Technology Platform Organics: Knowledge Generation and Exchange in Organic Food And Farming Research

The paper illustrates the role and activities of Technology Platform Organics (TP Organics) in addressing the requirement that research in organic food and farming systems generates output of relevance to wider end-users. It describes approaches to research and knowledge exchange and suggests that a more participatory approach can improve organic research outcomes. It describes different models of research and knowledge exchange and their pros and cons. The criteria for success of a participatory approach to research also need to be different. These are discussed

Implementation Action Plan for organic food and farming research

The Implementation Action Plan completes TP Organics’ trilogy of key documents of the Research Vision to 2025 (Niggli et al 2008) and the Strategic Research Agenda (Schmid et al 2009). The Implementation Action Plan addresses important areas for a successful implementation of the Strategic Research Agenda. It explores the strength of Europe’s organic sector on the world stage with about one quarter of the world’s organic agricultural land in 2008 and accounting for more than half of the global organic market. The aims and objectives of organic farming reflect a broad range of societal demands on the multiple roles of agriculture and food production of not only producing commodities but also ecosystem services. These are important for Europe’s economic success, the resilience of its farms and prosperity in its rural areas. The organic sector is a leading market for quality and authenticity: values at the heart of European food culture. Innovation is important across the EU economy, and no less so within the organic sector. The Implementation Action Plan devotes its third chapter to considering how innovation can be stimulated through organic food and farming research and, crucially, translated into changes in business and agricultural practice. TP Organics argues for a broad understanding of innovation that includes technology, know-how and social/organisational innovations. Accordingly, innovation can involve different actors throughout the food sector. Many examples illustrate innovations in the organic sector includign and beyond technology. The various restrictions imposed by organic standards have driven change and turned organic farms and food businesses into creative living laboratories for smart and green innovations and the sector will continue to generate new examples. The research topics proposed by TP Organics in the Strategic Research Agenda can drive innovation in areas as wide ranging as production practices for crops, technologies for livestock, food processing, quality management, on-farm renewable energy or insights into the effects of consumption of organic products on disease and wellbeing and life style of citizens. Importantly, many approaches developed within the sector are relevant and useful beyond the specific sector. The fourth chapter addresses knowledge management in organic agriculture, focusing on the further development of participatory research methods. Participatory (or trans-disciplinary) models recognise the worth and importance of different forms of knowledge and reduced boundaries between the generators and the users of knowledge, while respecting and benefitting from transparent division of tasks. The emphasis on joint creation and exchange of knowledge makes them valuable as part of a knowledge management toolkit as they have the capacity to enhance the translation of research outcomes into practical changes and lead to real-world progress. The Implementation Action Plan argues for the wider application of participatory methods in publicly-funded research and also proposes some criteria for evaluating participatory research, such as the involvement and satisfaction of stakeholders as well as real improvements in sustainability and delivery of public goods/services. European agriculture faces specific challenges but at the same time Europe has a unique potential for the development of agro-ecology based solutions that must be supported through well focused research. TP Organics believes that the most effective approaches in agriculture and food research will be systems-based, multi- and trans-disciplinary, and that in the development of research priorities, the interconnections between biodiversity, dietary diversity, functional diversity and health must be taken into account. Chapter five of the action plan identifies six themes which could be used to organise research and innovation activities in agriculture under Europe’s 8th Framework Programme on Research Cooperation: • Eco-functional intensification – A new area of agricultural research which aims to harness beneficial activities of the ecosystem to increase productivity in agriculture. • The economics of high output / low input farming Developing reliable economic and environmental assessments of new recycling, renewable-based and efficiency-boosting technologies for agriculture. • Health care schemes for livestock Shifting from therapeutics to livestock health care schemes based on good husbandry and disease prevention. • Resilience and “sustainagility” Dealing with a more rapidly changing environment by focusing on ‘adaptive capacity’ to help build resilience of farmers, farms and production methods. • From farm diversity to food diversity and health and wellbeing of citizens Building on existing initiatives to reconnect consumers and producers, use a ‘whole food chain’ approach to improve availability of natural and authentic foods. • Creating centres of innovation in farming communities A network of centres in Europe applying and developing trans-disciplinary and participatory scientific approaches to support innovation among farmers and SMEs and improving research capacities across Europe

