Agricultural Policies and Governance

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 23654

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
Interests: agricultural biotechnology; plant stress responses; hormone biology; indoor farming; sustainable agriculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The 21st century is threatened by climate change and associated environmental threats, which are already straining the economic, social, and political systems of all nations. On the positive side, this period is seeing some of the most important scientific innovations and advancements in human history. Agricultural practices are a crucial part of meeting the increasing global demand for food. Unlike government policies that have focussed entirely on ensuring a stable food supply, there is a growing realisation worldwide that new policies and governance practices are needed to preserve natural resources, restore ecosystems, and promote sustainable agricultural practices and cost-effective technologies to meet society’s needs for food, fibre and fuel.  Whilst there is no one solution that fits all countries or regions, it is timely to review and emphasise the need for agricultural policies and modes of governance that can meet the challenge of a new pro-environment paradigm. Submissions are invited that examine current agricultural policies, laws and governance practices, and provide suggestions for improvement, especially where regulations and policies are not providing support for the required future development.

Prof. Dr. Priti Krishna
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • agricultural governance
  • agricultural policy
  • sustainable agriculture
  • agricultural biotechnology
  • land and water use
  • urban agriculture
  • agricultural technologies

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 321 KiB  
Article
Environmental Regulation of Agriculture in Federal Systems of Government: The Case of Australia
by Evan Hamman, Felicity Deane, Amanda Kennedy, Anna Huggins and Zoe Nay
Agronomy 2021, 11(8), 1478; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11081478 - 25 Jul 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3639
Abstract
The regulation of environmental impacts from agriculture can take place at various scales. In some nations, with federal systems of government, the multiscale nature of regulatory interventions can be confusing for farmers, not to mention costly and time-consuming to navigate. Regulatory overlap contributes [...] Read more.
The regulation of environmental impacts from agriculture can take place at various scales. In some nations, with federal systems of government, the multiscale nature of regulatory interventions can be confusing for farmers, not to mention costly and time-consuming to navigate. Regulatory overlap contributes to inefficiency and wastage in governance efforts, reduced trust in government action and can preclude positive environmental outcomes across the landscape. In this article, we explore how Australia’s national-level law has been applied to agricultural land use. We canvas the concepts of regulatory complexity and ambiguity, and argue for a more integrated and flexible policy mix that rewards positive behaviour and stewardship of natural capital. This model would provide financial and other personal gains for those who can demonstrate objectives are being met. Further empirical research on fine-tuning that policy mix, again across scale, is warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Policies and Governance)
17 pages, 2076 KiB  
Article
New State Structure and Agriculture Governance: A Case of Service Delivery to Local Farmers in the Eastern Gangetic Plains of Nepal
by Hari Dahal, Madhav Karki, Tamara Jackson and Dinesh Panday
Agronomy 2020, 10(12), 1874; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121874 - 27 Nov 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 12647
Abstract
Under the new constitution adopted in 2015, Nepal embraced the federal structure of government comprising seven provincial and 753 local governments, each with their own legislative, judicial, and executive powers. Nepal’s agriculture sector provides livelihoods to about 60% of the population. However, its [...] Read more.
Under the new constitution adopted in 2015, Nepal embraced the federal structure of government comprising seven provincial and 753 local governments, each with their own legislative, judicial, and executive powers. Nepal’s agriculture sector provides livelihoods to about 60% of the population. However, its bottlenecks are rooted in poor implementation of agricultural policies and plans, low levels of investment, uncertain political commitment and weak governance, especially a lack of an effective service delivery mechanism to farmers. This study analyzed the impacts of federalism on the institutional arrangements and governance of the agriculture sector through both review of literature and field-level information gathering, particularly focusing on extension service delivery to farmers in Province 2. The findings highlight the impacts of federalism on agricultural governance mainly in functional overlapping, resource allocation, priority setting, coordination, human resource management, and extension service delivery. The lack of coordination and collaboration between the three tiers of government and the line agencies results in less-effective extension service delivery, especially in providing integrated, specialized technical services to farmers which is the main responsibility of local governments. Lack of poor understanding of governance, institutionalization, and human resources management is found to be one of the most serious problems with the provincial and local governments. The consequences are that despite a huge potential to improve service delivery leading to increased production and a market surplus, the province remains food-deficient and lacks food and nutrition security. The study recommends a strong political commitment, better policy and institutional coordination and coherence, and good governance in all tiers of government by providing demand-driven agricultural services leading to higher cropping intensity and productivity potential for which it is well recognized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Policies and Governance)
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Review

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14 pages, 257 KiB  
Review
Connecting Nature: The Potential of Australian Dairy Initiatives in Collaborative Biodiversity Governance
by Amy Cosby, Andrew Lawson, Jane Gudde and Eloise S. Fogarty
Agronomy 2022, 12(2), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12020366 - 31 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3241
Abstract
The dairy industry can be considered a contributor to biodiversity loss in Australia. To address this, many forms of governance can be enlisted, including traditional legislation and regulations, persuasive techniques such as publicly funded subsidy programs or education, and participation in voluntary stewardship [...] Read more.
The dairy industry can be considered a contributor to biodiversity loss in Australia. To address this, many forms of governance can be enlisted, including traditional legislation and regulations, persuasive techniques such as publicly funded subsidy programs or education, and participation in voluntary stewardship programs. This paper explores the benefits of collaborative governance programs, which have international applications to reduce the impact of the dairy industry on biodiversity loss. However, as the Australian sector is unique, the specific opportunities and present challenges are discussed. This paper reports three important objectives that could underpin industry-led initiatives by supporting improved biodiversity conservation on dairy farms: (1) Increase the personal and financial capacities of individual farmers to operate profitable, biodiverse farms; (2) Facilitate market rewards to incentivise pro-conservation behaviours; and (3) Improve the effectiveness of the implementation of biodiversity protection laws and regulatory objectives via collaborative governance arrangements. Existing environmental programs that have been developed by the dairy industry could be suitable for incorporation into more formal co-governance structures sympathetic to biodiversity conservation. However, to be successful in addressing sustainability issues, including biodiversity loss, strengthening the integrity mechanisms around farmers’ self-reporting of performance is required to ensure that the industry can credibly refute claims of greenwashing and defend their environmental credentials in the global marketplace. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Policies and Governance)
13 pages, 263 KiB  
Review
A Future-Focused View of the Regulation of Rural Technology
by Paul Martin
Agronomy 2021, 11(6), 1153; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11061153 - 4 Jun 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2513
Abstract
There has been an explosion of innovation in agricultural technologies, but whether the anticipated benefits are fully realised depends partly upon with the institutional structures are supportive. Many types of law will shape what innovations are viable and the scale of the economic [...] Read more.
There has been an explosion of innovation in agricultural technologies, but whether the anticipated benefits are fully realised depends partly upon with the institutional structures are supportive. Many types of law will shape what innovations are viable and the scale of the economic returns. Australia does not have a coherent strategy for future rural regulation that will both minimise the public risks and increase the private opportunities from future agricultural innovation. This paper addresses these issues. It considers the diverse legal issues that will affect these opportunities, and it looks particularly at agricultural robotics as an example of the many ways in which legal issues will shape opportunities from innovation. It proposes that an integrated strategy, based on a careful analysis of future issues, would be a significant contributor to Australia’s agricultural sector and to its innovating industries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Policies and Governance)
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