Opportunities for mainstreaming biodiversity for food and nutrition into institutional food procurement programs in Brazil

Brazil has a well-established political and regulatory framework aimed at promoting food and nutritional security. This framework represents an innovative and ethical social contract aimed at achieving social inclusion, sustainable livelihoods and citizenship. It includes the Food Acquisition Program (PAA) and the National School Meals Program (PNAE), institutional food procurement programs which provide equitable support to family farming by acquiring their products at a fair price and directing them to public schools, public programs and social organisations. PNAE and PAA have been identified by the GEF-funded Biodiversity for Food and Nutrition Project (BFN) as entry-points for potentially improving nutrition and livelihoods with links to native biodiversity. At least 30% of the food purchased with federal funds through PNAE must be bought directly from family farmers. Both initiatives include ethical standards and incentives of up to 30% in the price for organic or agroecological produce, prioritising purchases from quilombolas and indigenous communities, while also supporting family agriculture organisations to rescue, produce, store, and distribute seeds of local or traditional varieties. This creates new opportunities for the use of resources from Brazilian ecosystems, promoting institutional markets for biodiversity products while providing incentives for the management and sustainable use of agricultural biodiversity. However, assessments reveal that the proportion of food products from native biodiversity purchased overall by PNAE and PAA are low, which also reflects the current status of Brazilian agriculture, based mostly on exotic species. In order to better mainstream biodiversity into PNAE and PAA, the BFN Project in Brazil is working to increase awareness on the importance and nutritional value of native biodiversity species. Advocacy workshops, capacity building, as well as strategic alliances and partnerships with policy makers and other stakeholders are an important element of this, as are contributions to policy instruments that impact both programs. BFN also engages with Federal Universities, which are also collaborating centres for the implementation of PNAE, in research partnerships and activities to conduct analysis on the nutritional composition of 70 prioritised native fruit species and work with traditional communities to assess the knowledge and use of biodiversity foods

Alternativas de precios para una distribuidora de perfiles de aluminio cordobesa que incorpora nueva maquinaria

Trabajo final (Licenciatura en Administración con orientación en Finanzas)Propósito: Exa Aluminio S.A. es una distribuidora de perfiles de aluminio que está renovando la maquinaria de su planta de pintura. La nueva tecnología garantiza mayor durabilidad de la pintura y reduce considerablemente el tiempo de demora. Esto crea la oportunidad de analizar alternativas de precios que aumenten la participación de mercado y la rentabilidad. Diseño/Metodología: se realizó una encuesta a clientes del mercado sobre sus preferencias que fue procesada a través de las funciones de análisis conjunto y simulación de un software estadístico, y un costeo de los servicios de pintura actual y futuro. Conclusiones: la nueva maquinaria genera una disminución de costos que permite a la empresa disminuir los precios del servicio sin bajar su nivel de rentabilidad actual. Sin embargo, el precio se presenta como el atributo menos valorado por el mercado, frente a los dos que se verán mejorados tras la instalación, por lo tanto, resulta oportuno considerar mantener los precios actuales o aumentarlos. Limitaciones del trabajo: se limitó el estudio a tres atributos del servicio y las preferencias de los clientes respecto de los mismos son las declaradas en una encuesta, por tanto, hipotéticas. La estimación de los costos nuevos se basa en distintos supuestos dado que la máquina no está instalada todavía. Originalidad/Valor: los hallazgos constituyen un conjunto valioso de información para la toma de decisiones por parte de la empresa en lo concerniente a costos y precios del servicio de pintura.Fil: Beltrame, Agostina Magalí. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas; Argentina.Fil: Marty, Tomás Alejo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas; Argentina.Fil: Mazzoni, Daniela. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas; Argentina.Fil: Picco, María Belén. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Económicas; Argentina

Parasitological study of mountain viscacha fecal pellets from patagonia over the last 1200 years (‘Cueva Peligro’, Chubut province, Argentina)

The aim of the present study was to examine the parasite fauna present in mountain viscacha Lagidium viscacia (Caviomorpha, Chinchillidae) fecal pellets collected from 'Cueva Peligro', a cave located in Chubut province, Patagonia, Argentina, throughout the last 1200 years. A total of 84 samples were examined for parasites. Each pellet was whole processed: rehydrated, homogenized, sediment and examined using light microscopy. The samples and eggs of parasites present were described, measured and photographed. Thirty-eight samples tested positive for the nematodes Heteroxynema (Cavioxyura) viscaciae Sutton & Hugot, 1989, Helminthoxys effilatus Schuurmans-Stekhoven, 1951 (Oxyurida: Oxyuridae), Trichuris sp. Roederer, 1761 (Trichinellida: Trichuridae) and one anoplocephalid species (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae). This is the first time that H. effilatus is reported from ancient times. Significant differences of parasite occurrences through this temporal period were recorded. Parasitic life cycles and their presence along the studied period are so discussed.Fil: Beltrame, María Ornela. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; ArgentinaFil: Cañal, Victoria. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biología; ArgentinaFil: Tietze, Eleonor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: de Tommaso, Daniela Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral; Argentin

Salicylic acid as a mitigator of water stress in black oats seeds

Oats are a very popular grass used in crop rotation to provide organic matter, green mass and assist in the natural aeration of the soil. Agronomic factors such as acidity correction and soil fertility adjustments can be controlled, but when it comes to climatic factors, cultivation depends on favorable climate conditions for good plant development. For instance, low rainfall occurrences result in decreased percentage of germination and plant development. Water stress affects plant development. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of salicylic acid as a water stress mitigator on black oats. The experiment was carried out in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Products and Microorganisms of the University of Parana. Black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb) seeds were submitted to different imbibition treatments: without imbibition, soaked in distilled water, and soaked in salicylic acid. Then, they were placed in gerbox boxes previously moistened with 6000 polyethylene glycol solution with different osmotic potentials (0.0; -0.2; -0.4; -0.6 and -0.8 MPa). The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replicates. Ten days after the experiment, the following parameters were evaluated: germination percentage, germination velocity index, shoot length and radicle length. Salicylic acid at the concentration used in this study promotes a mitigating effect of water stress caused by PEG6000, increasing the germination percentage of black oat seeds

Born to eat wild: an integrated conservation approach to secure wild food plants for food security and nutrition

Overlooked in national reports and in conservation programs, wild food plants (WFPs) have been a vital component of food and nutrition security for centuries. Recently, several countries have reported on the widespread and regular consumption of WFPs, particularly by rural and indigenous communities but also in urban contexts. They are reported as critical for livelihood resilience and for providing essential micronutrients to people enduring food shortages or other emergency situations. However, threats derived from changes in land use and climate, overexploitation and urbanization are reducing the availability of these biological resources in the wild and contributing to the loss of traditional knowledge associated with their use. Meanwhile, few policy measures are in place explicitly targeting their conservation and sustainable use. This can be partially attributed to a lack of scientific evidence and awareness among policymakers and relevant stakeholders of the untapped potential of WFPs, accompanied by market and non‐market barriers limiting their use. This paper reviews recent efforts being undertaken in several countries to build evidence of the importance of WFPs, while providing examples of cross‐sectoral cooperation and multi‐stakeholder approaches that are contributing to advance their conservation and sustainable use. An integrated conservation approach is proposed contributing to secure their availability for future generations