Non-western contexts: the invisible half

Like many other disciplines within the broad area of social sciences (e.g., anthropology, gender studies, psychology, sociology, etc.), consumer research is also highly navigated by scholars from Western countries. This, however, does not mean, by any means, that consumer research is devoted to studying Western contexts only. As evident from the ever-increasing number of regional conferences (e.g., Asia-Pacific and Latin American conferences of the Association for Consumer Research) and non-Western students' enrolment in doctoral programs at Western universities, there are many more researchers (from non-Western countries) who are entering the field and enriching it by their colourful contributions. Yet, given the low number of publications on consumer research in non-Western contexts, it seems that our current knowledge in these societies has a long way to go to flourish. More specifically, and in the domain of consumption culture research, this gap is even further widened by the fact that the culture of consumption in such contexts is largely interpreted with reference to the 'grand narratives' of Western scholars (e.g., Foucault, Mafessoli, Bourdieu, Deleuze, Baudrillard, Nietzsche, Durkheim, Derrida, etc.). Therefore, from an ontological perspective, it seems that our existing knowledge about non-Western societies lies heavily on the 'theoretical structures' that are 'constructed' by Western philosophy as a set of ideas, beliefs, and practices (Said, 1978). As Belk (1995) reminds us, consumption culture always existed in all human societies. What makes contemporary societies different from that of our predecessors' is not the fact that consumption culture did not exist in those societies, but that consumption culture has become a prevailing feature in modern society (Slater, 1997; Lury, 1996; Fırat and Venkatesh, 1995; McCracken, 1988). Therefore, the nature and dynamics of consumption culture in each society should be studied not only against the sociocultural, historical, and economic background of a given context (Western or non-Western) but also with reference to the philosophical and epistemological viewpoints that analyse and interpret cultural practices of that society from within that culture. Addressing such issues, this paper discusses some of the key reasons for lack of theory development in the field from non-western contexts. The paper invites scholars in non-Western contexts to introduce the less articulated, and sometime hidden, body of knowledge from their own contexts into the field of marketing in general and consumer research in particular

Evaluating the productivity, environmental sustainability and wider impacts of agroecological compared to conventional farming systems [Evidence project final report]