Strategic Research Agenda for organic food and farming

The TP Organics Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) was finalised in December 2009. The purpose of the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) is to enable research, development and knowledge transfer that will deliver relevant outcomes – results that will contribute to the improvement of the organic sector and other low external input systems. The document has been developed through a dynamic consultative process that ran from 2008 to 2009. It involved a wide range of stakeholders who enthusiastically joined the effort to define organic research priorities. From December 2008 to February; the expert groups elaborated the first draft. The consultative process involved the active participation of many different countries. Consultation involved researchers, advisors, members of inspection/certification bodies, as well as different users/beneficiaries of the research such as farmers, processors, market actors and members of civil society organisations throughout Europe and further afield in order to gather the research needs of the whole organic sector

Microarray based analysis of an inherited terminal 3p26.3 deletion, containing only the CHL1 gene, from a normal father to his two affected children

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>terminal deletions of the distal portion of the short arm of chromosome 3 cause a rare contiguous gene disorder characterized by growth retardation, developmental delay, mental retardation, dysmorphisms, microcephaly and ptosis. The phenotype of individuals with deletions varies from normal to severe. It was suggested that a 1,5 Mb minimal terminal deletion including the two genes <it>CRBN </it>and <it>CNTN4 </it>is sufficient to cause the syndrome.</p> <p>In addition the <it>CHL1 </it>gene, mapping at 3p26.3 distally to <it>CRBN </it>and <it>CNTN4</it>, was proposed as candidate gene for a non specific mental retardation because of its high level of expression in the brain.</p> <p>Methods and Results</p> <p>we describe two affected siblings in which array-CGH analysis disclosed an identical discontinuous terminal 3p26.3 deletion spanning less than 1 Mb. The deletion was transmitted from their normal father and included only the <it>CHL1 </it>gene. The two brothers present microcephaly, light mental retardation, learning and language difficulties but not the typical phenotype manifestations described in 3p- syndrome.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>a terminal 3p26.3 deletion including only the <it>CHL1 </it>gene is a very rare finding previously reported only in one family. The phenotype of the affected individuals in the two families is very similar and the deletion has been inherited from an apparently normal parent. As already described for others recurrent syndromes with variable phenotype, these findings are challenging in genetic counselling because of an evident variable penetrance.</p

Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda for Organic Food and Farming

TP Organics is the European Technology Platform for organic food and farming, and for low-input agriculture. Established in 2008, it brings together small and medium-sized enterprises, larger companies, farmers, researchers, consumers and civil society organisations involved in the organic value chain from production, input and supply, to food processing, marketing and consumption. It identifies research and innovation needs and communicates them to policy-makers. The aim is to leverage the organic sector’s contribution to sustainable farming and food production. Since 2013, TP Organics is officially recognised by the European Commission as one of 40 European Technology Platforms (ETPs). TP Organics published its first Strategic Research Agenda in 2009. This proved very successful, as about a third of the research questions identified gained funding through the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP7) of the EU, or through transnational research programmes (ERA-Nets) and national research projects. With the end of the 7th Framework Programme and the start of the new EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, Horizon 2020, TP Organics decided to revise its research agenda. This new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda is the product of an intensive participatory process, which lasted for a year and a half and benefited from three consultations

Saúde coletiva e atividade física: recortes atuais de sua atuação

Resumo O Grupo de Saúde Coletiva/Epidemiologia e Atividade Física da Unicamp apresenta recortes atuais de sua atuação no desenvolvimento de projetos técnicos a partir de três núcleos temáticos de interesse: i) caracterizações de metodologias de pesquisa e ensino empregadas em seu interior; ii) exploração de relações entre níveis de Qualidade de Vida e diferentes programas de Atividade Física e iii) aspectos do binômio corpo-movimento em ações de controle da hanseníase. Especificamente, apresentam-se como resultados expressivos os significados que podem ser explicitados pela análise conjunta de diferentes projetos conduzidos de forma integrada por mesma equipe acadêmica

Methodological applications in physical education/sports sciences : excerpts from collective health and physical activity of UNICAMP

