The practice and regulatory requirements of naturopathy and western herbal medicine in Australia

Australian health workforce regulation is premised on the need to protect public health and safety. Specific criteria are set out by governments to ascertain the degree of risk and the need for government intervention. A study was undertaken to understand the current state of usage and the practice of naturopathy and western herbal medicine, and to ascertain whether statutory regulation was warranted. We found increased use of these complementary therapies in the community, with risks arising from both the specific practices as well as consumers negotiating a parallel primary health care system. We also found highly variable standards of training, a myriad of professional associations, and a general failure of current systems of self-regulation to protect public health and safety. Statutory regulation was the preferred policy response for consumers, insurers, general practitioners, and most of the complementary therapists. While we found a case for statutory registration, we also argue that a minimalist regulatory response needs to be accompanied by other measures to educate the public, to improve the standards of practice, and to enhance our understanding of the interaction between complementary and mainstream health care

Le crédit, outil d’inclusion sociale : le cas de Valente (Bahia)

Long-time neglected from public policy and excluded from traditional financial institutions, small rural producers in the sertão baiano are facing harsh climate conditions (semi-arid) and social or economic contingencies. Since the 1980’s, civil society actors (associations, cooperatives) have been coordinating innovative social and economic alternatives in order to create added value to human and natural resources. The State has though been only rarely involved in this process. This study, based on an extensive field work, highlights the forces that have led to the emerging dynamics in the sisal territory. The analysis refers to the historical process of social mobilization and to the definition of a rural project that has developed opportunities for small producers to enlarge their choices and independency. The aim to achieving financial integration of these producers has led to the creation of the rural credit cooperative of Valente in 1993, which aims to facilitate access to credit by offering services adapted to the financial needs of the producers and accompanying devices. In this sense, it refers to microfinance practices and to the fight against poverty

Le crédit, outil d’inclusion sociale : le cas de Valente (Bahia)

Longtemps négligés des politiques publiques et exclus des institutions financières, les petits producteurs ruraux du Sertão baiano sont très vulnérables face aux conditions climatiques rudes (semi-aride) et aux aléas de la vie sociale et économique. Depuis les années 1980, les acteurs de la société civile (associations, coopératives) coordonnent des alternatives socioéconomiques innovantes en quête de valorisation des richesses naturelles et humaines. Cet article fondé sur une enquête de terrain met en lumière les ressorts du dynamisme émergent du territoire du sisal. Le processus de mobilisation sociale et la définition d’un projet de développement rural qui cherche avant tout à élargir les choix des producteurs et à leur permettre de devenir plus indépendants, s’appuient sur des politiques publiques de soutien à l’agriculture familiale fortement renforcées sous le gouvernement de Lula. L’intégration financière des petits producteurs s’est traduite par la création, en 1993, de la coopérative de crédit rural de Valente qui démocratise l’accès au crédit en proposant des services financiers et d’accompagnement adaptés. En ce sens, elle renvoie aux enjeux de la microfinance et de la lutte contre la pauvreté.Long-time neglected from public policy and excluded from traditional financial institutions, small rural producers in the sertão baiano are facing harsh climate conditions (semi-arid) and social or economic contingencies. Since the 1980’s, civil society actors (associations, cooperatives) have been coordinating innovative social and economic alternatives in order to create added value to human and natural resources. The State has though been only rarely involved in this process. This study, based on an extensive field work, highlights the forces that have led to the emerging dynamics in the sisal territory. The analysis refers to the historical process of social mobilization and to the definition of a rural project that has developed opportunities for small producers to enlarge their choices and independency. The aim to achieving financial integration of these producers has led to the creation of the rural credit cooperative of Valente in 1993, which aims to facilitate access to credit by offering services adapted to the financial needs of the producers and accompanying devices. In this sense, it refers to microfinance practices and to the fight against poverty.Durante muito tempo negligenciados pelas políticas públicas e excluídos pelas instituições financeiras tradicionais, os pequenos produtores rurais do sertão são extremamente vulneráveis às difíceis condições climáticas (Semi-árido) e aos imprevistos da vida social e econômica. Desde os anos 1980, os atores da sociedade civil (associações, cooperativas) desenvolvem alternativas econômicas e sociais inovadoras em busca da valorização das riquezas naturais e humanas, mas raramente contam com o apoio do Estado. O presente artigo, fundado sobre uma pesquisa de campo, evidenciam as forças que impulsionam o dinamismo emergente do território do sisal. Esta análise remete ao processo histórico de mobilização social e à definição de um projeto de desenvolvimento rural que busca, antes de tudo, ampliar as escolhas dos produtores e de lhes permitir tornarem-se mais autônomos. A preocupação com a integração financeira dos pequenos produtores se reflete na criação, em 1993, da cooperativa de crédito rural de Valente que visa democratizar o acesso ao crédito, propondo serviços financeiros e de assistência adaptados às suas necessidades. Nesse sentido, ela remete aos desafios da microfinança e de combate à pobreza