•Context, aim and objectives: Existing agriculture systems in the UK are effective at producing safe and relatively cheap food, but they are a cause of greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, and soil degradation. It has been proposed that greater use of agroecological and regenerative farming would lead to more positive effects. The aim of this project was to evaluate the productivity, environmental sustainability and wider impacts of agroecological compared to conventional farming, by addressing three objectives: 1. to undertake an evidence review of regenerative/agroecological farming systems, 2. to assess the risks, barriers and opportunities, and identifying gaps in the knowledge, and 3. to characterise agroecological farming research capability in the UK, explore gaps and priorities, and explore the potential role of a new “living lab” trial network. •The research has been presented in three separate reports (Burgess et al. 2023, Hurley et al. 2023, and Staley et al. 2023), which are attached as appendices. The main results are summarised here. •Method: Objective 1 was addressed using a desk-based rapid evidence review, and the level of confidence in the analysis was determined using the IPBES four-box model (IPBES 2017, 2018). Objective 2 was addressed by in-depth semi-structured interviews with 23 respondents including farmers in late 2022. The interviews were used to explore definitions of agroecological and regenerative farming, barriers to the adoption, and views towards the concept of ‘living labs’. Objective 3 was addressed through an online survey with 22 respondents from 20 organisations in January and February 2023, an online workshop with 34 participants in January 2023, and informed by the findings of work to address Objectives 1 and 2. •Results and discussion: 1.1 Defining and characterising agroecological farming systems. A review of definitions highlighted, in brief, that organic farming places strong restrictions on inputs, agroecological analyses often focus on principles, and regenerative farming typically emphasises the enhancement of soil health and biodiversity at a farm scale. The stakeholder interviews demonstrated that the terms regenerative agriculture and agroecology are employed interchangeably by some, sequentially by others (with regenerative practices seen as steps towards a bigger whole-farm agroecological system), and viewed by some as discrete (who recognise the social justice, economic and political aspects of agroecology). Within these different interpretations, regenerative practices are often assumed to be those that minimise tillage and bare soil, foster plant diversity, and reduce the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. We noted that the impact of organic, agroecological or regenerative systems on greenhouse gas emissions was implicit rather than explicit. We identified 16 agroecological practices that could be used in the UK: crop rotations, conservation agriculture, cover crops, organic crop production, integrated pest management, the integration of livestock to crop systems, the integration of crops to livestock systems, field margin practices, pasture-fed livestock, multi-paddock grazing, organic livestock systems, tree crops, tree-intercropping, multistrata agroforestry and permaculture, silvopasture, and rewilding. 1.2. Impact of agroecological practices at farm-scale Our detailed review (see Burgess et al. 2023) highlighted that the 16 agroecological practices tended to increase soil and biomass carbon and biodiversity at a field- or farm scale relative to a stated baseline. The soil carbon benefits were due to increased crop cover, the introduction of grass into arable systems, reduced cultivation, and/or the addition of soil amendments. The biodiversity benefits were derived from an increased diversity of crops and habitats, introducing plants that attract pollinators, reduced grazing pressure, and/or reduced use of pesticides and herbicides. Gaps in knowledge were highlighted particularly in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity. The analysed effect on yields, product values, and input costs varied according to the practice and the baseline comparison. Hence in most cases, a farmer will need to balance trade-offs, perhaps guided by tools such as financial, economic, or life cycle analyses. In some cases, such as organic farming, a reduction in profitability due to a reduction in yield and certification costs may be compensated by an increase in product price. 1.3 Modelling agroecological systems in a UK context Our review highlighted existing modelling frameworks such as ASSET, ERAMMP IMP, EVAST and NEVO that could be repurposed to model agroecological systems across the UK. However we identified three barriers to their successful use. Firstly, modellers need to quantify the links between agroecological scenarios, spatial contexts and selected parameters within the underlying models. Secondly, the lack of readily available experimental data on the effect of agroecological practices and their change over time means that parameterising models remains challenging, and the alternative use of expert-based scoring or benefits transfer approaches can result in very large levels of uncertainty. Thirdly, a validated assessment of the aggregated impact of agroecological practices at a national scale will require effective national monitoring approaches that can assess the level of implementation of agroecological practices. 2. Opportunities from and barriers to a transition to agroecological systems: The uptake of agroecological practices by farm businesses depends on the balance between the opportunities offered and the barriers to implementation. As indicated in 1.2, the opportunities include increased biomass carbon, increased soil carbon in surface layers, and increased on-farm biodiversity. Supermarkets could support environmentally-positive practices, but there is also a strong drive for low food prices. The barriers to some agroecological practices will be geographical or incompatibility with management objectives at the farm-level. However, where these are not constraints, the major barriers are often related to uncertainty in the effect of the practices on yields and costs, and the need to finance the initial investment and certification costs. Enablers to overcome those barriers include knowledge exchange (particularly as the promotion of agroecological practices is not driven by organisations wanting to sell a product) and financial incentives (with a focus on market mechanisms that differentiate between desired and undesired societal outcomes). Evidence from other countries, particularly France, show that agroecological transitions can succeed where the right combination of policy instruments (e.g. grants, support for advice and collaboration, cultural support) are sustained by long-term political will. 3.1 Existing agroecological farming research capability and infrastructure in the UK: The online survey results indicate that most agroecological farming research initiatives and networks were funded by charities, NGOs, or funded by themselves, with some receiving UK or EU government funding. The initiatives ranged from single sites to networks of 50-100 sites, and with agroecological practices applied from one to over 20 years. Farmer participation in such research may be biased to those who can afford the time and money. Five case studies are examined in the main report (Staley et al. 2023) including an ongoing living lab network, three research projects, and a long-term demonstration farm. Only about 60% of respondents were collecting data from their network, often focused on biodiversity. About three-quarters of those not collecting data, would collect data given more funding, knowledge, or support. Face-to-face and email communication was most frequently used between farms in a network. Around two-thirds of respondents held farm demonstration days as a means of knowledge exchange, and further knowledge exchange was a common future aspiration. 3.2 Research gaps and priorities: The survey and workshop supported the observation from 1.2 that many of the impacts of agroecology practices, especially in relation to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity, remain poorly understood. Although 1.2 focused on farm-level effects, the consequential effects of, for example, reduced yields with agroecological practices remains a pertinent area for research. The variation in responses between soil types or regions would also be useful to improve the understanding of scaling-up opportunities. The need to support research over a sustained time period was also highlighted as several years are often needed for effects to become apparent. The transition to agroecological farming across different types of business requires the need for farmer support and changes in agricultural education. The role of economic drivers and supply chain structures in supporting agroecological practices also requires more research. Standardisation of data quality and formats, in particular for regulatory data, could help reduce some barriers, but it could also constrain innovation. National assessments of agroecological practices are also constrained by a lack of uptake data. 3.3 Informing a potential UK living labs trial network Living labs have been defined as “user-centred, open innovation ecosystems based on a systematic user co-creation approach, integrating research and innovation processes in real life communities and settings” (Malmberg et al. 2017). Important roles for a living labs network include providing robust locally-relevant evidence of the productivity and financial viability of agroecological farming, improving data standardisation, and encouraging collaboration between farmers, organisations, and researchers for data collection, sharing, and use. The role of Defra in a living labs network should be negotiated carefully with existing stakeholders involved in agroecological/regenerative transitions. Such a network should be sufficiently resourced in order to fund research and knowledge exchange and in order to build capacity among farmers and organisational stakeholders. Building on the response of the survey, case studies, and workshops, the benefits and disadvantages of four options were examined: 1) Develop a standardised methodology or protocol to support consistency of farm measurements. Soil carbon and farm carbon accounting were particularly highlighted. 2) To maximise synergies within existing agroecological farm networks with standardised data collection. 3) A new research network set up to apply agroecological practices on commercial farms, co-designed between farmers and researchers, with standardised data collection on impacts and trade-offs. 4) A long-term living lab UK network set up, with funded facilitation roles and research projects. Some of the above options could be applied in combination. The optimal option will depend on the ambition of Defra and the available funding and timescales

