The Experts below are selected from a list of 1890 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform

Amy Brunvand - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Andrea Trujillo - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Robert Home - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Meaning of Organic Gardening in Swiss allotment gardens
    2016
    Co-Authors: Ingrid Jahrl, Robert Home
    Abstract:

    The degree of knowledge about Organic Gardening influences management practices, with synthetic fertilisers and pesticides more likely to be used when knowledge of alternatives is lacking. Gardeners often already apply some principles of Organic Gardening but misinformation exists about the concept. Incremental change might be fostered through targeted communication strategies. The effectiveness and purposefulness of Organic Gardening need to be demonstrated to gardeners and their representatives, through e.g. diversifying the supply of information and education, creating opportunities for networking, and offering more tools for support. The decision of whether to garden Organically is a combination of the attitude held by the gardener and the culture among neighbours and within the Gardening association; with city regulations playing a less important role. Through demonstrating the advantages and practical applications of Organic Gardening management, there is potential for creating a culture of Organic Gardening in Swiss allotment gardens.

  • Encouraging Organic cultivation practices in Swiss allotment gardens
    2014
    Co-Authors: Ingrid Jahrl, Robert Home
    Abstract:

    Allotment gardens are usually managed by associations, with small allotment plots rented to individual tenant gardeners. Many garden associations have rules for Organic production but the rules are neither followed nor policed. To find ways to motivate gardeners to manage their plots Organically, we investigate the attitudes of Swiss gardeners towards Organic Gardening, and which motivations can be used to encourage and promote Organic garden management. Interviews with 32 gardeners and other key informants from three Swiss target cities were analysed using content analysis. We found that Organic practices are more likely when knowledge is held and that the social environment has a strong influence on behaviour, so potential exists for encouraging a culture where Organic cultivation is the norm. Education strategies should therefore be developed in consultation with integration and education specialists to enhance their effectiveness by reaching their target groups in a way that encourages the cultural change.

Jan Adamowski - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Modeling sustainability visions: A case study of multi-scale food systems in Southwestern Ontario.
    Journal of environmental management, 2018
    Co-Authors: Johannes Halbe, Jan Adamowski
    Abstract:

    The process of systematically developing a sustainability vision is an important element of effective environmental management. Sustainability visions can, however, include contradictions and counterintuitive effects due to complex system behavior (e.g., feedback loops, multi-causality) and ambiguous system boundaries (e.g., choice of a scale, such as a regional or national scale). This paper proposes an innovative methodological framework for vision design and assessment (VDA) to analyze the sustainability of future visions on multiple scales with consideration of ecosystem services, and to test their plausibility based upon expert and local knowledge. First, requirements and functions of visionary system designs are identified. Second, a functional organizational analysis defines structures and processes that generate functions. Third, a literature review and participatory modeling process are conducted to analyze the system structures of visionary system designs using causal loop diagrams. Fourth, fuzzy cognitive mapping is used to assess visions based upon sustainability indicators. A case study on sustainable food systems in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, is provided to demonstrate the application of the methodology. Three designs of a sustainable food system were analyzed and tested: urban Organic Gardening, a local diversified Organic food system and a globalized commodity-based Organic food system. The results show the advantages and disadvantages of each system design and underline the sustainability benefits of a multi-scale food system based upon a combination of system designs.

Heli K Vari - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Yard vegetation is associated with gut microbiota composition.
    The Science of the total environment, 2020
    Co-Authors: Anirudra Parajuli, Nan Hui, Riikka Puhakka, Sami Oikarinen, Mira Grönroos, Ville A.o. Selonen, Nathan Siter, Lenka Kramna, Marja I. Roslund, Heli K Vari
    Abstract:

    Gut microbes play an essential role in the development and functioning of the human immune system. A disturbed gut microbiota composition is often associated with a number of health disorders including immune-mediated diseases. Differences in host characteristics such as ethnicity, living habit and diet have been used to explain differences in the gut microbiota composition in inter-continental comparison studies. As our previous studies imply that daily skin contact with Organic Gardening materials modify gut microflora, here we investigated the association between living environment and gut microbiota in a homogenous western population along an urban-rural gradient. We obtained stool samples from 48 native elderly Finns in province Hame in August and November 2015 and identified the bacterial phylotypes using 16S rRNA Illumina MiSeq sequencing. We assumed that yard vegetation and land cover classes surrounding homes explain the stool bacterial community in generalized linear mixed models. Diverse yard vegetation was associated with a reduced abundance of Clostridium sensu stricto and an increased abundance of Faecalibacterium and Prevotellaceae. The abundance of Bacteroides was positively and strongly associated with the built environment. Exclusion of animal owners did not alter the main associations. These results suggest that diverse vegetation around homes is associated with health-related changes in gut microbiota composition. Manipulation of the garden diversity, possibly jointly with urban planning, is a promising candidate for future intervention studies that aim to maintain gut homeostasis.