Sustainability experiments in the agri-food system : uncovering the factors of new governance and collaboration success

In recent years, research, society and industry recognize the need to transform the agri-food system towards sustainability. Within this process, sustainability experiments play a crucial role in transforming the structure, culture and practices. In literature, much attention is given to new business models, even if the transformation of conventional firms toward sustainability may offer opportunities to accelerate the transformation. Further acceleration could be achieved through collaboration of multiple actors across the agri-food system, but this calls for a systems approach. Therefore, we developed and applied a new sustainability experiment systems approach (SESA) consisting of an analytical framework that allows a reflective evaluation and cross-case analysis of multi-actor governance networks based on business and learning evaluation criteria. We performed a cross-case analysis of four agri-food sustainability experiments in Flanders to test and validate SESA. Hereby, the key factors of the success of collaboration and its performance were identified at the beginning of a sustainability experiment. Some of the key factors identified were risk sharing and the drivers to participate. We are convinced that these results may be used as an analytical tool for researchers, a tool to support and design new initiatives for policymakers, and a reflective tool for participating actors

Authentic Youth and Young Adult Partnerships: Broadening the Narrative of LGBTQ Youth Homelessness

Lived experience generates knowledge not available through formal education and training. If lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth and young adults (YYA) experiencing homelessness are to be effectively engaged, their needs met, and their successful transition out of homelessness facilitated, they must be partners in the creation of solutions meant to help them. That means that everyone working to address LGBTQ YYA homelessness – including policymakers, government officials, advocates, researchers, and service providers – need to understand how to partner authentically with YYA experiencing homelessness. This article will introduce a framework for authentic YYA partnerships, describe the philosophy and values underlying the True Colors Fund’s successful partnerships with YYA, and provide examples of how YYA partnerships have informed our work, and as a result the communities we work with. It will discuss how, through the organization’s partnerships with YYA, we have recognized the importance of (1) broadening the narrative about LGBTQ youth homelessness to include the various intersecting reasons LGBTQ youth become homeless and (2) moving beyond a single paradigm of risk/victimization to include resilience and possibility

Public libraries, arts and cultural policy in the UK

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Purpose: Public libraries in the UK are increasingly expected to provide arts activities and events as part of their usual operations. This paper summarizes recent policy trends in this direction from both the perspective of libraries' and the arts sector. A touring theatre project aimed at children and families is discussed in further detail to examine some of the outcomes of these policies. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper will present a brief history of policy developments and debate in this area. Mixed method findings from the research element of 'Among Ideal Friends' (AIF) will be discussed, having used surveys and interviews with audiences and librarians, geodemographic profiling, box office records and library card data. Findings: Public funding across both libraries and the arts has decreased at a national and local level, though both sectors are encouraged to work together to share expertise and community knowledge. Costs and benefits of the project are presented and while the holistic view is broadly positive, the return to any specific agency or stakeholder group less certain. Practical implications: Public libraries can see the results and challenges of a successful touring theatre project for consideration in their own activity planning, especially those related to families and younger users. Social implications: Libraries and Arts organisations have different priorities in regards to these areas. Though co-operative, the situation is not without tension. The topic is illustrative of some wider debates around cultural value, participation and ‘cultural democracy’. Originality/value: This paper offers a timely discussion of cultural policy in relation to libraries, eg: The Society of Chief Librarians 'Universal Cultural Offer' (October 2017)

CHALLENGES FOR THE FLEMISH AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTES TO SUPPORT AN INNOVATIVE AND COMPETITIVE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

Agriculture is faced by permanent evolution and it is expected that this trend will continue in the next decennium. The question is what challenges lie ahead and which types of agricultural research can support the sector in order to retain its competitive power by the year 2020. To address this issue, a multi-stakeholder and multi-disciplinary process was initiated in Flanders. The process outcomes learn that two types of action are needed. Firstly, there is need for a focused knowledge production in 5 thematic fields. Central issues hereby are an efficient agriculture, the broadening of the value creation model of agriculture and the increasing sustainability of production. Secondly, efforts should be made to improve the organisation of research with emphasis on participation, anticipation, meta-coordination and validation of research outcomes.Research organisation, Knowledge networks, Innovation, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Discrimination against Roma women in Romania. An intersectional perspective

