the agricultural production system has been reaching far away from a natural system. Attention is now needed to establish and minimize environmental impacts through changes towards a more environmentally friendly agriculture, worldwide. The aim of this thesis has been to examine an agroforestry system in Babati to see if and how this agricultural system is a sustainable agricultural production system. Through the theoretical framework of this thesis the agroforestry system is compared to what current research frontier present as needed for a more environmentally friendly agriculture, with the main importance to obtain fertile soils.The case study were made through semi-structural interviews and observation between February and March 2016 and showed that the agroforestry system examined met many of the needs presented for a sustainable agriculture, through no tillage, low-input of pesticides and no fertilizers, and by having a diverse system with crops and trees supporting healthy soils.

This study will examine the impacts of climate change on food security in Southern Ghana. Southern Ghana reveals that the district suffers post- harvest losses of about 8 percent of all cereals which hinders Ghana’s food security. Ghana still faces food insecurity due to high temperatures and low rainfall. This research therefore seeks to investigate what local communities of Southern Ghana are doing to address food insecurity problems with the advent of climate change. Several objectives to achieve this goal involves to identify factors hindering food security in Southern Ghana and to evaluate the extent that climate change has affected food security. A qualitative research approach was used by the researcher to come up with community strategies which this research seeks to address. Various conclusions such as community demand for support from the local government, sustainable irrigation programs, availability of pipe-borne water and environmental education were put in place, as possible solutions to the persisting food security problems in Southern Ghana.

Orientador: Angelica Góis Morales / Resumo: O atual cenário de degradação ambiental traz a preocupação que envolve sistemas agroalimentares. A agricultura convencional possibilita emergir discussões acerca de assuntos como o uso abusivo de agroquímicos, monoculturas, herbicidas, fungicidas e insumos químicos sintéticos com consequências devastadoras ao meio ambiente rural. Nesse sentido, uma opção que propõe sustentabilidade rural é a agroecologia. O presente trabalho objetivou compreender a identificação do agricultor familiar e sua relação com o sistema de produção agroecológico do assentamento Boa Esperança. A metodologia utilizada foi qualitativa, sendo adotadas narrativas dos agricultores familiares, que estão em transição dos sistemas de produção convencional para o agroecológico, localizados no município de João Ramalho, estado de São Paulo. Essa pesquisa trouxe evidências da importância da agroecologia como uma ciência capaz de propor práticas sustentáveis no ambiente rural, identificou a essência do/a agricultor/a com base em suas motivações e dificuldades, constatando sua relação com o sistema agroecológico e seu nível de transição agroecológica. Agricultores/as narraram suas motivações, expectativas e principais dificuldades encontradas no sistema de produção, apresentando conhecimentos ainda insuficientes na prática de manejos agroecológicos como um fator prejudicial, além de outros fatores como comercialização, políticas públicas, assistência técnica, padrões de consumo, aquisição de tecnologias, elementos... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The current scenario of environmental degradation brings concern that involves agri-food systems. Conventional agriculture enables discussions to emerge on issues such as the misuse of agrochemicals, monocultures, herbicides, fungicides and synthetic chemical inputs with devastating consequences for the rural environment. In this sense, one option that proposes rural sustainability is agroecology. The present work aimed to understand the identification of the family farmer and its relationship with the agroecological production system of the Boa Esperança settlement. The methodology used was qualitative, being adopted narratives of family farmers, who are in transition from conventional to agroecological production systems, located in the municipality of João Ramalho, state of São Paulo. This research brought evidence of the importance of agroecology as a science capable of proposing sustainable practices in the rural environment, identified the essence of the farmer based on his motivations and difficulties, noting its relationship with the agroecological system and its level of agroecological transition. . Farmers narrated their motivations, expectations and main difficulties encountered in the production system, presenting still insufficient knowledge in the practice of agroecological management as a harmful factor, as well as other factors such as marketing, public policies, technical assistance, consumption patterns, acquisition of technologies, elements that induce deci... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Smallholding coffee farmers in Colombia face many obstacles to satisfy their needs due to a changed climate, a low coffee price and the lack of saved financial capital, that in turns creates a vulnerability to unpredictable events. An increased sustainability in those smallholding systems could therefore be crucial. The objectives of this study were to identify sustainability constraints experienced by smallholding coffee farmers among two cooperatives in Colombia. Likewise to explore the usefulness of FAO:s sustainability tool “Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems (SAFA)” in the context of small-holding coffee systems. The study was conducted by the use of SAFA smallholder app and a participatory consultation, which evaluated four aspects of sustainability: environmental, social, economic and organizational governance, at male and female farmers from two coffee cooperatives. The results highlight that the farmers sustainability challenges were seen to be greatest due to climate and insects related losses and a low income. For them to meet these challenges, the financial capital was understood to be an obstacle. Obtaining external advice and help was often therefore seen as an opportunity to achieve those challenges. The SAFA tool gave in whole, a distinct illustration of the farm’s sustainability, while some parts of the configuration were perceived as not fully adapted to small farmers in developing countries.

Conventional agriculture is one of the widely adopted agricultural practices globally with an aim to increase production. This practice effectually increases yields, but with a growing array of environment and health concerns. Organic agriculture is reflected as a "sustainable substitute" for conventional agriculture, this phenomenon was investigated in this study by comparing the patterns of diversity and community structure of soil macrofauna as well as their relations with soil properties in organic and conventional ecosystems. Macrofauna was selected as model organisms for this study because these fauna groups are sensitive to changes in their environment and changes in their community structure offer an integrative assessment of ecosystem effects. Soil macrofauna were sampled using standardised procedures of Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility, in organic, intercropped and conventional wheat agroecosystems. The results show that the studied soil macrofauna groups, with an exception of Hymenoptera termites, are negatively affected by the intensity of conventional management, the organic and the intercropped systems exhibited similarities in species distributions, this was attributed to the cultural management practices applied to these systems where livestock manures and mulches, as well as practices such as no-till, are incorporated into the soil. Results obtained from the soil characterisation and analysis revealed that the dissimilarities in agroecosystem management have a significant influence on soil physicochemical properties, which consequently influences the distribution of the macrofauna assemblages. Stable isotopes did not reveal any significant differences between the systems, however macrofauna taxa, plant and soil samples from the organic systems were rich in natural abundance stable isotopes signatures, this aspect needs further investigation through extensive sampling under long term experiments, to observe clear differences. The general results of this study show that organic farming as an agricultural management strategy is the most stable system that positively supports the diversity in the soil macrofauna community and soil physicochemical properties as compared to the conventional system. Macrofauna diversity and functioning in the soil are affected by conventional agriculture, this may have negative implications for nutrient cycling and soil health in ecosystems cultivated under conventional monoculture, tillage and chemical intensifications. Continual research would be imperative to discover how the soil macrofauna contributes to ecosystem function and how they affect the soil ecosystem itself. / College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

With a growing human population, food insecurity is becoming a worldwide problem. As the search for sustainable sources of protein continues, black soldier fly larvae come to the forefront as a partial solution. Full of proteins and fats, the larvae will consume most organic matter and rapidly develop into a usable form. Supplementing black soldier fly larvae with oleaginous microbes Arthrobacter AK19 and Rhodococcus rhodochrous increases their body size by 25%, potentially accelerates their development by one day, and increases their conversion efficiency. Supplementing with Bifidobacterium breve decreased body size, slowed development, and decreased conversion efficiency, underscoring the importance of selecting supplemental microbes and testing first on a small-scale. Promising results on the small-scale led to an industrial study, where similar results were also seen, resulting in greater optimization of this system.

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