Aquaculture in Zambia: An overview and evaluation of the sector’s responsiveness to the needs of the poor

Given the recent expansion and commercialization of aquaculture in Zambia, an important question that needs to be explored is how have the recent changes in the Zambian aquaculture sector contributed to the needs of the poor? The aim of this report is to (a) outline the current trajectory of aquaculture development in Zambia and (b) evaluate whether these development efforts are inclusive of and responsive to the needs of the poor

Value chain transformation: Taking stock of WorldFish research on value chains and markets

The goal of WorldFish’s research on markets and value chains is to increase the benefits to resource-poor people from fisheries and aquaculture value chains by researching (1) key barriers to resource-poor men, women and other marginalized groups gaining greater benefits from participation in value chains, including barriers related to the availability, affordability and quality of nutrient-rich fish for resource-poor consumers; (2) interventions to overcome those barriers; and (3) mechanisms that are most effective for scaling up of value chain interventions. This paper aims to promote and document learning across WorldFish’s value chain research efforts in Asia and Africa. It has three main objectives: (1) to take stock of WorldFish’s past and ongoing research on value chains; (2) to draw out commonalities and differences between these projects; and (3) to provide a synthesis of some learning that can guide future work

A review of inclusive business models and their application in aquaculture development

Open Access Journal; Published online: 30 Jan 2020For aquaculture to continue along its current growth trajectory and contribute towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, value chains must become more inclusive. Smallholders and other local value chain actors are often constrained by circumstances and market failures in the global aquaculture industry. Integrating these actors into aquaculture value chains through inclusive business models (IBMs) is often touted as a solution to sustainable and ethical trade and business that can generate development outcomes. We reviewed 36 papers under seven business models commonly used in agriculture development to assess their application in aquaculture value chains in lower‐income countries. A global value chain (GVC) analysis is used to unpack the economic and social upgrading objectives of the different IBMs, as well as the types of relational coordination used between actors in the chain to achieve development outcomes. The extent to which these IBMs helped poor actors overcome certain barriers is evaluated with a focus on how they may ensure or be a risk to inclusiveness through the relations and upgrading opportunities evident in their make‐up. The analysis found that the majority of the models focused on economic upgrading over social upgrading. Providing opportunities for the latter is key to achieving the inclusive objectives of IBMs. Greater horizontal coordination between actors can create further opportunities for economic upgrading established under vertical coordination with other nodes upstream and downstream in a value chain. There is a need to further contextualize these models to aquaculture systems and develop clear indicators of inclusiveness

The role and regulation of D-type cyclins in the plant cell cycle

The G1 phase of the cell cycle represents a period of commitment to cell division, both for cells stimulated to resume division from a resting or quiescent state, and for cells involved in repeated cell cycles. During this period, various signals that affect the cells ’ ability to divide must be assessed and integrated. G1 culminates in the entry of cells into S phase, when DNA replication occurs. In addition, it is likely that several types of differentiation decision may be taken by cells in the G1 phase. In both animals and plants, it appears that D-type cyclins play an important role in the cell cycle responses to external signals, by forming the regulatory subunit of cyclin-dependent kinase complexes. The phosphorylation targets of D-cyclin kinases in mammalian cells are the retinoblastoma (Rb) protein and close relatives. Unphosphorylated Rb can associate with E2F transcription factors, preventing transcription of genes under E2F control until the G1/S boundary is reached. The conservation of Rb and E2F proteins in plants suggests that this pathway is therefore conserved in all higher eukaryotes, although it is absent in fungi and yeasts. Here we review the current understanding of the roles and regulations of D-type (CycD) cyclins in plants