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Sustainability in Protected Crops
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Sustainability in Protected Crops

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 16615

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. José María Cámara-Zapata

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Applied Physic, Miguel Hernández University, 03202 Elche, Spain
Interests: crop production; water and energy management in sustainable agriculture; education in physics for agricultural engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Extreme weather conditions and the reduction in the quantity and quality of available resources threaten the sustainability of agricultural production and the resilience of farms. However, the importance of this sector is key for society, as has been demonstrated in the recent health crisis caused by COVID-19. Greenhouse cultivation is the most intensive form of plant production in terms of production yield, investment, and inputs. This Special Issue includes empirical articles that analyze sustainability along the agri-food value chain for greenhouse products from economic, environmental, and social points of view. Particular consideration is given (but not limited) to empirical articles that analyze the contribution to the sustainability of new applications in market price analysis, studies of costs, economic, environmental, and social water, energy and raw material use efficiency, circular economy, precision agriculture, smart farming, nutrients and waste management, life cycle analysis, production, storage and/or consumption of energy, renewable energy, and bioenergy.

Prof. José María Cámara-Zapata
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Bioenergy
  • Carbon footprint
  • Circular economy
  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Energy in agricultural applications
  • Estimate costs for water, energy and other raw materials
  • Greenhouse gas reduction
  • Life cycle analysis
  • Predicts markets prices
  • Mechanization
  • Nutrients management
  • Precision agriculture
  • Renewable energy
  • Value chain agri-food
  • Waste management
  • Water, energy, and raw material use efficiency
  • Water, energy, and other raw materials management

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 1296 KiB  
Article
Research on Innovative Training on Smart Greenhouse Technologies for Economic and Environmental Sustainability
by Angeliki Kavga, Vasileios Thomopoulos, Pantelis Barouchas, Nikolaos Stefanakis and Aglaia Liopa-Tsakalidi
Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10536; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910536 - 23 Sep 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5279
Abstract
Great advancements in technologies such as big data analytics, robots, remote sensing, the Internet of Things, decision support systems and artificial intelligence have transformed the agricultural sector. In the greenhouse sector, these technologies help farmers increase their profits and crop yields while minimizing [...] Read more.
Great advancements in technologies such as big data analytics, robots, remote sensing, the Internet of Things, decision support systems and artificial intelligence have transformed the agricultural sector. In the greenhouse sector, these technologies help farmers increase their profits and crop yields while minimizing the production costs, produce in a more environmentally friendly way and mitigate the risks caused by climate change. In greenhouse farming, especially in the Mediterranean region, a lack of knowledge and qualified personnel able to uptake new knowledge, the small size of farms, etc., make it difficult to implement new technologies. Although it is necessary to demonstrate the advantages of innovations related to sustainable agriculture, there is a little opportunity for specific training on greenhouse production in cutting-edge technologies. To gain insight into this problem, questionnaires for greenhouse farmers and intermediaries were developed in multiple choice format and filled in by the stakeholders. A statistical analysis was performed, and the results are presented in graphical form. In most cases, the findings confirmed that producers who run small farms, in most cases, have a lack of knowledge, especially on how to manage climate control systems or fertigation systems. The majority of farmers were elderly with a low level of education, which makes it difficult to be aware of the training issues, due to distrust and a lack of innovation culture. Therefore, their strategy was usually survival with cost control. However, young graduates have been recently returning to agriculture, and they are open to training activities and innovation. The most desirable training offer should be related to sustainable agriculture and precision agriculture technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Protected Crops)
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27 pages, 2969 KiB  
Article
UK Consumers’ Preferences for Ethical Attributes of Floating Rice: Implications for Environmentally Friendly Agriculture in Vietnam
by Vo Hong Tu, Steven W. Kopp, Nguyen Thuy Trang, Andreas Kontoleon and Mitsuyasu Yabe
Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8354; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158354 - 27 Jul 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5955
Abstract
Vietnam plays an important role in bearing global food security. However, Vietnamese rice farmers face several challenges, including pressures to develop sustainable livelihoods while reducing the environmental impacts of their production activities. Various Vietnamese agricultural restructuring policies were promulgated to promote the adoption [...] Read more.
Vietnam plays an important role in bearing global food security. However, Vietnamese rice farmers face several challenges, including pressures to develop sustainable livelihoods while reducing the environmental impacts of their production activities. Various Vietnamese agricultural restructuring policies were promulgated to promote the adoption of environmentally friendly practices to generate high value added for rice farmers, but the farmers are reluctant to adopt them because of perceived lack of demand. Decreasing consumption of rice in Asia and increasing demands in Europe shaped Vietnamese rice exporting policies. New trade agreements, such as the UK–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, offer new target markets for Vietnamese rice farmers. This research provides empirical evidence related to the preferences of UK consumers for ethical attributes for floating rice imported from Vietnam. Floating rice represents a traditional method of rice cultivation that relies on the natural flooding cycle. Its cultivation uses very few agrochemical inputs and provides several other environmental, economic, and social benefits. In an online survey, the study used a choice experiment that asked 306 UK consumers to report their preferences for one kilo of floating rice with three non-market attributes: reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, allocation of profits to the farmers, and restitution of biodiversity. Overall, study participants favored the attributes of floating rice, but reported utility for only the “fair trade” attribute and for a marginal willingness to pay premiums for profit allocations to farmers. Consumers did not find value in either CO2 emission reduction or biodiversity improvement. Results from the study provide recommendations to develop agricultural programs, distribution strategies, and informational methods to encourage floating rice consumption in the UK. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Protected Crops)
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24 pages, 2687 KiB  
Article
Historical Analysis of the Role of Governance Systems in the Sustainable Development of Biofuels in Brazil and the United States of America (USA)
by Zaman Sajid, Maria Aparecida Batista da Silva and Syed Nasir Danial
Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6881; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126881 - 18 Jun 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4662
Abstract
The United States of America and Brazil are the world’s first and second-largest biofuels producers. The United States (U.S.) has dedicated a significant portion of agricultural land for crops to produce biodiesel, while Brazil has been using sugar cane as raw material to [...] Read more.
The United States of America and Brazil are the world’s first and second-largest biofuels producers. The United States (U.S.) has dedicated a significant portion of agricultural land for crops to produce biodiesel, while Brazil has been using sugar cane as raw material to produce ethanol. To make the world’s top producers in global biofuel markets, various institutions in each country have played significant roles. These institutions include renewable energy legislators, bioenergy policymakers, and energy ministries of their governments. This study delineates the historical role of these institutions responsible for the sustainable development of biofuel industries in both countries. It also provides an overview of economic impacts as a result of institutional decisions. The study reveals that systematic legislations and sustainable and robust renewable energy policies of government institutions have helped the U.S. and Brazil to boost their bio-economies. As both countries intend to keep expanding their biofuel productions, the role of key government institutions is vital in the sustainability of biofuels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Protected Crops)
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