Gerrie W.J. van de Ven
Wageningen University and Research Centre
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Featured researches published by Gerrie W.J. van de Ven.
Food Security | 2015
W.J. Leonardo; Gerrie W.J. van de Ven; H.M.J. Udo; Argyris Kanellopoulos; Almeida Sitoe; Ken E. Giller
Despite abundant land and favourable climatic conditions, Mozambique remains food insecure. We investigated the diversity, constraints and opportunities to increase smallholder productivity and achieve food self-sufficiency in maize-based farming systems in two Posts in central Mozambique. We identified four farm types in each village based on cultivated area and labour. Farm type 1 cultivated relatively large areas, owned cattle and hired in labour. Farm type 2 cultivated moderate areas and both hired in and hired out labour. Farms of type 3a and 3b cultivated the smallest areas. Farm type 3a shared labour while Farm type 3b only hired out labour. For each farm type, we calculated land and labour productivities of maize, sunflower and sesame and assessed maize self-sufficiency. Access to labour during weeding was the main constraint. The hiring out of labour by small farms caused severe reductions in both land and labour productivity. Yield reductions on these farms were due to delayed weeding in own fields. In one Post, Farm type 3b was not maize self-sufficient. Labour quality was probably impaired by excess alcohol consumption among the poorer farmers (both men and women). Our results showed that production can be increased based on current agricultural practices. Farmers did not cultivate all of their land, suggesting that lack of labour constrained intensification by smallholder farmers.
International Journal of Sustainable Development | 2014
J.W.A. Langeveld; Gerrie W.J. van de Ven; Sander C. de Vries; Lubbert van den Brink; Chris de Visser
Prospects for ethanol production from sugar beet in The Netherlands have been analysed using measured production data from two experimental farms and literature on beet to ethanol conversion. The analyses include beet cultivation and harvesting, transport to the factory, conversion into ethanol and delivery of the ethanol to distribution points. Under the prevailing conditions, ethanol production from sugar beet shows to be reasonably energy efficient. A net energy production has been calculated of 32 and 37 GJ/ha. Crop and ethanol yields are above those reported elsewhere, as is the energy use per hectare which is related to crop yield. Applying alternative energy generating technology at the ethanol factory suggests that considerable energy gains can be realised. Another source of variation is the allocation ratio of energy to ethanol and by-products. The calculations suggest that the prospects for ethanol production from sugar beet in Europe can be considerable, if energy inputs can be reduced, by using crop residues.
Agroforestry Systems | 2017
Beyene Teklu Mellisse; Gerrie W.J. van de Ven; Ken E. Giller; Katrien Descheemaeker
Home gardens in southern Ethiopia are regarded as efficient farming systems, allowing interactions and synergies between crop, tree and livestock components. However, these age-old traditional home gardens are evolving rapidly in response to changes in both the socio-economic and biophysical environment. Altered cropping patterns, farm size and component interactions may affect the systems’ sustainability. Home gardens exhibit a huge diversity in farms and farming systems, which needs to be understood in order to design interventions for improvement. Dynamics of home gardens were studied over two-decades (1991–2013) based on a survey of 240 farm households and focus group discussions. Farms were grouped into five types: Khat-based, Enset-cereal-vegetable, Enset-based, Enset-coffee and Enset-livestock. Farm trajectories revealed a shift from food-oriented Enset-based and Enset-livestock systems to (1) cash crop oriented khat-based systems, and (2) combined food and cash crop oriented Enset-cereal-vegetable systems. In densely populated, market proximate areas a major trend was expansion of khat, from 6 to 35% of the area share per farm, while the combined area share of enset and coffee decreased from 45 to 25%. Concurrently, the cattle herd size fell from 5.8 TLU to 3.9 TLU per household. In medium populated, less accessible areas the trend was consolidation of combined production of food and cash crops. Enset and coffee together maintained a share of over 45%. Easy transport and marketing of the perishable cash-generating khat compared with traditional crops favoured its cultivation among smallholders located close to markets. The insights in home garden change in response to increasing population pressure, decreasing farm size and market development may help to design interventions to increase system sustainability.
Biomass & Bioenergy | 2010
Sander C. de Vries; Gerrie W.J. van de Ven; Martin K. van Ittersum; Ken E. Giller
Energy and Environmental Science | 2010
Veronika Dornburg; Detlef P. van Vuuren; Gerrie W.J. van de Ven; H. Langeveld; M.J.G. Meeusen; Martin Banse; Mark van Oorschot; J. Ros; Gert Jan van den Born; H. Aiking; Marc Londo; H. Mozaffarian; P.A. Verweij; Erik Lysen; André Faaij
International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment | 2013
Imke J.M. de Boer; Idse E. Hoving; Theun V. Vellinga; Gerrie W.J. van de Ven; P.A. Leffelaar; Pierre J. Gerber
Energy Policy | 2014
Marc Schut; Núria Cunha Soares; Gerrie W.J. van de Ven; Maja Slingerland
Agricultural Systems | 2013
M.J. Florin; Martin K. van Ittersum; Gerrie W.J. van de Ven
Global Food Security | 2015
Jiska A. van Vliet; Antonius G.T. Schut; Pytrik Reidsma; Katrien Descheemaeker; Maja Slingerland; Gerrie W.J. van de Ven; Ken E. Giller
Ecological Indicators | 2012
M.J. Florin; Martin K. van Ittersum; Gerrie W.J. van de Ven