This study explored how undergraduate participants in a short-term study abroad (STSA) program engaged with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through visual documentation. Grounded in the framework of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the research examined how participants demonstrated awareness of sustainability issues through photographs captured during travel across five European cities (Amsterdam, Bruges, Delft, Leuven, and Paris) in May 2024. Twenty-nine participants from the University of Georgia were instructed to photograph at least five SDGs in each city, identifying the corresponding goal for each image. A quantitative analysis of frequencies revealed all 17 SDGs were represented, with SDG 15 (Life on Land), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) most frequently depicted. These quantitative findings were complemented by qualitative interpretations of recurring visual themes—livestock and natural landscapes (SDG 15), urban mobility and renewable infrastructure (SDG 11), and tourism and floriculture (SDG 9). The limited presence of human figures across photographs suggests that participants may have gravitated toward accessible, public scenes and felt hesitant to capture social interactions or people, revealing a potential bias toward the environmental dimension of sustainability. Within the ESD framework, these findings indicate cognitive engagement with sustainability concepts but limited socio-emotional or behavioral expression. The study demonstrates the pedagogical potential of visual methods to promote sustainability literacy in international education and offers recommendations for integrating SDG-focused reflection, ethical visual practices, and structured dialogue into future STSA curricula to strengthen critical thinking and global awareness.
In rural Guatemala, where poverty, limited access to formal financial institutions, and economic inequality persist, community-based financial models like Savings and Internal Lending Communities (SILCs) offer a promising alternative. SILCs have gained recognition for their potential to empower low-income individuals, especially women, by providing accessible savings mechanisms and small loans managed within the community. Grounded in Social Capital Theory, this qualitative case study explores the perceptions of Savings and Internal Lending Community [SILC] participants in two rural Guatemalan communities, focusing on their experiences, the influence of SILCs on their well-being, and their recommendations for program improvement. Employing focus group interviews, observations, document analysis, and a participatory group activity, the study engaged Field Technicians, women SILC members, and non-participating youth. Findings reveal that participants perceive SILCs as a crucial financial safety net and a more accessible alternative to traditional banking, fostering social cohesion and enhancing livelihoods through access to savings and low-interest loans. However, the study also highlights the critical role of trust, with instances of loan default and withdrawal posing challenges. Participants emphasized the need for accountability mechanisms like collateral to mitigate these risks and strengthen group cohesion. Recommendations for improvement include greater flexibility in participation, enhanced coordination and guidance, and the continuous building of trust through transparent practices to ensure program sustainability and community engagement.
Most coffee exports in Honduras and El Salvador now correspond to specialty coffees, suggesting that coffee producers have gained considerable experience producing specialty coffee, which positively impacts producers and the country’s economies. However, other economic and social challenges persist as coffee production involves not only coffee farmers but also workers. Moreover, coffee farmworkers outnumber producers, but their working and living conditions are not thoroughly comprehended. The purpose of this study was to examine specialty coffee workers' perceptions of their labor on the farm in Honduras and El Salvador. Specific objectives were to 1) assess workers' perceptions of production and labor activities in specialty coffee, and 2) describe perceived labor conditions on specialty coffee farms and compare them to working conditions on conventional farms. This study used qualitative methods. Using an instrumental, multi-site case study design, we employed focus groups for data collection. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify issues within and across cases to uncover the meaning of working on a specialty coffee farm. Six major themes emerged, ranging from the lack of understanding of specialty coffee production, the perception that wages are not higher in specialty coffee farms than in non-specialty coffee farms, and that working conditions are similar but provide more stability. This study offers a glimpse into the viewpoints of coffee farmworkers, focusing on their perceptions of their experiences and working environments within specialty coffee cultivation in Honduras and El Salvador. Thus, underscoring the need for comprehensive public and private initiatives dedicated to improving decent work conditions among coffee farmworkers aspects as are relevant to broader socioeconomic issues
This study examines the current experiences of women farmers in the Godavarikhani Farmers Market, Peddapalli district, Telangana, India, guided by two research questions: (1) What are the current experiences of women participating in farmers’ markets in the region? and (2) How do these experiences compare to those documented in prior research on women’s participation in Indian farmers’ markets? A qualitative case study design was employed, with semi-structured interviews of twelve women vendors analyzed thematically within Social Capital Theory (SCT). Five themes emerged: economic and market dynamics, community and relationships, motivations and goals, constraints and challenges, and adoption strategies and solutions. The findings show that women’s participation is driven by economic necessity, social support, and cultural continuity. Bonding and bridging capital were evident in trusted customer relations, peer collaboration, and collective problem-solving. However, linking capital was minimum with limiting access to institutional resources. Comparative analysis underscores region-specific and nationwide barriers, calling for gender-responsive infrastructure and inclusive policy reform.
