A Critical Reflection on the Role of Power and Privilege in Conducting International Development Research

In this article, the author reflects on the role of power and privilege during her interactions with international partners. She dissects how factors like social justice, intersectionality, and intercultural competence, which go beyond technical expertise, can dramatically influence the success of international projects. The goal of this paper is to provide insight for those interested in working in international development, while discussing challenges that are frequently unaddressed in the field

Rebound effects could offset more than half of avoided food loss and waste

Acknowledgements We thank Peter Newton, Sebastian Dueñas-Ocampo, Rayna Benzeev, Lee Frankel-Goldwater, Waverly Eichhorst, Ryan Langendorf, and Hilary Brumberg for their feedback on earlier drafts of this document; and Ryan Langendorf for helpful feedback and discussion on the economic analysis. M.H. and M.G.B. acknowledge funding from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) (Award number: 2020-38420-30727), and the University of Colorado Boulder Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) (start-up grant to M.G.B.). S.J.D. was supported by the US National Science Foundation and US Department of Agriculture (INFEWS grant EAR 1639318) and by the ClimateWorks Foundation (grant 22-2100). .Peer reviewedPostprin

Evaluation of Small-Scale Extrusion for Aflatoxin Decontamination of Maize in Kenya

Aflatoxins, secondary metabolites produced by the molds Aspergilllus flavus and A. parasiticus, are estimated to affect upwards of 25% of the world’s global food supply. For Low and Middle-Income Countries like Kenya, a combination of trade, economic, and health challenges related to aflatoxin contamination present a serious threat to food and national security. One option for reducing aflatoxin risks in countries like Kenya is deploying small-scale, reprocessing technologies that degrade aflatoxin in contaminated food products. One potential technology for reprocessing is small-scale extrusion (60 pph) like the TechnoChem Mini-Extruder™. First, to understand the extent of aflatoxin contamination in Kenyan maize, two field work trials were conducted in Uasin Gishu County, Kenya. Aflatoxin levels from each sample were analyzed and compared to a variety of agro-economic variables (e.g. farm size) using a stepwise multiple linear regression. Upon analysis, only 5% of maize samples collected during field work tested positive for unsafe levels of aflatoxin ( \u3e10 ppb). Thus, the resulting regression model is highly biased towards predicting low aflatoxin levels. Such bias makes any inferences to predict high aflatoxin levels in maize largely inconclusive. The inherent heterogeneity of aflatoxin and the history of wide-spread contamination in Kenya further supports the conclusion that more studies are needed to understand the true extent of aflatoxin contamination in Uasin Gishu maize. Second, to test the effectiveness of small-scale extrusion on aflatoxin degradation in maize, contaminated samples were processed at varying motor frequencies (15, 38, and 50 hz) and moisture contents (35, 40, 45 %wb). Moisture content is significant (p-value \u3c 0.05) in aflatoxin degradation. Total aflatoxin degradation varied between 11 and 83% depending on processing conditions. Maximum degradation occurred at 40 %wb product moisture with a residence time of 265.1 s and an effective shear rate of 56.5 1/s. Thermal degradation is considered negligible due to low temperature increases. Consequently, all degradation is attributed to shear forces inside the extruder. Shear rates were approximated using the Harper model with moisture content and residence time being the most significant factors affecting shear effects on aflatoxin degradation. Although significant aflatoxin degradation occurred in the extruder, further studies are necessary to understand the role of processing parameters on aflatoxin degradation before small-scale extrusion can be confirmed as a viable reprocessing technology

Image_3_Price above all else: an analysis of expert opinion on the priority actions to scale up production and consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil.pdf

IntroductionPlant-based meats (PBM) are an emerging set of food technologies that could reduce the environmental impacts of food systems by mitigating consumer demand for animal products. However, scaling up the production and consumption of plant-based meats requires overcoming multiple technological, regulatory, political, and market barriers. An evidence-based prioritization of needs and actions may help actors (e.g., investors, funders, policymakers) who wish to help scale PBM achieve desired outcomes with limited resources.Research questionWhat actions could most effectively help to scale up the production and/or consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil?MethodsWe selected Brazil as a case study of a country with a significant animal agriculture sector and a burgeoning PBM sector. We constructed a panel of nine experts and employed the Delphi technique during two rounds of an online survey to iteratively assess the degree of consensus and disagreement around the relative priority of 14 possible actions (identified from relevant literature) that could help to scale up the production and/or consumption of PBM in Brazil. We used the Importance, Neglect, and Tractability framework.ResultsThe panelists collectively concluded that the top priority action for scaling up both the production and the consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil was to reduce the price of products for consumers. For most priority actions, there was greater consensus among panelists in the second round of the survey.DiscussionOur findings contribute to an improved understanding of (a) which actions may be of highest priority for investors, funders, and policymakers, (b) synergies and differences between priority actions to scale up the production versus consumption of PBM in Brazil, (c) the relative merits of focusing on scaling up PBM production versus consumption, and (d) the strengths and limitations of assessing expert opinion on alternative protein futures using the Delphi technique.</p