Meta-analysis reveals that pollinator functional diversity and abundance enhance crop pollination and yield

How insects promote crop pollination remains poorly understood in terms of the contribution of functional trait differences between species. We used meta-analyses to test for correlations between community abundance, species richness and functional trait metrics with oilseed rape yield, a globally important crop. While overall abundance is consistently important in predicting yield, functional divergence between species traits also showed a positive correlation. This result supports the complementarity hypothesis that pollination function is maintained by non-overlapping trait distributions. In artificially constructed communities (mesocosms), species richness is positively correlated with yield, although this effect is not seen under field conditions. As traits of the dominant species do not predict yield above that attributed to the effect of abundance alone, we find no evidence in support of the mass ratio hypothesis. Management practices increasing not just pollinator abundance, but also functional divergence, could benefit oilseed rape agriculture.This study was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) under research programme NE/N018125/1 ASSIST–Achieving Sustainable Agricultural Systems www.assist.ceh.ac.uk. ASSIST is an initiative jointly supported by NERC and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Additional funding for field studies was from the Wessex Biodiversity Ecosystem Services Sustainability (NE/J014680/1) project within the NERC BESS programme. Other data sets were generated from research funded by: (a) the Insect Pollinators Initiative programme funded by BBSRC, Defra, NERC, the Scottish Government and the Wellcome Trust, under the Living with Environmental Change Partnership; (b) Defra project BD5005: Provision of Ecosystem services in the ES scheme; and (c) Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2007–2013 administered by the Irish EPA

Integral potential method for a transmission problem with Lipschitz interface in R^3 for the Stokes and Darcy–Forchheimer–Brinkman PDE systems

The purpose of this paper is to obtain existence and uniqueness results in weighted Sobolev spaces for transmission problems for the non-linear Darcy-Forchheimer-Brinkman system and the linear Stokes system in two complementary Lipschitz domains in R3, one of them is a bounded Lipschitz domain with connected boundary, and the other one is the exterior Lipschitz domain R3 n. We exploit a layer potential method for the Stokes and Brinkman systems combined with a fixed point theorem in order to show the desired existence and uniqueness results, whenever the given data are suitably small in some weighted Sobolev spaces and boundary Sobolev spaces

The VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). Measuring non-linear galaxy bias at z ~ 0.8

