Small farming in Grenada: an investigation of its nature and structure

Throughout much of the developing world peasant agriculture represents a millstone around the neck of economic development. This study considers the problem as it is represented by small farming on the Caribbean island of Grenada and indicates some of the factors which contribute to this situation. Consideration is first given to the hypothesis that different levels of social -economic development affect the level of farming practice. To this end each of the island's six parishes was considered as a distinct statistical unit having its own level of development and farming practice. From preliminary analysis it was evident that the social - economic environment was not the most important influence on small farming and that the social background of the farmer had greater significance in this study. By classifying the farms as non -commercial, semi -commercial, commercial or miniature estates, and then by studying the nature and structure of these categories of farms, it was possible to observe the human and physical characteristics associated with the growth of small farms. The findings showed that most small farmers are old and poor, have a low social status and employ traditional methods of cultivation which are inefficient of space and time. Those who emerge as the more successful had obtained a certain level of education, had often worked overseas in order to save the capital necessary for purchasing land, and are the more highly motivated members of the small farming community, partly as a result of their religious beliefs and racial association. It is by identifying some of the social factors which restrict and retard the development of small farming in Grenada that this study makes its main contribution to the understanding of peasant agriculture

Genomic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in a UK university identifies dynamics of transmission

AbstractUnderstanding SARS-CoV-2 transmission in higher education settings is important to limit spread between students, and into at-risk populations. In this study, we sequenced 482 SARS-CoV-2 isolates from the University of Cambridge from 5 October to 6 December 2020. We perform a detailed phylogenetic comparison with 972 isolates from the surrounding community, complemented with epidemiological and contact tracing data, to determine transmission dynamics. We observe limited viral introductions into the university; the majority of student cases were linked to a single genetic cluster, likely following social gatherings at a venue outside the university. We identify considerable onward transmission associated with student accommodation and courses; this was effectively contained using local infection control measures and following a national lockdown. Transmission clusters were largely segregated within the university or the community. Our study highlights key determinants of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and effective interventions in a higher education setting that will inform public health policy during pandemics.</jats:p

MOONS: The New Multi-Object Spectrograph for the VLT

International audienceMOONS is the new Multi-Object Optical and Near-infrared Spectrograph currently under construction for the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at ESO. This remarkable instrument combines, for the first time, the collecting power of an 8-m telescope, 1000 fibres with individual robotic positioners, and both low- and high-resolution simultaneous spectral coverage across the 0.64–1.8 μm wavelength range. This facility will provide the astronomical community with a powerful, world-leading instrument able to serve a wide range of Galactic, extragalactic and cosmological studies. Construction is now proceeding full steam ahead and this overview article presents some of the science goals and the technical description of the MOONS instrument. More detailed information on the MOONS surveys is provided in the other dedicated articles in this Messenger issue