When new science and innovations become available, Extension acts as a liaison for making technology understandable and accessible so their stakeholders can reap the benefits. With rapidly expanding technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI), it is crucial for social scientists in Extension and agriculture and natural resources (ANR) to understand their role in the dissemination, adoption, and creation of new technologies. While many of the technologies may be AI driven, they require big data to train machines and create algorithms that leverage this information to produce informed decisions and generate predictions for application. While it may be clear how social scientists can assist in evaluation and the creation of innovation-adoption plans, expansion of ANR social scientist data literacy is needed to advance their role in other components of AI development and big data usage. Additionally, exploration of opportunities for big data usage to support ANR social scientist research, extension, and educational practices is needed to continue progressing this work. In this philosophical paper, we aim to provide insight into how social scientists in ANR can use big data to advance, guide, and support their research, extension, and education practices. We will include an overview of big data, types of data, the big data ecosystem, and opportunities and challenges related to using big data. Further, we address the ethical considerations and social implications of big data usage while emphasizing responsible data stewardship and the need for increased data literacy.
Pesticide use continues to rise in least developed countries (LDCs), where weak regulations, limited safety training, and low access to personal protective equipment increase the risk of pesticide exposure for farming families. Pesticide safety programs generally target farmers and focus on pesticide mixing and application. However, this approach can unintentionally exclude women, as many women in LDCs may not identify as farmers but engage in activities that could result in pesticide exposure. Without proper knowledge and training, women cannot make informed decisions and take actions that protect their health and the health of their families. Therefore, Extension professionals should engage with women prior to program design to consider cultural norms, address barriers to participation, and ensure programming meets their gender-specific needs.This research note draws on experiences from a pesticide risk reduction project in Senegal and a literature review to identify barriers that prevent women in LDCs from benefitting equally from pesticide safety programs. Evidence-based strategies are then recommended to help educators work with women to understand the activities they are engaged in that that could lead to exposure, the barriers they face in participating in pesticide programs, and their underlying knowledge and pesticide safety goals. Educators can then use this information to identify strategies that will ensure their programs provide equal benefits to women.
Policies and actions taken to conserve local natural resources should focus on the needs and interests of multiple stakeholders who are involved in a selected context. However, sometimes, local contextual factors and barriers are not prioritized in natural resource conservation efforts. As a result, the primary goal of environmental policies, which is to conserve natural resources, becomes unattainable, and the policies fail to leave long-term and sustainable impacts on local communities. This study examines the factors influencing the environmental decision-making among various stakeholders to mitigate the environmental degradation of St. Martin's Island, Bangladesh. The two primary objectives of this study were to explore the contextual factors that inform local environmental management efforts on St. Martin's Island and analyze the barriers that stakeholders face while supporting conservation efforts on the island. This ethnographic qualitative study used semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The study identified a number of crucial contextual factors and barriers that prevented locals' active participation in environmental decision-making. The findings revealed that economic reliance on local natural resources, extensive tourism activities, limited opportunities for collaborative actions at multiple levels, and inadequate local facilities contribute significantly to the overall scenario of environmental degradation on St. Martin's Island. These findings can guide Extension efforts focusing on environmental degradation in international contexts. The findings also have the potential for future research focusing on stakeholder engagement in environmental decision-making.