Orientador: Aguinaldo GonçalvesDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação FisicaResumo: Apresenta-se e discute-se a experiência do Grupo de Saúde Coletiva, Epidemiologia e Atividade Física ¿ GSCEAF no interior do universo da Educação Física. Criado em 1988, é constituído por cinco Linhas de Pesquisa, possui no momento sete integrantes e já publicou 403 textos em periódicos ou anais (atualização de 22/01/2007). Em busca de contribuir para o desenvolvimento acadêmico da área de Educação Física/Ciências do Esporte, no que se refere à análise de dados e geração de informação, este trabalho visa, especificamente, conhecer, descrever e analisar as características da respectiva produção científica do GSCEAF no decorrer de sua atuação acadêmica, segundo suas respectivas Linhas de Pesquisa. Objetiva, ainda, apropriar-se dos trabalhos aí produzidos para discutir situações concretas de aplicação das metodologias empregadas. Para tanto, foi necessária a revisão e composição de alguns conceitos básicos, como publicação em periódicos e anais, modalidade metodológica e perfil metodológico. Os resultados apresentados se dividem em dois segmentos: quantitativos e qualitativos. Quanto aos primeiros, dois conjuntos de variações foram observados: as referentes ao tema e ao período considerado. A princípio, pode-se apreender que, embora as Linhas utilizem equitativamente a modalidade quantitativa descritiva, há predomínio de metodologias qualitativas entre as mais doutrinárias, e quantitativa inferencial entre as mais empiricistas: vale dizer que optar pela temática trabalhada implica na escolha do método utilizado, e não o oposto. Quanto ao fator temporal, aponta-se predomínio dos estudos qualitativos no início do período considerado, passando a predominar, com os anos, os quantitativos inferenciais. Quanto aos elementos qualitativos, são caracterizadas cada uma das modalidades, tomando, para descrição e exemplificação das mesmas, produções empreendidas pelo Grupo. A discussão travada retoma as principais características das linhas de pesquisa, com a finalidade de compreender os dados encontrados, assim como exemplifica a adoção da modalidade empregada nos trabalhos abordados. Dentre as principais conclusões destaca-se: i) a utilização das MM adotadas se mostra decorrente da identidade de sua Linha de Pesquisa; ii) a apreciação complementar por triênios ao longo do período considerado apontou predomínio dos estudos qualitativos no início do mesmo, passando a predominar com o tempo, os quantitativos inferenciais e iii) quanto aos aspectos qualitativos, foram produzidas leituras das características de cada MM empregada em produções do Grupo, constituindo um portfolio padronizadoAbstract: Experience from Collective Health, Epidemics and Physical Activity ¿ GSCEAF Group within Physical Education universe is presented and discussed. Created in 1988, it is constituted by five Research Lines, currently it comprises seven members and has already published 403 texts in periodicals or annals (updating from 01/22/2007). To contribute to academic development in Physical Education/Sports Sciences area, as to data analysis and information generation, this study specific purpose is to know, describe and analyze GSCEAF respective scientific production along its academic performance, according to is respective Research Lines. It also aims at appropriation of works developed to discuss concrete situations of used methodologies application. For this, review and composition of some basic concepts, such as publishing in periodicals and annals, methodological modality and methodological profile, were required. Results presented are divided in two segments: quantitative and qualitative. As to first ones, it can be noticed that although Lines equitably use descriptive quantitative modality, qualitative methodologies prevail among more doctrinaire ones and inferential quantitative one prevails among more empirical ones: it should be pointed out that option concerning thematic to be worked out implies selection of method to be used and not the opposite. As to temporal factor, qualitative studies are predominant at the beginning of period considered and along the years quantitative inferential ones will prevail. As to qualitative elements, each modality is featured, using Group¿s productions for their description and exemplification. Discussion carried out concerns main research lines features, to understand data found and also exemplifies adoption of modality used in works approached. Among main conclusions, the following stands out: i) use of MM adopted is connected to its Research Line identity; ii) further appreciation per triennials along period considered pointed out that qualitative studies are predominant at the beginning of period considered and along the years quantitative inferential ones will prevail and iii) as to qualitative aspects features readings of each MM used in Group¿s productions have been carried out, as a standardized portfolioMestradoMestre em Educação Físic