https://hdl.handle.net/10419/149467 Mon, 14 Sep 2026 02:52:25 GMT 2026-09-14T02:52:25Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336986 Title: Land rights perceptions and farmer behavior: Evidence from Central Asia Authors: Akhmadiyeva, Zarema; Herzfeld, Thomas Abstract: Secure land tenure is widely believed to foster agricultural investment. However, farmers’ subjective perceptions of land rights rather than legal entitlements may ultimately shape their land use decisions. This study analyzes how perceived land rights and their discrepancies with written rules influence farmers’ intentions to intensify land use. Building on the Theory of Planned Behavior and survey data from 955 farmers in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, we find that perceived land rights and their discrepancies play an important role in shaping intensification intentions, but through context-specific mechanisms. In Kazakhstan, perceived land rights positively influence farmers’ intentions only indirectly through attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. In Uzbekistan, by contrast, perceived land rights are negatively associated with intensification intentions both directly and indirectly, suggesting that stronger perceived rights may discourage investment under rigid and centralized land governance. Moreover, underuse of legal rights undermines key behavioral drivers among Kazakh farmers, while violations of formal land use restrictions reduce intensification intentions among Uzbek farmers. These findings underscore the need to align formal regulations with local perceptions to enhance land policy effectiveness and tenure security in transitional contexts. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336986 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336729 Title: The other red meat: Environmental and nutritional advantages of horsemeat over beef and other meats Authors: Hankerson, Brett R.; Müller, Daniel Abstract: CONTEXT: Beef is the most environmentally unfriendly meat. We must explore pathways to reduce emissions from meat production. OBJECTIVE: Explore the potential for horsemeat to reduce or even replace beef as the red meat of choice. METHODS: Review and collation of relevant information and data in order to compare the production and consumption of beef with horsemeat. Important aspects to compare are emissions from production, feed and land requirements, and nutritional qualities of the meat. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Compared to beef, horsemeat contains higher protein and iron, less fat, a lower percentage of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, less cholesterol, and more essential amino acids. Regarding emissions, horses produce far less methane than cattle per kilogram of meat produced. Regarding land use, horses are less efficient digesters, which increases the total area required, though they require less cropland. Horses are also more mobile, require less protection from the elements and predators, and can graze year-round, making more marginal and distant pastures available for longer periods. Additionally, cropland currently used for feed production could be converted to high-quality hayfields, further reducing land demand. SIGNIFICANCE: Horsemeat is not only a viable option, but perhaps a preferable one in the face of the global need to reduce the environmental impacts of meat production. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336729 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/337069 Title: The adoption of cotton combine services and farm technical efficiency: Evidence from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan Authors: Bilal, Muhammad; Tadjiev, Abdusame; Djanibekov, Nodir Abstract: This study examines the adoption of cotton combine services and its impact on farm technical efficiency in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The research aims to determine whether mechanisation influences productivity and economic output at the farm level. Using farm-level data from 511 cotton growers in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan collected in 2019, this study employs stochastic frontier analysis to measure potential output and technical inefficiency among cotton farmers. The analysis includes a translog functional form to account for the use of cotton combine services and other farming variables. The findings indicate that while mechanisation through cotton combines can potentially increase technical efficiency by optimising the harvesting process, the benefits are not uniformly experienced across all farms. Variations in farm characteristics, such as labour availability and existing agricultural practices, influence the efficiency of technology adoption. Institutional factors and historical legacies also play a significant role in the adoption and impact of mechanisation. The study is based on cross-sectional data from 2019, and the findings may not capture longer-term trends or recent developments in mechanisation policies in the study countries. This research provides a nuanced understanding of the conditions under which cotton combine services enhance or hinder technical efficiency. It highlights the necessity for carefully tailored policies for mechanisation, especially in Uzbekistan, where rural labour is abundant and predominantly female. The study contributes to the broader discourse on agricultural mechanisation in developing countries by focusing on the specific context of Central Asia. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10419/337069 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336950 Title: Climate change has increased crop water consumption in Central Asia despite less water-intensive cropping Authors: Peña-Guerrero, Mayra Daniela; Senay, Gabriel B.; Umirbekov, Atabek; Tarasova, Larisa; Rufin, Philippe; Pulatov, Bakhtiyor; Müller, Daniel Abstract: Climate change and land use change are crucial determinants of crop water consumption, particularly in drylands where water scarcity limits crop production. In Central Asia, the effects of land use and climate changes on crop water consumption remain unknown. We estimated the dynamics of crop water consumption by mapping annual actual evapotranspiration from Landsat imagery from 1987 to 2019 for all irrigated croplands in the Amu Darya Basin, the largest transboundary river in Central Asia. Total crop water consumption increased by 10%, while average consumption per unit area increased by 18%. Climate change was the main driver of the rising crop water consumption; land use changes towards less water-intensive cropping practices offset only 3% of this increase. Our findings underscore that crop production will become increasingly challenging amidst accelerating climatic changes and that changing cropping practices alone will be insufficient to curb the growing water scarcity without a global commitment to reducing emissions. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://hdl.handle.net/10419/336950 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z