PurposeFinancial inclusion is an issue of importance and increasing concern worldwide, particularly to policymakers across Africa and the rest of the developing world. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the level of usage of formal financial services among Ghanaian agricultural households as well as factors influencing these levels.Design/methodology/approachFinancial inclusion indicators associated with the usage of formal financial services are selected from the 2017 Ghana Living Standard Survey. Using these indicators, an index measuring the level of usage of formal financial services is developed. A multinomial logistic regression model is implemented to analyze the possible effect that farm and household characteristics have on index measures.FindingsUsage of formal financial services is very low among agricultural households, with many households using no financial products or services. Household expenditure, education, religion, geographic location, and the use of informal financial services were found to be consistent factors impacting household financial inclusion levels.Practical implicationsFindings may assist policymakers in designing policy schemes aimed at improving access to and usage of financial services for Ghanaian agricultural households. This may lead to a more inclusive financial system with the potential to improve the livelihood of agricultural households and contribute to Ghana's overall economic development.Originality/valueA household-level index measuring usage of formal financial services was developed and characteristics influencing said index measures were examined, providing a more holistic view and understanding of factors influencing usage decisions.

Land use activities (LUA) have a significant impact on the level and situation of vegetation characteristics and in turn affect human population as they are considered as the main global environmental changes. This study analyzed land use patterns in three different locations in Khartoum, Sudan: banks of River Nile, Blue and White Nile. The main objective of the present study were 1) to assess the changes in land use and their impact on vegetation cover and sustainable livelihoods of the population, and 2) to identify the factors behind land use changes along the Banks of Niles, Khartoum State. The study data used were field survey (questionnaire) which revealed the existence of five types of land use patterns: roads, human settlements, agricultural and plantations farms, and industrial of brick-kilns making and investment areas. The primary data were collected through social survey (questionnaire) as face-to-face interviews with local communities in the study area and by observations. The secondary records during the field survey were collected from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Forest National Corporation (FNC) documents, scientific papers and annual reports. SPSS was used to analyze the data acquired from questionnaires. Results showed that agricultural land, and industrial and residential areas increased while forests and bare lands decreased as a result of changes imposed by the government and local population with consequent land degradation in terms of environmental value and productivity. Interestingly, it was found that the impact of land use on vegetation cover and livelihood of the popu-* Corresponding author. G. E. Omer et al. 53lation was very complex and dynamic and that the main influencing factors in this process were climate fluctuations and human illegal interference. For instance, vast areas in west bank of White Nile were changed from agriculture to residence and investment. In conclusion, land use requires a clear plan for optimum utilization. Various human activities are behind these changes, which have led to deterioration of forest cover and loss of the source of income of local population. Because of such alarming changes, decision makers should initiate efficient plans and management of forests to minimize changes in land cover, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. We recommend that a sound land use plan should be revised often to ensure rehabilitation, reduce vulnerability to desertification and halt the encroachment by construction of facilities and buildings at the expense of environmental issues.

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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine arsenic, cadmium and lead contents of rice imports and to estimate their impact on these heavy metal intakes in Qatar. Design/methodology/approach In total, 30 rice samples imported from various countries (Vietnam, Thailand, India, Pakistan, the USA, Australia, the UK and Lebanon) were analyzed for arsenic, cadmium and lead contents with plasma optical spectrometer. These heavy metal intakes from rice were estimated for Qatar population based on the per capita consumption of rice as per 2018 rice consumption data. Findings In all rice samples, mean concentrations of arsenic, cadmium and lead were 1.11 mg/kg, 19.7 µg/kg and 131.3 µg/kg, respectively. Average arsenic, cadmium and lead contents were the highest in rice imported from Thailand (1.25 mg/kg), Vietnam (30 µg/kg) and India (178.3 µg/kg), respectively. Estimated arsenic, cadmium and lead intakes through rice consumption by Qatari population were 225.7, 4 and 26.7 µg/day, respectively. Originality/value In all rice imports, arsenic content is approximately 5.5 times higher than the maximum allowable concentration (MAC), whereas the cadmium and lead levels are within the MAC. Because these heavy metals are linked to health, all Middle Eastern countries that import rice from Thailand, Vietnam and India should monitor the metal contents in their food supply on a regular basis.

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