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Different forms of urban agriculture have gained increased interest and participation in Germany. One form of urban agriculture is self-harvest gardening where participants can lease a plot in a field with various vegetables. However, in Western Europe, little is known about self-harvest garden participants and providers or their motivation and social background. Therefore, in 2015 a survey was conducted with 173 participants and 34 providers from different regions and cities in Germany. The study aimed to compile a self-characterization of people engaged in this form of gardening on a national level. The outcome of the survey captures an emerging phenomenon. While many of the self-harvest gardens can be assigned as grassroot initiatives, participants generally characterized themselves as having a middle or high income, a sustainable lifestyle, high level of education and high nutritional awareness. Disproportionally often, females were engaged in self-harvest gardening. Providers were mainly farmers with a high affinity to organic agriculture. Often the farmers had synergistic effects with other activities like farm shops. Location of the garden area, good support by the providers, promotional marketing and social activities were identified as factors for successful self-harvest gardens. The main incentive for the participants seem to be their engagement in the production of local and healthy food, which can be taken into account by the providers when considering their future focus. On the other hand, problems with bad harvest, theft and vandalism were challenges for some self-harvest gardens. While, legal problems were not a major concern for the providers.

In the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil, water resources are scarce and rainfall often has high temporal and spatial variability. Despite regional climate trends, no significant rainfall change could be detected by linear regressions in the Pajeú River watershed between 1912 and 2013. This study focused on the identification of regional impacts on agriculture in the form of crop yields, livestock, and animal products, through the annual rainfall variability. Yields of temporary crops were correlated to the annual rainfall departure, whereas permanent crops were less susceptible to droughts, but had a negative effect on the memory after the dry years. In the livestock sector, farmers reacted to the consequences of droughts and increased stocks of smaller animals with faster recovery rates, and also implemented apiculture. The results show a high vulnerability of agricultural production and regional income due to the low adaptation to local climate conditions. Hence, agricultural practices and water management should be further improved to fight against crucial economic depressions during droughts.Keywords: agricultural production; livestock; Pajéu River watershed; rainfall; water scarcity. RESUMOA região semiárida do Nordeste do Brasil apresenta escassez de recursos hídricos e grande variação temporal e espacial da precipitação. Entretanto, apesar da tendência climática regional, não foi detectada variação significativa de precipitações na bacia hidrográfica do Rio Pajeú entre 1912 e 2013. Este estudo teve como foco a identificação de impactos regionais na produção agropecuária provocados pela variação anual da precipitação. A produção de lavouras temporárias apresentou forte relação com a precipitação anual. A produção de lavouras permanentes apresentou um efeito negativo após anos secos. Os criadores de animais se adaptaram aos efeitos da seca por meio do aumento da criação de animais de menor porte e da implementação da apicultura. Os resultados demonstraram alta vulnerabilidade da produção em razão do baixo grau de adaptação às condições climáticas. As práticas agrícolas e o manejo da água devem ser melhorados no intuito de combater os efeitos econômicos negativos da seca.Palavras-chave: agricultura; pecuária; bacia hidrográfica do Rio Pajeú; chuva; escassez de água.

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Over 20 years after the implementation of irrigation schemes in the surrounding area of the Itaparica Reservoir, in the semi-arid region of Northeast Brazil, insufficient infrastructure and low market power still impact smallholders' incomes and development of market strategies to support rental increase from the smallholders. Lack of access to credit, high input costs, and low producer prices for major crops have helped to maintain the poverty status of smallholders that equally affects small agricultural producers like cattle breeders. Agricultural cooperatives have contributed to increase their members' market power in agricultural commerce and facilitate their access to credit and agricultural expansion. To analyze the historical context of this situation, as well as the potentials and constraints of agricultural cooperatives and associations, 24 qualitative expert interviews were conducted among members of cooperatives or associations and consultants involved with technical assistance to smallholders. During the study period, no active agricultural cooperatives could be identified. Financial problems related with lack of financial resources, inadequate government support, absence of leadership and poor organization, and missing solidarity and mistrust were considered the main reasons for the cooperatives' poor situation. However, the potential of these cooperatives are illustrated by the efficiency of the fishery and apiculture associations.

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