Overview of Organic Food Crop Systems in Hawaii

This publication presents results of a needs assessment (also called an industry analysis) conducted in mid-2007 for the organic food crop producers in Hawaii. Seventy-six people participated, completing a survey (instrument included in the document) and providing comments during assessment meetings. Bottlenecks (constraints) were identified and prioritized by the participants, and actions to alleviate them were proposed

Hawaiian Kalo, Past and Future

The arrival of taro in the Hawaiian Islands, its significance in Hawaiian culture, and the decline in its production since the early to mid-1800s is discussed. The university's role in preserving Hawaiian taro varieties is described, along with recent taro breeding programs conducted by its scientists

Partial silicification of chalk fossils from the Chilterns

RESP-624

The determinants of election to the United Nations Security Council

This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11127-013-0096-4.The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is the foremost international body responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security. Members vote on issues of global importance and consequently receive perks—election to the UNSC predicts, for instance, World Bank and IMF loans. But who gets elected to the UNSC? Addressing this question empirically is not straightforward as it requires a model that allows for discrete choices at the regional and international levels; the former nominates candidates while the latter ratifies them. Using an original multiple discrete choice model to analyze a dataset of 180 elections from 1970 to 2005, we find that UNSC election appears to derive from a compromise between the demands of populous countries to win election more frequently and a norm of giving each country its turn. We also find evidence that richer countries from the developing world win election more often, while involvement in warfare lowers election probability. By contrast, development aid does not predict election

Impact of Organic Inputs on Taro Production and Returns

A field experiment evaluated effects of organic inputs on crop yield and quality and incidence of pocket rot, which commonly diminishes non-flooded taro yields by a quarter to a third. Considering the costs of organic inputs, enumerated in the publication, yield increases due to the amendments were not economically justified, at least in the short term; the experiment did not continue in order to assess long-term benefits and economics

Alternatives to Forest Gathering of Plant Materials for Hula Lei Adornment

With increasing interest in hula competitions in Hawaii, gathering of plant materials for adornment has begun to negatively impact some native forest ecosystems. A small survey explored conditions under which kumu hula (dance leaders) might consider alternatives to forest gathering. Growing plants in communal gardens or purchasing from commercial growers who might arise to service the need are suggested