Eco-innovative food in Brazil: perceptions from producers and consumers

The main focus of this paper is to analyse the production and consumption for eco-innovative food in Brazil. The research can be divided in two parts: the first, focusing in the supply-side, aims to identify food companies’ motivation to adopt eco-innovation, and the second, in the demand-side, to investigate consumer values and attitudes towards eco-innovation. In order to analyse the supply-side, an exploratory phase has been conducted with 13 in-depth interviews with firms and organizations that work with eco-innovative food, green certifications and green food associations. The analysis of the demand-side was carried out through an exploratory phase, with 42 interviews in green and organic fairs and street markets along with a Survey with 401 consumers in traditional Organic Street Markets in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The quantitative data from this stage was analysed with SPSS (univariate statistics). Results indicate that the companies’ mission and strategy are important drivers for the adoption of eco-innovations in the food sector. Technology is an essential input for the supply side, and can act as an important driver to increase the supply of sustainable food, to reduce losses, and to improve environmental sustainability. The eco-innovative market has a great potential to grow and become more competitive, although some barriers still need to be transposed: clearer regulations, logistics, high quality manpower and production of more convenient products for consumers. Results from the analysis of consumers indicate the presence of egalitarian values, and positive attitudes towards environment and technological progress, as well as a positive attitude and intention to buy eco-innovative food. Additional findings points out towards a certain belief on behalf of Brazilian consumers that technology can be a determinant of relevant aspects of eco-innovative foods. This research is of particular academic value, by adding empirical evidence about the relationships that rule how values and general attitudes influence attitudes towards eco-innovative food in the Brazilian food consumption context. Managerial implications are related to the need for companies to remain competitive and profitable, and innovation and environmental sustainability can be used as an alternative to mitigate environmental risks derived from the company’s activities

Peste suína clássica: custo de um surto.

bitstream/item/58655/1/CUsersPiazzonDocuments190.pd

DOIS RELATOS, DUAS ONÇAS, TRÊS GÊNEROS: Meu tio o iauaretê e O espelho, de João Guimarães Rosa

Em nossa Dissertação de Mestrado, estudaremos, sobretudo, Meu tio o iauaretê, de Estas estórias, e, ainda, O espelho, de Primeiras estórias, de João Guimarães Rosa. Estes são os objetivos gerais do presente trabalho. Em relação ao primeiro relato (uma narrativa mais longa), temos como propósito específico efetuar a sua análise por meio da teoria do gênero fantástico desenvolvida por Tzvetan Todorov, a qual leva em conta os gêneros estranho e maravilhoso. Em relação ao segundo (uma narrativa bem menos extensa), o nosso intento específico é a sua abordagem a partir do maravilhoso. Também lançaremos mão de conceitos da psicologia analítica de Carl Gustav Jung, na leitura de ambos os textos: noções como inconsciente coletivo, arquétipo, anima, animus, alma do mato (para Meu tio o iauaretê), si-mesmo ou self, persona e sombra (para O espelho). Não pretendemos, todavia, transformar os personagens das duas obras em casos clínicos, mas mostrar como aspectos da teorização junguiana, tal como ocorre com a de Freud, servem para iluminar a produção literária de um modo geral. Dois detalhes que funcionam como fatores de ligação das duas narrativas de Rosa são as presenças da figura da onça e do espelho nas páginas de ambas

The Dynamics of the Innovation System for Functional Foods in South Brazil

 This study aims at identifying the dynamics of the innovation system for functional foods (FF) in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Functional food is any healthy food claimed to have a health-promoting or disease-preventing property beyond the basic function of supplying nutrients. Health has been named as the most significant trend and innovation driver in the global food and drinks market. Brazil is one of the leading countries in food production and consumption, and the market for functional foods have been growing 10% per year, three times more than the market for conventional foods. Although this food category is considered mature in some developed markets (such as in Japan, in the Nordic countries and in the U.S), it is still unknown for many consumers, especially those located in developing countries. On the other hand, functional foods has been attracting the attention of multinationals and local food industries, since innovation can significantly impact on their competitive advantages. Therefore, in this study, first we are going to investigate consumers’ motivations, attitudes and intention to buy functional foods, since the market demands a better understanding of this trend. A survey with 450 consumers was conducted and provided quantitative insights. Secondly, we identified the availability of functional food products in the local retail market, through observation techniques. Our aim was to confront consumers’ needs with local food companies’ market supply. In a further stage, we are going to analyse the functioning of this innovation system, describing the agents involved in this context and their relations through in-depth interviews with local representatives (stakeholders). Innovation system is here understood as the set of distinct institutions which jointly and individually contribute to the development and diffusion of new technologies and which provides the framework within which governments form and implement policies to influence the innovation process. As such "it is a system of interconnected institutions to create, store and transfer the knowledge, skills and artefacts which define new technologies." (Metcalfe, 1995). Hence, we are investigating issues such as: Are local food companies ready to innovate in such a competitive and dynamic scenario? How can this system respond to consumers’ demands? Are there conditions for an innovative food network in South Brazil? Our contributions help to shed light into these questions. Preliminary results indicate that the innovation system for functional foods in Rio Grande do Sul is incipient, but it is developing fast. Stronger governance and co-ordination strategies are needed. There are few local functional food products in the market, but those are attractive to consumers and indicate promising opportunities. The survey shows that interviewed consumers presented positive attitudes towards functional foods and enough purchasing power to buy it. Nutritionists and other health professionals have high credibility and could help inform consumers about the benefits of particular categories of functional foods. Food industry itself is not regarded as the most trustworthy source. Finally, this study shows that the understanding of Brazilian consumers is fundamental to help food companies define their strategies. To map the most accepted categories of functional foods is also important, aiming to avoid the "tentative and error" approach

Geografía de la salud: bases y actualidad

La geografía de la salud busca comprender el contexto en el que ocurren los problemas de salud, para poder actuar sobre territorios, no sobre los individuos ni sobre los organismos. Diferente de otras disciplinas, la geografía busca una perspectiva macroscópica de los problemas, permitiendo comprender la dinámica del proceso salud-enfermedad y enfermedad-atención. La diversidad de temas de la geografía de la salud es resultado de los diversos campos de actuación de la salud colectiva, que comprenden las acciones de vigilancia de enfermedades, la atención a la salud, y la promoción de salud, esta última con desarrollo relativamente reciente. Estudiar estos problemas requiere una visión ampliada de salud, que abarque desde la prevención de enfermedades hasta el acceso a servicios de salud, esto es sobre el proceso inseparable de salud-enfermedad-atención. El reto principal de la geografía de la salud es comprender las particularidades de cada problema de salud y relacionarlos con procesos generales como la globalización, la expansión del capitalismo, la precarización del trabajo, la vulnerabilidad de las poblaciones, la degradación ambiental, la urbanización, entre otros

New highlights on stroma–epithelial interactions in breast cancer

Although the stroma in which carcinomas arise has been previously regarded as a bystander to the clonal expansion and acquisition of malignant characteristics of tumor cells, it is now generally acknowledged that stromal changes are required for the establishment of cancer. In the present article, we discuss three recent publications that highlight the complex role the stroma has during the development of cancer and the potential for targeting the stroma by therapeutic approaches