Data_Sheet_1_Price above all else: an analysis of expert opinion on the priority actions to scale up production and consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil.zip

IntroductionPlant-based meats (PBM) are an emerging set of food technologies that could reduce the environmental impacts of food systems by mitigating consumer demand for animal products. However, scaling up the production and consumption of plant-based meats requires overcoming multiple technological, regulatory, political, and market barriers. An evidence-based prioritization of needs and actions may help actors (e.g., investors, funders, policymakers) who wish to help scale PBM achieve desired outcomes with limited resources.Research questionWhat actions could most effectively help to scale up the production and/or consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil?MethodsWe selected Brazil as a case study of a country with a significant animal agriculture sector and a burgeoning PBM sector. We constructed a panel of nine experts and employed the Delphi technique during two rounds of an online survey to iteratively assess the degree of consensus and disagreement around the relative priority of 14 possible actions (identified from relevant literature) that could help to scale up the production and/or consumption of PBM in Brazil. We used the Importance, Neglect, and Tractability framework.ResultsThe panelists collectively concluded that the top priority action for scaling up both the production and the consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil was to reduce the price of products for consumers. For most priority actions, there was greater consensus among panelists in the second round of the survey.DiscussionOur findings contribute to an improved understanding of (a) which actions may be of highest priority for investors, funders, and policymakers, (b) synergies and differences between priority actions to scale up the production versus consumption of PBM in Brazil, (c) the relative merits of focusing on scaling up PBM production versus consumption, and (d) the strengths and limitations of assessing expert opinion on alternative protein futures using the Delphi technique.</p

Table_4_Price above all else: an analysis of expert opinion on the priority actions to scale up production and consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil.xlsx

IntroductionPlant-based meats (PBM) are an emerging set of food technologies that could reduce the environmental impacts of food systems by mitigating consumer demand for animal products. However, scaling up the production and consumption of plant-based meats requires overcoming multiple technological, regulatory, political, and market barriers. An evidence-based prioritization of needs and actions may help actors (e.g., investors, funders, policymakers) who wish to help scale PBM achieve desired outcomes with limited resources.Research questionWhat actions could most effectively help to scale up the production and/or consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil?MethodsWe selected Brazil as a case study of a country with a significant animal agriculture sector and a burgeoning PBM sector. We constructed a panel of nine experts and employed the Delphi technique during two rounds of an online survey to iteratively assess the degree of consensus and disagreement around the relative priority of 14 possible actions (identified from relevant literature) that could help to scale up the production and/or consumption of PBM in Brazil. We used the Importance, Neglect, and Tractability framework.ResultsThe panelists collectively concluded that the top priority action for scaling up both the production and the consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil was to reduce the price of products for consumers. For most priority actions, there was greater consensus among panelists in the second round of the survey.DiscussionOur findings contribute to an improved understanding of (a) which actions may be of highest priority for investors, funders, and policymakers, (b) synergies and differences between priority actions to scale up the production versus consumption of PBM in Brazil, (c) the relative merits of focusing on scaling up PBM production versus consumption, and (d) the strengths and limitations of assessing expert opinion on alternative protein futures using the Delphi technique.</p

Table_3_Price above all else: an analysis of expert opinion on the priority actions to scale up production and consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil.xlsx

IntroductionPlant-based meats (PBM) are an emerging set of food technologies that could reduce the environmental impacts of food systems by mitigating consumer demand for animal products. However, scaling up the production and consumption of plant-based meats requires overcoming multiple technological, regulatory, political, and market barriers. An evidence-based prioritization of needs and actions may help actors (e.g., investors, funders, policymakers) who wish to help scale PBM achieve desired outcomes with limited resources.Research questionWhat actions could most effectively help to scale up the production and/or consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil?MethodsWe selected Brazil as a case study of a country with a significant animal agriculture sector and a burgeoning PBM sector. We constructed a panel of nine experts and employed the Delphi technique during two rounds of an online survey to iteratively assess the degree of consensus and disagreement around the relative priority of 14 possible actions (identified from relevant literature) that could help to scale up the production and/or consumption of PBM in Brazil. We used the Importance, Neglect, and Tractability framework.ResultsThe panelists collectively concluded that the top priority action for scaling up both the production and the consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil was to reduce the price of products for consumers. For most priority actions, there was greater consensus among panelists in the second round of the survey.DiscussionOur findings contribute to an improved understanding of (a) which actions may be of highest priority for investors, funders, and policymakers, (b) synergies and differences between priority actions to scale up the production versus consumption of PBM in Brazil, (c) the relative merits of focusing on scaling up PBM production versus consumption, and (d) the strengths and limitations of assessing expert opinion on alternative protein futures using the Delphi technique.</p

