Motivating Approaches to Biodiversity Conservation: A Case of Forest Dwellers in Nameri National Park of Assam-India

This paper highlights the implementation of Forest Rights Act to conserving protected areas in the country; Forest Rights Act (2006) has been passed by the parliament of India with dual aims of protecting the right of forest dwellers and at the same time this Act tries to acquire the involvement of forest dwellers to protect forest/protected areas. The main objective of the paper is to determine the factors which influence motivation to spend efforts in terms of work hour for biodiversity conservation in Nameri National Park. A total of 78 numbers of households were interviewed from two forest villages (i.e. Torajan and Dharikati) and two encroached villages (i.e. Rihajuli and Chopaloga) located in the south buffer of Nameri National Park in Assam during March and June of 2021. Respondents in forests village are more willing to spend effort than that of encroacher’s village to conservation. Sex, age, literacy of the respondents and size of land holdings were found to be significantly related to spending time for biodiversity conservation programme. In this paper attempt has been made to emphasize the nature of motivation of the communities towards biodiversity conservation issues.

Adaption Actions to Cope with Climate Change: Evidence from Farmers’ Preferences on an Agrobiodiversity Conservation Programme in the Mediterranean Area

The paper investigates the attitude of farmers to participate in an on-farm conservation programme based on the cultivation of vine landraces in Apulia, southern Italy, in place of the current commercial varieties, as an adaptation strategy to climate changes. The results, based on choice experiments and assessed through a latent class model, highlight a general interest of the regional farmers toward the biodiversity-based adaptation programme for coping with climate change. In particular, three classes of respondents were identified: (i) farmers operating on the whole regional territory and willing to cultivate up to 50% of their farm area with up to two landraces and compensation in line with the aid set by the regional rural programme; (ii) winegrowers of the intensive rural areas and willing to cultivate up to 25% of their farm with up to two landraces and a compensation greater than 200% compared to the aid of the regional rural programme; (iii) farmers operating in the intermediate rural areas and willing to cultivate up to 50% of their farm with up to three landraces and a compensation greater than 50% compared to the aid of the regional rural programme. Policymakers should calibrate adaption actions depending on rural areas, since economic, social, cultural, behavioural and cognitive barriers, as well as structural characteristics of farms, impact the farmers’ attitudes toward measures aimed at coping with climate change.

Perspectives on native maize conservation in Mexico: a public programme analysis

Summary In any conservation programme, a variety of actors participate and interact in its different phases. They commonly have different perspectives and priorities regarding conservation, and diversity in the ensuing perspectives constitutes a barrier to effective conservation. In this paper, we analyse the different perspectives around the Programa de Conservación de Maíz Criollo (Programme for the Conservation of Native Maize in Mexico; PROMAC) in order to understand the possible causes that resulted in the programme not fulfilling its objectives. We used Q methodology and semi-structured interviews with farmers from a natural protected area to analyse the perspectives of the key actors who conceptualized, designed and implemented the programme and of the target population. Our research identified two different perspectives: (1) native maize can only be conserved with the support of community processes; and (2) the government, and not farmers, is responsible for the conservation of native maize. For farmers, native maize is key to their subsistence livelihoods, and they participated in the programme because of government monetary incentives. These differences contributed to dissimilar interpretations throughout the programme’s implementation phase, which, in turn, likely contributed to PROMAC failing to meet its objectives.

Breeding and Performance Potential of Puławska Pigs – A Review

The aim of the study was to discuss breeding of pigs of the Puławska breed, which is included in a Genetic Resources Conservation Programme, and to analyse performance parameters that are useful in domestic pig production. The Puławska breed is the oldest native breed of pig in Poland. Since 1996 it has been protected by a genetic resources conservation programme, owing to breeding traditions and the production traits characteristic of the breed. The use value of these pigs is currently at the level of maternal breeds: number of live piglets born per litter – 10.54; number of piglets reared per litter – 9.37; daily weight gains – 569 g for breeding boars and 562 g for breeding gilts; meat content – 54.6% for breeding boars and 54.9% for breeding gilts. An important element in favour of the use of this breed in domestic production of fresh pork and pork products is its meat quality parameters. The mean values for physical traits (WHC 22.42%, pH45 6.47, pH24 5.63) and chemical parameters (protein 22.70%, fat 2.65%) are characteristic of meat of normal quality. The Puławska breed can be used to produce high-quality fresh meat and meat products, including traditional and regional ones. Puławska pigs are bred and reared according to the principles of sustainable agriculture, which reduces the negative impact of pig production on the natural environment.