Perennial grain crops are an example of a ‘transformative technology,’ in which the functionality and science of the technology differ in a fundamental manner from conventional grain crops. A review of the literature indicates that the motivation for farmer adoption of transformative technologies is complex and poorly understood. At the same time, many studies have found concern and awareness about environmental issues to be significantly and positively correlated with the adoption of no-till agriculture, organic farming and agroforestry. Building on these insights, we conducted an ex ante study of perennial wheat adoption among 11 farmers from Michigan and Ohio. Perennial wheat is not yet commercially available, so a semi-structured interview format was chosen to allow for in-depth discussions of the crop's potential characteristics and uses. Consistent with the literature on transformative technology adoption, farmers who approached us to learn more about perennial grains described soil and environmental quality as their primary motivations for doing so. Farmers suggested a total of ten different uses for perennial wheat, only one of which was mentioned specifically by interviewers. This diversity of proposed uses implied a wide range of criteria for adoption. A striking result was that the ability of perennial wheat to compete with annual wheat on the basis of yield, a focus of researchers, was brought up by only one of the interviewees, as many farmers proposed perennial wheat as a means of solving a problem for which no other crop provided an adequate solution, often by planting perennial wheat on an under-used or marginal area of the farm. This is suggestive that interacting with farmers could alter priorities in perennial grain improvement, as has occurred in other radically transformative agriculture technologies.

Integrating cover crops into vegetable cropping systems can provide a wide range of ecological services, of which weed management is a key component. Cover crop effects on weed control, however, are dependent on termination methods and weed species present in specific cropping seasons. A 2-year weed management experiment with two cultivars of organic zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) in central Italy was carried out to compare the effect of a barley (Hordeum distichum L.) cover crop terminated with a modified roller-crimper (RC) to incorporated barley as green manure (GM) and a tilled control left fallow (FA) in the off-season. The effects of cover-crop management on crop competitiveness, yields and weed populations were evaluated by direct measurement, visual estimation and competition index methods. Results showed a significant reduction in weed biomass (>80%) and weed abundance with the RC compared to the GM and FA treatments. Moreover, the RC barley mulch maintained weed control in zucchini plots even under high weed pressure, as determined by the agronomic tolerance to competition (ATC) value of 67% in the RC treatment compared to 40 and 34% in the FA and GM treatments, respectively, averaged over both years of the experiment. The competitive balance (Cb), which quantified the ability of the zucchini crop to compete with weed populations, was also greater (+0.37) in the RC treatment compared to FA (−0.87) and GM (−0.69) treatments over the same period. Zucchini crop biomass was greatest in the RC treatment in 2011. Zucchini fruit yields varied from an average over both years of 1.4 Mg ha−1 in the RC treatment to 0.7 Mg ha−1 in the GM treatment, but yields in the FA treatment, 1.2 Mg ha−1, did not differ from the RC treatment. No differences in yield between ‘Dietary’ and ‘Every’ zucchini, or any significant interactions between cultivar and cover management related to fruit biomass, were observed. Our findings suggested the viability of the modified RC in creating a barley cover-crop mulch to effectively manage weeds and enhance yields in transplanted zucchini.

Despite the heightened efforts to implement eco-labeling schemes as the market-based vehicle for improving environmental quality, the overall effectiveness of eco-labels are still uncertain due to complex and sometimes unexpected market responses. In this paper, we assess the overall changes in carbon emissions resulting from two types of labeling on fresh apples, carbon labels and location designation labels (e.g., locally grown), both of which can have mixed implications for carbon emissions due to fluctuating supply chain factors. We employ an equilibrium displacement model that integrates existing estimates of differences across production systems, and our own estimates of consumer responses to labels in order to simulate the changes in prices, trade flows and estimate carbon impacts across several scenarios in the US fresh apple market. We find that both labels ultimately affect market outcomes and overall carbon emissions. With location designation labels, consumers’ preference for local products leads to a net decrease in carbon emissions during the local growing season, while the interaction of various market dynamics results in a subsequent net increase in carbon emissions during the local off-season. The interaction of a carbon label with the location label lowers the overall attractiveness of products and reduces the quantity demanded, and thus, reduces the carbon emissions in both seasons. Overall, providing the location designation label increases annual carbon emissions, whereas providing both the location designation and carbon labeling decreases annual emissions. In short, the dynamics and interdependency of labeling strategies are important to consider in the context of eco-labeling.