The practice and regulatory requirements of naturopathy and western herbal medicine in Australia

Vivian Lin1, Pauline McCabe1, Alan Bensoussan3,4, Stephen Myers5, Marc Cohen6, et al1School of Public Health; 2Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group, Australian Institute for Primary Care, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia; 3National Institute for Complementary Medicine; 4University of Western Sydney, Bankstown, New South Wales, Australia; 5NatMed-Research, Department of Natural and Complementary Medicine, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia; 6Department of Complementary Medicine, RMIT University, Bundoora West, Victoria, Australia; La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, AustraliaAbstract: Australian health workforce regulation is premised on the need to protect public health and safety. Specific criteria are set out by governments to ascertain the degree of risk and the need for government intervention. A study was undertaken to understand the current state of usage and the practice of naturopathy and western herbal medicine, and to ascertain whether statutory regulation was warranted. We found increased use of these complementary therapies in the community, with risks arising from both the specific practices as well as consumers negotiating a parallel primary health care system. We also found highly variable standards of training, a myriad of professional associations, and a general failure of current systems of self-regulation to protect public health and safety. Statutory regulation was the preferred policy response for consumers, insurers, general practitioners, and most of the complementary therapists. While we found a case for statutory registration, we also argue that a minimalist regulatory response needs to be accompanied by other measures to educate the public, to improve the standards of practice, and to enhance our understanding of the interaction between complementary and mainstream health care.Keywords: health workforce regulation, complementary health care, protection of public health and safety, health care polic

Marine heatwaves on the rise: One of the strongest ever observed mass mortality event in temperate gorgonians

4 pages, 1 figure, supporting information https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16931.-- Data Availability Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in Zenodo at https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8279819__;!!N11eV2iwtfs!oJ0au6jZIkmEkpeqJuRSFRJPgLXP0w9KwTA7kUivI2mOPyRhgVhXVWdBzeLbhI9X1e0-VVS_kZbgfWWD_ebA7eA$Climate change is currently impacting and threatening the entire biosphere, especially coastal marine ecosystems (Harley et al., 2006). In particular, climate change has been identified as a major driver of loss in coastal marine biodiversity and ecosystem functioning linked to the increase in the frequency and the intensity of marine heatwaves (MHWs)—anomalously prolonged periods of warm ocean temperatures or extremely warm temperature during short periods (Smith et al., 2023). The Mediterranean Sea has particularly experienced widespread mass mortality events (MMEs) driven by MHWs across the basin over the last two decades (Garrabou et al., 2022). During summer 2022, the NW Mediterranean was affected by one of the strongest MME ever recorded in the region affecting several species including gorgonians, sponges, bryozoans, bivalve molluscs, and calcareous algae. As in previous MMEs, mortality in these species resulted in the development of tissue necrosis affecting part of or the entirety of colonies (Figure 1a). In the Calanques National Park, France, two of its most emblematic species, the red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) and the red coral (Corallium rubrum), were dramatically affected. [...]LabEx CeMEB Centre Méditerranéen de l’Environnement et de la Bio-diversité, Grant/Award Number: DEEP_HEART_project; Office Français de la Biodiversité; Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence, Grant/Award Number: CEX2019-000928-S; European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (Futuremares SEP-210597628)Peer reviewe