Ivan Novotny


Last Name

Novotny

First Name

Ivan

ORCID

0000-0003-1438-3711

Organisational unit

03723 - Ghazoul, Jaboury / Ghazoul, Jaboury

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2022 - 20244
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Publications 1 - 4 of 4
  • Lessons learned from the Second International Agrobiodiversity Congress: Adopting agricultural biodiversity as a catalyst for transformative global food systems
    Item type: Review Article
    Zaccari, Claudia; De Vivo, Romano; Pawera, Lukas; et al. (2023)
    Current Opinion in Environmental Science & Health
    Building more sustainable, equitable, and resilient food systems means rethinking how we consume, produce, and safeguard agrobiodiversity that can benefit the planet and secure access to nutritious food for all. This was the purpose of the 2021 Second International Agrobiodiversity Congress, convening scientists, Indigenous Peoples, entrepreneurs, and policymakers to share and advance research, nature-positive solutions, and policies. Congress organizers set out to showcase agrobiodiversity's role in positively transforming food systems, present solutions and business opportunities to enhance multi-stakeholder collaborations, and reinforce the commitments made during international events of 2021. The take-home messages from this Congress support the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit to chart a path of concrete actions that can deliver on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  • Exploring farmer choices in Southern Togo: Utilizing a strategy game to understand decision-making in agricultural practices
    Item type: Journal Article
    Novotny, Ivan; Boul Lefeuvre, Nastasia; Attiogbé, Koffi S.; et al. (2024)
    Agricultural Systems
    CONTEXT: Agriculture plays a vital role in African countries, driving economic growth, employment, and non-agricultural sector improvements. However, persistent food insecurity and poverty among smallholder families raise concerns. Land fragmentation compounds these issues, limiting agricultural productivity and pushing farmers towards off-farm activities, despite Africa's potential agricultural markets. OBJECTIVE: The study's focus is Donomadé, a remote village in southern Togo. This study pursues a dual objective. Firstly, it investigates how household characteristics, including family size and resource availability, influence farmers' resource management decisions. Secondly, the research employs serious games to comprehend farmers' livelihood strategy choices within constrained real-world-like conditions. METHODS: The iterative and participatory Companion Modelling (ComMod) approach was utilized for the co-design and co-development of a serious game. This involved close collaboration with a local research team from the University of Lomé, a local NGO, and Donomadé village farmers. Various farming systems were characterized, and collective insights into Donomadé's agricultural dynamics were gathered through surveys, interviews, and workshops. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of their in-game roles, farmers prioritize fulfilling basic family needs, such as food security and education instead of investing in agriculture. The study underscores the significance of household composition and resource availability when designing technology interventions or support mechanisms for farmers. Aligning interventions with farmers' overarching goals and challenges can enhance technology adoption. Furthermore, addressing food security remains crucial for sustainable development, as it not only improves human welfare and alleviates hunger but also forms the foundation for comprehensive solutions in the face of climate change, resource constraints, and population growth. SIGNIFICANCE: This research highlights that heavy investment in agriculture is not the priority for many farmers in southern Togo, despite it being their main source of sustenance and income. Addressing immediate family needs, especially food security, education, and housing, takes precedence over long-term agricultural investments. Given the persistent challenge of food security amidst global uncertainties, addressing these priorities is paramount to stimulate more significant interest in agricultural investment.
  • Direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions under conventional, organic, and conservation agriculture
    Item type: Journal Article
    Fuentes-Ponce, Mariela H.; Gutiérrez-Díaz, Jonatán; Flores-Macías, Antonio; et al. (2022)
    Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
    Farm activities contribute to approximately one-third of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Most of the GHG in the atmosphere comes from carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O). The main objective of this research is to investigate direct and indirect GHG emission in five different agroecosystems, contrasted by tillage agricultural, farm practices (oat and maize-fava and vetch).CO2, N2O y CH4 concentrations were measured using two closed static chambers. Total biomass and production costs were determined. Indirect emissions were calculated from fuel used in producing and packing of synthetic fertilizers and herbicide, and sheep manure mineralization. The results showed that CO2 was the gas that most contributes to GHG emissions followed by the CH4 and NO2. The agrosystem with reduce tillage and synthetic inputs had the highest emissions (979 CO2 eq kg ha−1). Agrosystems using synthetic inputs (conventional and reduce tillage) showed higher indirect emissions (958 and 856 CO2 eq kg ha−1 respectively). Maize in monoculture produced more than the systems with rotation or intercropping. Reduced tillage with intercropping and organic inputs was the most expensive to produce but had the least gas emission per dollar invested and per kilogram of biomass produced while conventional tillage agrosystems with organic or synthetic inputs stored little carbon in the soil, produced less biomass per unit area and presented higher CO2 eq emissions per unit of biomass.
  • Exploring nutrient-sensitive landscape configurations for rural communities in southern Mexico
    Item type: Journal Article
    Novotny, Ivan; Rossing, Walter A.H.; Tittonell, Pablo; et al. (2024)
    Landscape and Urban Planning
    In Mexico, the traditional MILPA polycropping system is giving way to maize monocultures, impacting the nutritional diversity of smallholder farmers and diminishing ecosystem services. This study explores landscape alternatives to enhance nutritional self-sufficiency and environmental performance in rural communities, comparing scenarios without (S1) and with (S2) innovative cropping systems. The innovations, maize-squash and MIAF (a variation of MILPA with fruit trees), were evaluated using the LandscapeIMAGES modeling framework in two Oaxacan municipalities: Santa Catarina Tayata (SCT) and San Cristóbal Amoltepec (SCA). The assessment considered nutritional elements, ecosystem services proxies, labor requirements, and income associated with various land-use options. In scenario S1, nutritional self-sufficiency was achievable in SCT but not in SCA, even with a 17% expansion of agriculture into forest and grassland areas. Scenario S2, incorporating maize-squash and MIAF, facilitated nutritional self-sufficiency in both municipalities, while concurrently boosting incomes, carbon stocks, and reducing soil erosion. This research underscores the potential of reshaping landscapes in small communities to address widespread issues like nutritional gaps and inadequate natural resource conservation. By emphasizing innovative cropping systems, the study provides positive solutions to enhance the well-being of smallholder farmers and promote sustainable land use practices in the face of evolving agricultural trends.
Publications 1 - 4 of 4