open2noStill nowadays Roma communities in Romania experience social and spacial marginalization from the rest of the population. Numerous documents and reports underline how, as a consequence of the vicious cycle of poverty, discrimination and social exclusion in which they find themselves, they are in greater need of social protection. The article moves from the additional acknowledgment that Roma women’s voices and experiences of subordination and oppression are often overlooked. Too often the different overlapping discriminatory grounds are taken into account separately, without capturing the complexity of the identities and of the oppression they experience. While non identifying patriarchy as an issue having the power to define what Roma culture is, this work contributes to the analysis of the discrimination against Roma women in Romania from and intersectional perspective, taking into account the simultaneous action of ethnicitybased and gender-based discrimination. Moreover, this article demonstrates how intersectionality represents the most suitable analytical tool to tackle the specific situation of this group.Contributo di carattere interdisciplinare che approfondisce in chiave analitica le discriminazioni che investono le donne in Romania attravero una lettura intersezionale di questo fenomeno a cui corrispondone specifiche violazioni dei diritti umaniopenPaola Degani; Vittorio TavagnuttiDegani, Paola; Tavagnutti, Vittori

Leveraging Employer Practices in Global Regulatory Frameworks to Improve Employment Outcomes for People with Disabilities

Work is an important part of life, providing both economic security and a forum to contribute one’s talents and skills to society, thereby anchoring the individual in a social role. However, access to work is not equally available to people with disabilities globally. Regulatory environments that prohibit discrimination and support vocational training and educational opportunities constitute a critical first step toward economic independence. However, they have not proven sufficient in themselves. In this article, we aim to infuse deeper consideration of employer practice and demand-side policy reforms into global policy discussions of the right to work for people with disabilities. We begin by documenting the employment and economic disparities existing for people with disabilities globally, followed by a description of the international, regional, and local regulatory contexts aiming to improve labor market outcomes for people with disabilities. Next, we examine how policies can leverage employer interests to further address inequalities. We discuss employer policies and practices demonstrated in the research to facilitate recruitment, hiring, career development, retention, and meaningful workplace inclusion. The goal of the article is to synthesize existing international literature on employment rights for people with disabilities with the employer perspective

Internship Experiences Contribute to Confident Career Decision Making for Doctoral Students in the Life Sciences.

The Graduate Student Internships for Career Exploration (GSICE) program at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), offers structured training and hands-on experience through internships for a broad range of PhD-level careers. The GSICE program model was successfully replicated at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). Here, we present outcome data for a total of 217 PhD students participating in the UCSF and UC Davis programs from 2010 to 2015 and 2014 to 2015, respectively. The internship programs at the two sites demonstrated comparable participation, internship completion rates, and overall outcomes. Using survey, focus group, and individual interview data, we find that the programs provide students with career development skills, while increasing students' confidence in career exploration and decision making. Internships, in particular, were perceived by students to increase their ability to discern a career area of choice and to increase confidence in pursuing that career. We present data showing that program participation does not change median time to degree and may help some trainees avoid "default postdocs." Our findings suggest important strategies for institutions developing internship programs for PhD students, namely: including a structured training component, allowing postgraduation internships, and providing a central organization point for internship programs

Attracting and Retaining Women in the Transportation Industry

This study synthesized previously conducted research and identified additional research needed to attract, promote, and retain women in the transportation industry. This study will detail major findings and subsequent recommendations, based on the annotated bibliography, of the current atmosphere and the most successful ways to attract and retain young women in the transportation industry in the future. Oftentimes, it is perception that drives women away from the transportation industry, as communal goals are not emphasized in transportation. Men are attracted to agentic goals, whereas women tend to be more attracted to communal goals (Diekman et al., 2011). While this misalignment of goals has been found to be one reason that women tend to avoid the transportation industry, there are ways to highlight the goal congruity processes that contribute to transportation engineering, planning, operations, maintenance, and decisions—thus attracting the most talented individuals, regardless of gender. Other literature has pointed to the lack of female role models and mentors as one reason that it is difficult to attract women to transportation (Dennehy & Dasgupta, 2017). It is encouraging to know that attention is being placed on the attraction and retention of women in all fields, as it will increase the probability that the best individual is attracted to the career that best fits their abilities, regardless of gender