Tree resources in Northern Thailand: Local stakeholders and national policy

This report is the result of four months of research carried out in Northern Thailand and forms the intermediate phase of the Natural Resources Institute (Overseas Development Administration) research programme entitled Tree Resources and Environmental Policy: Stakeholders and Trade-oHs. In the first two chapters, the research objectives and programme of work are described in detail. The main aim was to determine the issues involved in formulating fair, workable management policies for forests and forest resources in general, using Northern Thailand as an example. This was to be achieved in collaboration with Thai universities and other institutions, notably the Royal Project Foundation and the Highland Agricultural Development Division (HADD), and by interviews and discussions with local forest dwellers at one end of the spectrum and government officials at the other. In the third chapter, details of the geography, economy, agriculture, population and tree resources of Northern Thailand are given, and in chapter four, past, present and future forest management policies are discussed; particular attention is paid to the Thai Forestry Sector Master Plan which was formulated in 1990. The work of the Royal Project and the HADD is summarized in chapter five and in chapter six, a comprehensive report of a case study undertaken in Mae Pam (Chiang Mai province) is presented; this includes details of the local geography, socio-economy and tree resources, and of the conflicts which arise between different ethnic groups over resource scarcity. Much attention is paid to the ways in which the people who live and work in the forest perceive their environment and the changes which are taking place within it. Recommendations for future management policies and future research are made in the concluding chapter

Facing the challenge: Applying codes of practice in the smallholder sector

Facing the Challenge: Applying Codes of Practice in the Smallholder Sector was the third in a series of workshops organised by the Ethical Trade and Export Horticulture Research Project of the Natural Resources and Ethical Trade Programme (NRET). The Project was set up nearly 4 years ago, with the primary aim of making codes of practice more effective. In the last couple of years, the Project has focused on developing practical tools for implementing codes of practice, aiming to combine real social and environmental benefits with cost-effectiveness. In the process of carrying out our research, it became clear that key industry stakeholders were concerned that smaller farms - in particular family-run smallholdings - would find it much more difficult to comply with codes compared to large- scale commercial operators. Buyers are often already sceptical about the ability of smallholders to meet quality and food safety standards. If buyers and exporters see social and environmental standards as a further obstacle to supplying from smallholders, there is a risk that exporters will opt not to supply from smallholders at all. In response to this challenge, over the last year the Project has been carrying out fieldwork in Ghana and Zimbabwe to address the following questions: a) To what extent are social and environmental standards currently being met on African smallholder farms producing for export? Can these standards ever be met? b) What are the management implications and recommendations for improving compliance? c) How do you conduct an audit on small/medium scale farms, where there are few formal management systems and limited record keeping? This workshop was organised to share findings from this fieldwork with key stakeholders, and to explore the implications for future management of codes of practice in the smallholder sector. To add value to the workshop, we also included a presentation on relevant experiences from another ongoing NRET project looking at managing smallholders in the export market. The workshop attracted 40 participants, with representatives from UK and Dutch supermarkets (Albert Heijn and CWS), UK importers, growers and exporters from Ghana, fresh produce trade associations from Ghana, Zimbabwe and UK, DFID, GTZ and a number of NGOs and researchers working/ campaigning on related issues

Review of the implications of changes in EU pesticides legislation on the production and export of fruits and vegetables from developing country suppliers

Since 1993 the European Union (EU) has been implementing a programme to establish harmonised Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for pesticide residues in foodstuffs sold in the EU. Between 1993 and July 2000, the EU has been aiming to establish MRLsfor 102 pesticide active ingredients. However, acceptable data for establishment of MRLs has not been available for a significant number of crop/active ingredient combinations. In such situations, the EU has left the MRLposition as an "openposition"for a limited period of time. During this period, data can be submitted to the EU to provide for the establishment of an MRL - this is usually done by agrochemical companies, but can also be done by other interested parties. If the period expires and no acceptable data has been received, the MRL is set at the analytical Limit of Determination (LOD) i.e. analytical zero

Prevalence and correlates of subjective cognitive impairment in Chinese psychiatric patients during the fifth wave of COVID-19 in Hong Kong

IntroductionThe extent of cognitive impairment and its association with psychological distress among people with pre-existing mental illness during COVID-19 is understudied. This study aimed to investigate prevalence and correlates of subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) in Chinese psychiatric patients during fifth-wave of COVID-19 in Hong Kong (HK).MethodsFour-hundred-eight psychiatric outpatients aged 18–64 years were assessed with questionnaires between 28 March and 8 April 2022, encompassing illness profile, psychopathological symptoms, coping-styles, resilience, and COVID-19 related factors. Participants were categorized into moderate-to-severe and intact/mild cognitive impairment (CI+ vs. CI-) groups based on severity of self-reported cognitive complaints. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to determine variables associated with CI+ status.ResultsOne-hundred-ninety-nine participants (48.8%) experienced CI+. A multivariate model on psychopathological symptoms found that depressive and post-traumatic-stress-disorder (PTSD)-like symptoms were related to CI+, while a multivariate model on coping, resilience and COVID-19 related factors revealed that avoidant coping, low resilience and more stressors were associated with CI+. Final combined model demonstrated the best model performance and showed that more severe depressive and PTSD-like symptoms, and adoption of avoidant coping were significantly associated with CI+.ConclusionAlmost half of the sample of psychiatric patients reported cognitive complaints during fifth-wave of COVID-19 in HK. Greater depressive and PTSD-like symptom severity, and maladaptive (avoidant) coping were found as correlates of SCI. COVID-19 related factors were not independently associated with SCI in psychiatric patients. Early detection with targeted psychological interventions may therefore reduce psychological distress, and hence self-perceived cognitive difficulties in this vulnerable population