Data_Sheet_3_Price above all else: an analysis of expert opinion on the priority actions to scale up production and consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil.docx

IntroductionPlant-based meats (PBM) are an emerging set of food technologies that could reduce the environmental impacts of food systems by mitigating consumer demand for animal products. However, scaling up the production and consumption of plant-based meats requires overcoming multiple technological, regulatory, political, and market barriers. An evidence-based prioritization of needs and actions may help actors (e.g., investors, funders, policymakers) who wish to help scale PBM achieve desired outcomes with limited resources.Research questionWhat actions could most effectively help to scale up the production and/or consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil?MethodsWe selected Brazil as a case study of a country with a significant animal agriculture sector and a burgeoning PBM sector. We constructed a panel of nine experts and employed the Delphi technique during two rounds of an online survey to iteratively assess the degree of consensus and disagreement around the relative priority of 14 possible actions (identified from relevant literature) that could help to scale up the production and/or consumption of PBM in Brazil. We used the Importance, Neglect, and Tractability framework.ResultsThe panelists collectively concluded that the top priority action for scaling up both the production and the consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil was to reduce the price of products for consumers. For most priority actions, there was greater consensus among panelists in the second round of the survey.DiscussionOur findings contribute to an improved understanding of (a) which actions may be of highest priority for investors, funders, and policymakers, (b) synergies and differences between priority actions to scale up the production versus consumption of PBM in Brazil, (c) the relative merits of focusing on scaling up PBM production versus consumption, and (d) the strengths and limitations of assessing expert opinion on alternative protein futures using the Delphi technique.</p

Table_2_Price above all else: an analysis of expert opinion on the priority actions to scale up production and consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil.xlsx

IntroductionPlant-based meats (PBM) are an emerging set of food technologies that could reduce the environmental impacts of food systems by mitigating consumer demand for animal products. However, scaling up the production and consumption of plant-based meats requires overcoming multiple technological, regulatory, political, and market barriers. An evidence-based prioritization of needs and actions may help actors (e.g., investors, funders, policymakers) who wish to help scale PBM achieve desired outcomes with limited resources.Research questionWhat actions could most effectively help to scale up the production and/or consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil?MethodsWe selected Brazil as a case study of a country with a significant animal agriculture sector and a burgeoning PBM sector. We constructed a panel of nine experts and employed the Delphi technique during two rounds of an online survey to iteratively assess the degree of consensus and disagreement around the relative priority of 14 possible actions (identified from relevant literature) that could help to scale up the production and/or consumption of PBM in Brazil. We used the Importance, Neglect, and Tractability framework.ResultsThe panelists collectively concluded that the top priority action for scaling up both the production and the consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil was to reduce the price of products for consumers. For most priority actions, there was greater consensus among panelists in the second round of the survey.DiscussionOur findings contribute to an improved understanding of (a) which actions may be of highest priority for investors, funders, and policymakers, (b) synergies and differences between priority actions to scale up the production versus consumption of PBM in Brazil, (c) the relative merits of focusing on scaling up PBM production versus consumption, and (d) the strengths and limitations of assessing expert opinion on alternative protein futures using the Delphi technique.</p

Table_1_Price above all else: an analysis of expert opinion on the priority actions to scale up production and consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil.xlsx

IntroductionPlant-based meats (PBM) are an emerging set of food technologies that could reduce the environmental impacts of food systems by mitigating consumer demand for animal products. However, scaling up the production and consumption of plant-based meats requires overcoming multiple technological, regulatory, political, and market barriers. An evidence-based prioritization of needs and actions may help actors (e.g., investors, funders, policymakers) who wish to help scale PBM achieve desired outcomes with limited resources.Research questionWhat actions could most effectively help to scale up the production and/or consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil?MethodsWe selected Brazil as a case study of a country with a significant animal agriculture sector and a burgeoning PBM sector. We constructed a panel of nine experts and employed the Delphi technique during two rounds of an online survey to iteratively assess the degree of consensus and disagreement around the relative priority of 14 possible actions (identified from relevant literature) that could help to scale up the production and/or consumption of PBM in Brazil. We used the Importance, Neglect, and Tractability framework.ResultsThe panelists collectively concluded that the top priority action for scaling up both the production and the consumption of plant-based meat in Brazil was to reduce the price of products for consumers. For most priority actions, there was greater consensus among panelists in the second round of the survey.DiscussionOur findings contribute to an improved understanding of (a) which actions may be of highest priority for investors, funders, and policymakers, (b) synergies and differences between priority actions to scale up the production versus consumption of PBM in Brazil, (c) the relative merits of focusing on scaling up PBM production versus consumption, and (d) the strengths and limitations of assessing expert opinion on alternative protein futures using the Delphi technique.</p