Aims. We use the first release of the VImos Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey of galaxies (VIPERS) of 3c50 000 objects to measure the biasing relation between galaxies and mass in the redshift range z = [0.5,1.1]. Methods. We estimate the 1-point distribution function [PDF] of VIPERS galaxies from counts in cells and, assuming a model for the mass PDF, we infer their mean bias relation. The reconstruction of the bias relation is performed through a novel method that accounts for Poisson noise, redshift distortions, inhomogeneous sky coverage. and other selection effects. With this procedure we constrain galaxy bias and its deviations from linearity down to scales as small as 4 h-1 Mpc and out to z = 1.1. Results. We detect small (up to 2%) but statistically significant (up to 3\u3c3) deviations from linear bias. The mean biasing function is close to linear in regions above the mean density. The mean slope of the biasing relation is a proxy to the linear bias parameter. This slope increases with luminosity, which is in agreement with results of previous analyses. We detect a strong bias evolution only for z> 0.9, which is in agreement with some, but not all, previous studies. We also detect a significant increase of the bias with the scale, from 4 to 8 h-1 Mpc, now seen for the first time out to z = 1. The amplitude of non-linearity depends on redshift, luminosity, and scale, but no clear trend is detected. Owing to the large cosmic volume probed by VIPERS, we find that the mismatch between the previous estimates of bias at z 3c 1 from zCOSMOS and VVDS-Deep galaxy samples is fully accounted for by cosmic variance. Conclusions. The results of our work confirm the importance of going beyond the over-simplistic linear bias hypothesis showing that non-linearities can be accurately measured through the applications of the appropriate statistical tools to existing datasets like VIPERS. \ua9 ESO, 2016

Acceleration of Relativistic Protons during the 20 January 2005 Flare and CME

The origin of relativistic solar protons during large flare/CME events has not been uniquely identified so far.We perform a detailed comparative analysis of the time profiles of relativistic protons detected by the worldwide network of neutron monitors at Earth with electromagnetic signatures of particle acceleration in the solar corona during the large particle event of 20 January 2005. The intensity-time profile of the relativistic protons derived from the neutron monitor data indicates two successive peaks. We show that microwave, hard X-ray and gamma-ray emissions display several episodes of particle acceleration within the impulsive flare phase. The first relativistic protons detected at Earth are accelerated together with relativistic electrons and with protons that produce pion decay gamma-rays during the second episode. The second peak in the relativistic proton profile at Earth is accompanied by new signatures of particle acceleration in the corona within approximatively 1 solar radius above the photosphere, revealed by hard X-ray and microwave emissions of low intensity, and by the renewed radio emission of electron beams and of a coronal shock wave. We discuss the observations in terms of different scenarios of particle acceleration in the corona.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figure

The global burden of falls: Global, regional and national estimates of morbidity and mortality from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: Falls can lead to severe health loss including death. Past research has shown that falls are an important cause of death and disability worldwide. The Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 (GBD 2017) provides a comprehensive assessment of morbidity and mortality from falls. Methods: Estimates for mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), incidence, prevalence, years lived with disability (YLDs) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were produced for 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017 for all ages using the GBD 2017 framework. Distributions of the bodily injury (eg, hip fracture) were estimated using hospital records. Results: Globally, the age-standardised incidence of falls was 2238 (1990-2532) per 100 000 in 2017, representing a decline of 3.7% (7.4 to 0.3) from 1990 to 2017. Age-standardised prevalence w

Energetic particle influence on the Earth's atmosphere

This manuscript gives an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the effects of energetic particle precipitation (EPP) onto the whole atmosphere, from the lower thermosphere/mesosphere through the stratosphere and troposphere, to the surface. The paper summarizes the different sources and energies of particles, principally galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), solar energetic particles (SEPs) and energetic electron precipitation (EEP). All the proposed mechanisms by which EPP can affect the atmosphere are discussed, including chemical changes in the upper atmosphere and lower thermosphere, chemistry-dynamics feedbacks, the global electric circuit and cloud formation. The role of energetic particles in Earth’s atmosphere is a multi-disciplinary problem that requires expertise from a range of scientific backgrounds. To assist with this synergy, summary tables are provided, which are intended to evaluate the level of current knowledge of the effects of energetic particles on processes in the entire atmosphere