Tag: Sustainability
Developing a rapid assessment tool for identifying and safeguarding pollinators: A case study from a global avocado company
Agricultural intensification poses a global threat to many wild species, including insect pollinators. Despite the dependence of many companies on insect-pollinated crops within their supply chains, only a limited number of them actively implement measures to protect pollinators. This study aims to address this issue by developing a tool that businesses can employ to create effective pollinator conservation strategies. To create this tool, we utilized an existing roadmap as a foundational structure
Influence of Avocado Plantations as Driver of Land Use and Land Cover Change in Chile’s Aconcagua Basin
Land use and land cover (LULC) change is a dynamic process influenced by various factors, including agricultural expansion. In Chile’s Aconcagua Basin, avocado plantations are potentially driving territorial transformations. However, current land cover data lacks the resolution required to accurately assess this impact. Accordingly, our study used advanced geospatial analysis techniques to address this gap. Through a detailed analysis of the spatial and temporal changes, it was determined that
Embracing Avocado (Persea americana) Farming Among Smallholder Farmers in Rural Households in Kenya: Challenges, Opportunities and Strategies for Sustainable Growth
Avocado farming in Kenya has become both a vital livelihood source and a thriving agricultural enterprise, driven by rising global demand and government initiatives to boost exports (Suljada, 2024; Shivachi et al., 2023). This study examines the challenges and opportunities in avocado farming, with a focus on smallholder farmers in Kiambu County. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study collected primary data through surveys, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions, while secondary
Proximity to natural habitat enhances flower visitor diversity and pollination services in avocado orchards
Insect pollination is known to increase avocado yields, with wild pollinators likely playing an important role. In central Chile, the rapid expansion of avocado orchards has resulted in highly diverse natural habitats being replaced by plantations, potentially negatively impacting wild pollinators and thus avocado production. This study aimed to understand the role of natural habitats and wild pollinators in avocado production by (1) exploring the relationship between flower visitor abundance and
Long-Term Trajectory Analysis of Avocado Orchards in the Avocado Belt, Mexico
Avocado orchards are among the most profitable and fastest-growing commodity crops in Mexico, especially in the area known as the “Avocado Belt”. Several efforts have been made to monitor their expansion; however, there is currently no method that can be easily updated to track this expansion. The main objective of this study was to monitor the expansion of avocado orchards from 1993 to 2024, using the Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) algorithm and Landsat 5, 7, 8, and 9
Valorization of waste biomass via an integrated gasification system for the co-production of dimethyl ether and urea
Energy and chemicals such as urea have a large carbon footprint associated to greenhouse gas emissions and must be developed sustainably for the sake of society. This work presents the simulations of a system to produce Dimethyl Ether (DME) and urea from the air gasification of waste biomass coupled with carbon capture technology. The potential of different waste biomasses (avocado stone, palm tree husk and sugar cane bagasse) in the co-production of DME and urea was assessed in terms of reaction,