The Impact of Small Holder Commercialisation of Organic Crops on Food Consumption Patterns in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The impact of smallholder commercialisation on food consumption patterns in a rural community of South Africa was investigated. The consumption patterns, dietary diversity and nutrient intakes of certified and partially certified members of an organic farmers' organisation were compared to data from a random sample of non-member households. Two consecutive survey rounds (n = 200) conducted in November 2004 and March 2005 enabled comparison of dietary diversity, nutrient adequacy (in terms of per household adult female equivalents for energy, iron, and vitamin A) and expenditure elasticities between seasons. Households with members engaged in certified comm ercial organic farming enjoyed greater dietary diversity, improved nutrient intakes com pared to households with members in conversion to organic production and households not engaged in commercial organic farming. Farm and non-farm income strongly and positively influenced nutritional adequacy for households of partially certified and certified members of the organisation. Marked differences in expenditure elasticities were found between the three groups. The results suggested that commercialisation of small holder agriculture has potential to improve food consumption patterns and food quality directly through income generated and indirectly through increased labour opportunities that result in wages and inkind food transfers. While commerciali sation of small holder agriculture shows potential for improving nutrition, caution should be exercised before claiming that such commercialisation can alleviate food insecurity and solve hunger in South Africa.food consumption, nutrition, farm households, small holder, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, D1, Q12,

The impact of smallholder commercialisation of organic crops on food consumption patterns, dietary diversity and consumption elasticities

The impact of smallholder commercialisation on food consumption patterns in a rural community of South Africa was investigated. The dietary diversity, nutrient intakes and consumption patterns of certified, partially certified and non-members of an organic farmers’ organisation were compared. Engagement in certified commercial organic farming promoted comparatively greater dietary diversity and improved nutrient intakes. While smallholder agriculture commercialisation has the potential to improve food consumption patterns and food quality through increased income and labour opportunities, caution should be exercised before claiming that such commercialisation can alleviate food insecurity and solve hunger in rural South Africa.agriculture, growth, smallholder, consumption, nutrition, Food Security and Poverty,

Quantification of carboxyl groups in carbodiimide cross-linked collagen sponges

Glutaraldehyde (GA) fixation of bioprosthetic tissue is a well adapted technique, with commercial products on the market for almost 40 years. Amine groups present in tissue react with GA to form different types of cross-links. An estimation of the degree of cross-linking of the tissue can be obtained by measuring the concentration of residual amine groups, which is frequently carried out with the 2,4,6 trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) assay. Cross-linked tissue and collagen matrices are usually further characterized by determining their physical properties (such as the shrinkage temperature), biological properties (such as resistance to enzymatic degradation), and mechanical properties before in vivo evaluation takes place. In an effort to improve the properties of cross-linked tissue and collagen, alternative cross-linking methods have been developed. One of these methods is based on the use of water soluble carbodiimides (CDI). It is generally accepted that this cross-linking method leads only to the formation of amide linkages between tissue carboxyl and amine groups. Therefore, until recently the TNBS assay was also used to determine the degree of cross-linking of CDI cross-linked tissue and collagen. However, it cannot be excluded that after activation of carboxyl groups of tissue and collagen by CDI, these groups can react with other nucleophiles (like hydroxyl groups) present in the matrix. To obtain a better insight in the degree of cross-linking of CDI cross-linked matrices a reliable assay for quantification of residual carboxyl groups is required. Up to now such an assay was not available. In this study a new assay to determine residual carboxyl groups in CDI cross-linked collagen matrices is presented. Reconstituted dermal bovine collagen matrices (RDBC) were cross-linked with a water soluble CDI and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) and residual carboxyl groups were labeled using 5-bromomethyl fluorescein. Subsequently, the fluorescent label was released by mild hydrolysis and quantified with capillary zone electrophoresis. A calibration curve relating the concentration of carboxyl groups with peak intensities was obtained using SephadexTM standards with known concentrations of carboxyl groups. The concentration of carboxyl groups in unprocessed RDBC as determined with this new technique was equal to the concentration of carboxyl groups measured by amino acid analysis. On the basis of the concentration of residual carboxyl groups determined for CDI/NHS cross-linked RDBC and RDBC, in which the amine groups were blocked with propionaldehyde before CDI/NHS cross-linking, it was concluded that activated carboxyl groups can also react with other groups (such as hydroxyl groups) present in the matrix. This implies that the crosslink density of RDBC matrices after treatment with CDI/NHS is higher than expected on the basis of amide bond formation only, as determined by the TNBS assay

Three-dimensional morphology and gene expression in the Drosophila blastoderm at cellular resolution II: dynamics.

BackgroundTo accurately describe gene expression and computationally model animal transcriptional networks, it is essential to determine the changing locations of cells in developing embryos.ResultsUsing automated image analysis methods, we provide the first quantitative description of temporal changes in morphology and gene expression at cellular resolution in whole embryos, using the Drosophila blastoderm as a model. Analyses based on both fixed and live embryos reveal complex, previously undetected three-dimensional changes in nuclear density patterns caused by nuclear movements prior to gastrulation. Gene expression patterns move, in part, with these changes in morphology, but additional spatial shifts in expression patterns are also seen, supporting a previously proposed model of pattern dynamics based on the induction and inhibition of gene expression. We show that mutations that disrupt either the anterior/posterior (a/p) or the dorsal/ventral (d/v) transcriptional cascades alter morphology and gene expression along both the a/p and d/v axes in a way suggesting that these two patterning systems interact via both transcriptional and morphological mechanisms.ConclusionOur work establishes a new strategy for measuring temporal changes in the locations of cells and gene expression patterns that uses fixed cell material and computational modeling. It also provides a coordinate framework for the blastoderm embryo that will allow increasingly accurate spatio-temporal modeling of both the transcriptional control network and morphogenesis