Since 2009 the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has funded over 2600 local food initiatives. However, the economic impacts of these policies remain unclear largely due to data deficiencies that preclude the understanding of differential expenditure patterns of farms participating in these local market channels (both in terms of what inputs they require, and where the inputs are purchased—local or not). This paper utilizes two unique data sets from samples of producers in New York State (NYS) to build expenditure profiles for local food system participants. We employ USDA Agricultural Resource Management Survey data as a robustness check on our results. The primary contribution of this paper is to provide preliminary evidence that local food system participants in NYS have different expenditure patterns than farmers who do not sell through local food markets. We show that farmers with local food sales have higher reliance on local labor and other variable expenses as primary inputs than farms without local food sales, and that local food producers spend a higher percentage of total expenditure in the local economy. Based on our results, we recommend that future economic impact assessments utilize revised expenditure profiles that more accurately reflect inter-industry linkages of the local food sector.

Transformations of the agricultural systems have been taking place in the coastal zone of Bangladesh. In different settings, farmers have become involved in massive shrimp cultivation, shrimp–rice cultivation, rice-based improved agricultural systems or shrimp–rice–vegetable-integrated systems. The long-term livelihood, food security and adaptation of the coastal people largely depend on the sustainability of these agricultural practices. In this context, assessing the level of sustainability is extremely important. The present study attempts to examine the sustainability of agricultural practices in the coastal zone of Bangladesh. A field study was carried out in five upazilas (counties) in the coastal zone. The data were collected through in-depth questionnaire surveys, focus groups discussions, field observation, key informants and secondary materials. A comprehensive suite of indicators was developed considering productivity, efficiency, stability, durability, compatibility and equity related to the coastal agriculture. The categories and the indicators were aggregated using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis to measure the sustainability level of five study sites. The integrated agricultural system (shrimp–rice–vegetables) of Dumuria appeared to be the most sustainable system among agricultural practices, and other integrated systems (rice-based) of Kalaroa were also found to show a good level of sustainability. The massive shrimp cultivation system of Shyamnagar and Kaliganj appears to be the least sustainable. A traditional agriculture system with some improved methods followed in Bhola Sadar also performed in a satisfactory manner. Measuring agricultural sustainability in this way produces a useful summary of sustainability issues. The information generated from the study may be used in formulating policies for this part of the country. The holistic and interdisciplinary approach employed here has the potential to a useful framework for sustainability assessment.

Organic producers are interested in developing a no-till system for crop production. In this study, we examined management tactics to convert perennial legumes to annual crops without tillage. Our hypothesis was that reducing carbohydrate production in the fall by mowing would favor winterkill. Mowing treatments were imposed in the fall of the third year of alfalfa or red clover, and corn planted in year 4. The conventional practice of tillage to convert legumes to cropland was also included as a treatment. Mowing in autumn reduced red clover biomass 93% compared with alfalfa when measured 3 weeks after corn planting (WAP). Red clover biomass was still 75% less than alfalfa 6 WAP. Fall mowing suppressed red clover sufficiently to enable corn seedlings to establish, but corn seedlings did not survive in mowed alfalfa due to alfalfa competition. Corn grain yield following red clover was similar in the mowed and tilled treatments when weeds were present. Late season clover and weed growth reduced corn yields 46% compared with weed-free corn. Weed emergence in corn was three times higher after tillage compared with the mowed treatment. Converting red clover to annual crops with fall mowing will support a no-till system for organic farming.

The rapid growth and co-option of the local agriculture movement highlights a need to deepen connections to place-based culture. Selection of plant varieties specifically adapted to regional production and end-use is an important component of building a resilient food system. Doing so will facilitate a defetishization of food systems by increasing the cultural connection to production and consumption. Today's dominant model of plant breeding relies on selection for centralized production and end-use, thereby limiting opportunity for regional differentiation. On the other hand, end-user-driven selection of heirloom varieties with strong cultural and culinary significance may limit productivity while failing to promote continued advances in end-use quality. Farmer-based selection may directly reflect local food culture; however, increasing genetic gains may require increased exchange of germplasm, and collaboration with trained plant breeders. Participatory farmer–breeder–chef collaborations are an emerging model for overcoming these limitations and adding the strength of culturally based plant breeding to the alternative food movement. These models of variety selection are examined within the context of small grain and dry bean production in Western Washington.