Repositório Aberto
Repositório Institucional da Universidade Aberta
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Improving ecosystem services through applied agroecology on german farms: costs and benefits
Publication . Wenzel, Bettina; Winkler, Julian; Kirchner, Sascha M.; Junge, Stephan Martin; Mendonça, Pedro; Alves, Fátima; Kehlenbeck, Hella
Under the EU’s new “Farm to Fork” strategy, crop production systems should rapidly become more environmentally friendly. In particular, by adopting agroecological measures that support functional biodiversity and improve ecosystem services for crop production, this paper contributes to the ongoing efforts in characterizing the socio-economic effects that the upscaling of these measures entails, by looking into two key measures: flower strips and mulching. One important socio-economic aspect of their adoption is their potential impact on agricultural income; however, knowledge on costs and benefits of measures enhancing functional biodiversity at the farm level is still limited. In order to improve these shortcomings our approach makes use of data from field experiments completed with interviews to provide cost–benefit results for flower strips and organic mulching. The estimations show that for “flower strips,” on average costs could be covered by compensation payments. Regarding the in-crop measure “organic mulching,” the benefits potentially outweigh the costs under the frame conditions of organic agriculture. The analysis also highlights some obstacles and knowledge gaps in the estimation of benefits, especially for off-crop measures like flower strips.
Interculturality in the development of technology-mediated courses for massive health education: a systematic review
Publication . Cunha, Priscila Sanara; Brabalho, Ingridy Marina Pierre; Fernandes, Filipe Ricardo dos Santos; Romão, Manoel Honorio; Valentim, Janina Luana Rodrigues da Silva; Coutinho, Karla Mônica Dantas; Araújo, Kaline Sampaio de; Valentim, Ricardo Alexsandro de Medeiros; Dias, Aline de Pinho; Baptista, Natalia Araújo do Nascimento; Silva, José Adailton da; Clemente, Heleni Aires; Alves, Fátima; Coutinho, Karilany Dantas
Virtual Learning Environments have become innovative tools in health professionals education. Through Massive Open Online Courses, they enable different ways of connecting with knowledge, facilitating study autonomy, interaction, and closer alignment with professional practices and the context of course participants. MOOCs comprise an educational strategy for many fields, including health. As they educate health professionals about a variety of practices, MOOCs play a crucial role in interculturality by enabling professionals to approach cultural diversity in work settings. This study provides a review of the literature investigating the element of interculturality in the production of healthcare-related MOOCs intended for a variety of audiences, including practicing healthcare professionals, healthcare professional trainees, and the general public. Based on a systematic review protocol, we searched for peer-reviewed studies published between 2016 and 2023 in Science Direct, PubMed, ERIC, and Scopus. Fifteen studies were selected for final analysis, which highlighted MOOC development, its underlying processes, and its importance in promoting health and social well-being. MOOCs have (1) provided new approaches to technology-mediated learning in distance health education, (2) aided training, (3) disseminated knowledge, and (4) promoted interculturality. Continuous collaboration and innovation in MOOC development are essential to ensure their effectiveness and relevance in the contemporary educational scenario.
Socio-economic characterization of Portuguese kiwi growers: facing current social and sustainability challenges
Publication . Alves, Fátima; Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Bica, João; Castro, Paula Cristina de Oliveira
This paper reports a socio-economic characterization of the Portuguese kiwifruit sector. A survey was applied between 2019 and 2020 to a sample of 94 kiwifruit farmers (males 76%, females 24%). 72 percent of the participants declare that kiwi cultivation is a complementary occupation characterized by an intergenerational pattern (25.6%). Almost 70 percent of the orchards are under 5 ha, and 26.8 percent declare that their company does not have a positive turnover. The labour force is mainly seasonal. Regarding the challenges, 21.1 percent struggle with disease control in their orchards and 19.0 percent have difficulty in finding workers. The findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the socio-economic dynamics underpinning kiwifruit cultivation in Portugal, offering insights for policy interventions and sectoral development strategies.
Voices of the absent: the agency of nature and future in climate regeneration
Publication . Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Alves, Fátima
This paper contends that conventional participatory approaches are increasingly insufficient to address the complexity of the climate crisis and advocates for expanding climate deliberation to include, in addition to marginalized groups, representatives of Nature and Future Generations. It asserts that recognizing these “absent” stakeholders necessitates a departure from anthropocentric governance, facilitated by legal and ethical innovations such as Rights of Nature frameworks and intergenerational equity. Drawing on insights from the EU H2020 Phoenix project and its proposed Territorial Commissions for Co-Design, the analysis demonstrates that while actors may express willingness in principle, they frequently lack practical mechanisms for selection and representation. For Nature, obstacles encompass the lack of legal personhood, challenges in communication and representation, and conflicts between ecological integrity and economic interests. For Future Generations, impediments include short-term political horizons, limited voice and representation, and the difficulty of equitably balancing present and future needs. The paper advances a flexible, context-sensitive model that integrates institutional reform with sociocultural transformation, including adaptive communication strategies and the incorporation of local, traditional, and ancestral knowledge. It concludes that regenerative climate governance relies on ongoing reflection, culturally responsive decision-making spaces, and sustained collaborative action that accommodates historically excluded interests.
Natures instead of nature—plural perceptions and representations of nature and its challenges for ecological transition: a systematic review of the scientific production
Publication . Vidal, Diogo Guedes; Alves, Fátima; Valentim, Cristina Sá; Freitas, Helena
Background
Recognizing nature and the environment as sociocultural constructions is critical to enhancing a transformational ecological change. This involves understanding their diverse sociocultural meanings and societal approaches and how these understandings affect equitable ecological transitions. We reviewed empirical studies and essays, categorizing 161 studies into three main categories: opposition, domination, and interdependencies, reflecting varying knowledge, power dynamics, cultures, and contexts. These studies aim to uncover how societies conceptualize, explain, and engage with nature and the environment, shaping society–nature relationships and influencing ecological transitions.
Results
This study underscores the diverse perceptions and representations of nature, from a controllable resource to an integrated web of life. Three main categories emerged: (i) nature against society, in a logic of opposition; (ii) nature subordinated to society, in a logic of domination, although integrated into society; and (iii) nature united with society, in a logic of interdependence. Thus, this study advocates discussing “natures” as sociocultural constructs, highlighting the plurality of social perceptions and representations, which can inform policies and challenge socio-political and socio-economic systems.
Conclusions
This review may pave the way to, first, give visibility and value that diversity and plurality as an instrument that can enrich policies and defy socio-political and socio-economic systems to change and, second, identify the main drivers and resistances that the implementation of an ecological transformation change may face in different sociocultural contexts.