Unpaid Care - Why and How to Invest: Policy Briefing for National Governments's Poorest Countries

Investments which support households to better meet their unpaid care responsibilities - such as childcare, food preparation and laundry - can yield substantial returns in terms of macro-economic growth, job creation and other key government priorities. This briefing looks at selected evidence and examples and argues that governments should:include commitments to support households' unpaid care work in relevant policies and programmes, and collect data on unpaid care to support policy making;increase households' access to care-supporting infrastructure and services;encourage men and boys to share care work; andstep up efforts to give women a real voice in policy making, and a real opportunity to speak out about unpaid care

Tipping the Balance: Policies to shape agricultural investments and markets in favour of small-scale farmers

A recent wave of large-scale land acquisitions and other commercial investment in agriculture has raised concerns that small-scale producers are being marginalized. Worldwide, around 500 million small farms support almost two billion people - nearly one-third of the global population. What role can public policy play in ensuring that commercial investment and agricultural markets benefit smallholder producers, both women and men, while respecting the environment? Oxfam and IIED collaborated on research to take a new look at the role of public policy and market governance at a national level in supporting inclusive sustainable development. This report identifies key policy levers that can tip commercial investments in favour of either small- or large-scale farming. And it shows how policy levers influence market governance to constrain or to support the fair sharing of risk and reward between small-scale producers and the rest of the market. A key element of the report is the examination of policy elements that can specifically contribute to gender-equitable results.The report is supported by country case studies from Guatemala and Nigeria

Supramolecular Assembly of Isocyanorhodium(I) Complexes: An Interplay of Rhodium(I)···Rhodium(I) Interactions, Hydrophobic–Hydrophobic Interactions, and Host–Guest Chemistry

A series of tetrakis­(isocyano)­rhodium­(I) complexes with different chain lengths of alkyl substituents has been found to exhibit a strong tendency toward solution state aggregation upon altering the concentration, temperature and solvent composition. Temperature- and solvent-dependent UV–vis absorption studies have been performed, and the data have been analyzed using the aggregation model to elucidate the growth mechanism. The aggregation is found to involve extensive Rh­(I)···Rh­(I) interactions that are synergistically assisted by hydrophobic–hydrophobic interactions to give a rainbow array of solution aggregate colors. It is noted that the presence of three long alkyl substituents is crucial for the observed cooperativity in the aggregation. Molecular assemblies in the form of nanoplates and nanovesicles have been observed in the hexane–dichloromethane solvent mixtures, arising from the different formation mechanisms based on the alkyl chain length of the complexes. Benzo-15-crown-5 moieties have been incorporated for selective potassium ion binding to induce dimer formation and drastic color changes, rendering the system as potential colorimetric and luminescent cation sensors and as building blocks for ion-controlled supramolecular assembly

Acceptance towards giving birth to a child with beta-thalassemia major – A prospective study

Objective: To explore the acceptance of pregnant Chinese women on giving birth to a child with beta-thalassemia major. Materials and methods: Women's acceptance on having a child with beta thalassemia major was assessed using standard gamble metrics during an interviewer-administered survey on 309 women recruited in the antenatal clinic. Utility scores were determined and the association with sociodemographic factors was assessed. Results: The median utility score for having a child with beta-thalassemia major was 0.5 (0–0.65). Women having either higher educational level or family income had significantly higher utility scores (P < 0.05) corresponding to a higher acceptance. During the interview 59.9% participants indicated that they would elect to undergo a termination of pregnancy if their fetus was diagnosed with beta-thalassemia major but 26.5% participants were unable to decide what action they would take. Conclusion: Many Chinese pregnant women are ambivalent about giving birth to a baby with beta-thalassemia major. Women with higher educational level or higher family income had a higher acceptance towards the condition

Supramolecular Assembly of Isocyanorhodium(I) Complexes: An Interplay of Rhodium(I)···Rhodium(I) Interactions, Hydrophobic–Hydrophobic Interactions, and Host–Guest Chemistry

A series of tetrakis­(isocyano)­rhodium­(I) complexes with different chain lengths of alkyl substituents has been found to exhibit a strong tendency toward solution state aggregation upon altering the concentration, temperature and solvent composition. Temperature- and solvent-dependent UV–vis absorption studies have been performed, and the data have been analyzed using the aggregation model to elucidate the growth mechanism. The aggregation is found to involve extensive Rh­(I)···Rh­(I) interactions that are synergistically assisted by hydrophobic–hydrophobic interactions to give a rainbow array of solution aggregate colors. It is noted that the presence of three long alkyl substituents is crucial for the observed cooperativity in the aggregation. Molecular assemblies in the form of nanoplates and nanovesicles have been observed in the hexane–dichloromethane solvent mixtures, arising from the different formation mechanisms based on the alkyl chain length of the complexes. Benzo-15-crown-5 moieties have been incorporated for selective potassium ion binding to induce dimer formation and drastic color changes, rendering the system as potential colorimetric and luminescent cation sensors and as building blocks for ion-controlled supramolecular assembly