Footprints in Paradise

In Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan, “ecotourism” promises to provide employment for a dwindling population of rural youth while preserving the natural environment and bolstering regional pride. Footprints in Paradise centers on how Okinawans’ sense of place is transforming rapidly, along with language, landscapes, cultural traditions, and wildlife: from marginalized and exoticized island phenomena into global heritage resources worth cherishing by insiders and outsiders. Footprints in Paradise is intended for readers interested in the anthropology of US-Japan-Okinawa relations, tourism and island environments, the politics of ecological sustainability, and the shifting ethics of human-animal relationships in the early twenty-first century

Farm mechanization in East Asia

Meeting: A/D/C East Asian Regional Workshop on Economic and Social Aspects of Farm Mechanization, 23-31 Aug. 1971, Tokyo, J

Simulação Computacional de um Rover Robótico Agrícola para Pulverização Controlada de Infestantes e Recolha de Frutos Caídos

O contínuo aumento da população mundial tem avultado a necessidade de bens alimentares, levando a um aumento das explorações agrícolas para garantir o fornecimento destes bens, de uma forma direta, às populações e de uma forma indireta a todas as indústrias transformadoras do ramo alimentar. Esta condição tem levado a agricultura a reinventar-se e a introduzir novas técnicas e ferramentas para garantir um maior controlo das colheitas e um aumento dos rendimentos na produção alimentar. No entanto, a falta de mão-de-obra aliada à evolução de infestantes resistentes a herbicidas, tem levado a crescentes constrangimentos numa produção agrícola que a cada dia que passa se pretende mais elevada e de melhor qualidade. Porém, com a crescente evolução das áreas da eletrónica, da automação e da robótica, surgem novos caminhos para responder a estes problemas. Nesse sentido, o Grupo Operacional PrunusBot desenvolveu um rover robótico para otimizar as tarefas de controlo de infestantes e de recolha de frutos caídos no chão de pomares. Em que, para o caso do controlo de infestantes é proposto um sistema de pulverização de precisão, reduzindo a quantidade de herbicida a aplicar. A recolha de frutos caídos ambiciona promover a sustentabilidade do processo, dirigindo os frutos caídos para alimentação animal e com a perspetiva de analisar o efeito desta atividade na redução da atividade microbiana nas culturas da campanha seguinte, evitando consequentes danos. No sentido de dar continuidade a esta investigação, a presente dissertação propõe a recriação deste rover robótico num software de simulação robótico e propõe ainda a criação de um modelo de simulação semelhante ao de uma exploração agrícola. Pretende-se deste modo desenvolver um algoritmo de controlo do rover robótico nas tarefas de pulverização controlada e de recolha de frutos caídos. Este trabalho sugere o desenvolvimento e teste através de um simulador robótico por este apresentar benefícios em relação aos métodos tradicionais, nomeadamente a nível de rapidez, facilidade de implementação e teste de diferentes cenários e hipóteses de operação podendo até efetuar simulações de forma simultânea. O uso de simuladores robóticos apresenta ainda um maior grau de liberdade e criatividade, uma vez que não existem preocupações relativas à danificação do hardware. De referir também que os custos de desenvolvimento são muito reduzidos.The continuous rise in world population has increased the need for food, leading to a rise of agricultural holdings to ensure de supply of these goods, directly to the populations and indirectly to all the processing industries in the food business. This situation has led agriculture to reinvent itself and introduce new technics and tools to ensure a tighter control of the crops and increase yields in food production. However, the lack of labour coupled with the evolution of weeds resistant to herbicides, created a crisis in agricultural food production. However, with the growing evolution in electronics, automation, and robotics, new paths are emerging to solve these problems. With this in mind, the Operational Group PrunusBot developed a robotic rover, to optimize the tasks of weed control and collection of fallen fruits of an orchard. In weed control, it is proposed a localized spraying system, therefore, reducing the amount of applied herbicides. With fruit collection, it’s possible to direct the fallen fruits for animal feeding, and aims to reduce the microbial activity on the next campaign crops, therefore avoiding damage. To continue this research, this dissertation proposes the recreation of this robotic rover on a robotic simulation software. It also proposes the recreation of a similar environment to that of a agricultural exploration, in order to later create and algorithm that controls the rover on the tasks of localized spraying and fallen fruit collection. This dissertation suggests the creation and testing of these algorithms through a robotic simulador, because of the benefits in relation to a more traditional method, namely the speed and ease of testing different scenarios and hypothesis, with the added benefit of being able to test the two tasks simultaneously. This method also allows for greater freedom and creativity because there are no concerns about hardware damage. It should also be noted that the development costs are very low

Sustainable Development Disciplines for Society

This multidisciplinary Open Access book provides nine problem-solving lectures for sustainable development for the planet and prosperity. Those are two of the five keywords for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): people, the planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships, or “the 5Ps”. Each of these lectures is classified into one of the keywords for SDGs and based on law, economics, management, international trade, input–output analysis, or agricultural and urban engineering. Further, each lecture delineates the essence of each discipline when it is practically applied to development studies. This book, Sustainable Development Disciplines for Society, along with its sister volume related to the people, peace and partnerships, will be useful in studying development. Interdisciplinary research is necessary to achieve the SDGs advocated by the United Nations. Hence, it is essential to learn the basics of individual disciplines, as they each offer ample knowledge fostering problem solving through the accumulation of existing research. This and its sister volume are the first comprehensive textbooks summarizing the essence of each necessary discipline to approach development studies from an interdisciplinary perspective. In developing countries, this book will provide access to development research for readers aiming to further develop their own nations. Moreover, in developed countries, this book will provide access to problem-solving research for readers seeking holistic solutions to complex social problems

Sustainable Development Disciplines for Society

This multidisciplinary Open Access book provides nine problem-solving lectures for sustainable development for the planet and prosperity. Those are two of the five keywords for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): people, the planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships, or “the 5Ps”. Each of these lectures is classified into one of the keywords for SDGs and based on law, economics, management, international trade, input–output analysis, or agricultural and urban engineering. Further, each lecture delineates the essence of each discipline when it is practically applied to development studies. This book, Sustainable Development Disciplines for Society, along with its sister volume related to the people, peace and partnerships, will be useful in studying development. Interdisciplinary research is necessary to achieve the SDGs advocated by the United Nations. Hence, it is essential to learn the basics of individual disciplines, as they each offer ample knowledge fostering problem solving through the accumulation of existing research. This and its sister volume are the first comprehensive textbooks summarizing the essence of each necessary discipline to approach development studies from an interdisciplinary perspective. In developing countries, this book will provide access to development research for readers aiming to further develop their own nations. Moreover, in developed countries, this book will provide access to problem-solving research for readers seeking holistic solutions to complex social problems

Key Issues in Rural Development: A University Graduate Course

A graduate course on rural development issues is presented that focuses primarily on the processes involved in development both at a personal and abstract leve. A theoretical foundation for the course is outlined based on David Kolb\u27s theory of experiential learning. This model is transcribed into learning environments necessary to focus participant awareness of issues surrounding their own learning style. The role of the facilitator who demands attention to learning style as well as content in rural development is defined, utilizing Malcolm Knowles\u27 andragogical concepts. Finally the course curriculum is presented, followed by lesson plans and readings supplemental to the text books

Chinese / English dictionary of China's rural economy

Chinese-English dictionary of China's rural development and agricultural development