Evaluation of the performance of four chemical transport models in predicting the aerosol chemical composition in Europe in 2005

© Author(s) 2016.Four regional chemistry transport models were applied to simulate the concentration and composition of particulate matter (PM) in Europe for 2005 with horizontal resolution 20 km. The modelled concentrations were compared with the measurements of PM chemical composition by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) monitoring network. All models systematically underestimated PM10 and PM2:5 by 10–60 %, depending on the model and the season of the year, when the calculated dry PM mass was compared with the measurements. The average water content at laboratory conditions was estimated between 5 and 20% for PM2:5 and between 10 and 25% for PM10. For majority of the PM chemical components, the relative underestimation was smaller than it was for total PM, exceptions being the carbonaceous particles and mineral dust. Some species, such as sea salt and NO3, were overpredicted by the models. There were notable differences between the models’ predictions of the seasonal variations of PM, mainly attributable to different treatments or omission of some source categories and aerosol processes. Benzo(a)pyrene concentrations were overestimated by all the models over the whole year. The study stresses the importance of improving the models’ skill in simulating mineral dust and carbonaceous compounds, necessity for high-quality emissions from wildland fires, as well as the need for an explicit consideration of aerosol water content in model–measurement comparison.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

How and why large-scale agricultural investments induce different socio-economic, food security, and environmental impacts: Evidence from Kenya, Madagascar, and Mozambique [913]

Changes to the global agro-food-energy system (e.g. changing consumption patterns in the North (SNF, 2012), Europe's Climate and biofuel policies, etc.) over the past few years have led to a renewed interest in agriculture and a rush to acquire land (Cotula, 2012; Anseeuw et al, 2013). The impacts of this rush on sustainability are not always evident as its assessments focus on the short-term and generally remain at a case study level, without considering the broader agrarian and socio-economic transformations it entails (Borras et al. 2012). If a consensus emerges regarding the necessity of additional investment into agriculture (FAO, 2010), it is less evident whether large-scale agricultural investments (LAI) are a vector for broader agrarian and socio-economic transformations in a sustainable manner (Borras et al. 2012, Deininger and Byerlee 2011; Collier and Dercon 2014). Despite a growing literature (World Bank, 2010; White et al., 2012, Cotula 2014 etc.), most assessments of LAI impacts tend to remain local, in the form of specific case-studies, and are often short term without broader contextualization (Fairhead et al., 2012). Efforts to overcome these limitations through different types of meta-analyis have been undertaken (Oberlack et al., 2015, Schoneveld 2014, Schoneveld 2017, Dell'Angelo et al. (2017). However, a more empirical understanding of the diverse changes and impacts at various levels is necessary for reflecting on visions for the planetary land system. Against this backdrop, this paper presents the results of a study aiming, on one hand, at assessing the changes and impacts of LAIs at various (individual, household, regional) levels within target regions, and on the other hand, at a nuanced account of how and why LAIs subsequently induce diverse regional development trajectories in these regions. We focus on LAIs in Kenya, Madagascar and Mozambique. Specifically, this study provides a cross-national comparative analysis of business models, land-use changes, governance dynamics of LAIs and their socio-economic, food security, and environmental impacts in Kenya, Madagascar and Mozambique. It brings together the individual results on these aspects, which were generated in the Afgroland project (www.afgroland.net). The following research question guides this analysis: How do contextual and institutional nuances of large-scale agricultural investments impact on land-use changes, the organization of production and investment processes, socio-economic outcomes, food security, and the environment in LAI target regions in Kenya, Madagascar and Mozambique? Methodologically, this study utilizes a set-theoretic methodology for a case-based comparative analysis. It responds to calls for the use of robust empirical methodologies to provide reliable evidence on the impacts of LAIs and to expand the use of comparative methods to attribute LAI impacts to causal factors. Data were collected in six study areas in the three countries by means of household surveys with more than 1500 households, more than 200 key-informant and in-depth interviews with business managers, policymakers, households, development agencies, and NGOs; remotely sensed data between 2016 and 2018, and complemented with document analysis. Data analysis involved mixed qualitative and quantitative techniques. A first set of tentative results, more conceptual in nature, show that LAIs induce regional development trajectories with sustainability impact patterns that can be characterized as conflictual sustainability trade-offs; employment vs. land access and environment trade-offs; widespread hostility; or moderate impacts. The set-theoretic analysis shows that the operational farm size, labour intensity, experience in local agriculture or domestic origin of investors, and prior land uses have the most significant impact on land-use changes, evolution of business models and adaptation of governance systems:. These transformation patterns are described in detail in the paper. A second set of results shows how the same international drivers can have divergent impacts, with local-level outcomes which can differ significantly in terms of land use change, ecological impacts, food security, and livelihoods. These divergences are determined by national politics and policy frameworks, land tenure rights, business models, land and water resource endowments, and path-dependencies regarding investment and business practices. As such, in Kenya, and more particularly in the Nanyuki region characterised by longstanding LAIs, an agrarian normalisation process has established, based on labour intense production systems mainly in the flower and horticultural sectors. Better established labour rights, technology transfer and an agrarian sector that has developed over time leads presently to a relatively dynamic local economy with subsequent livelihood opportunities. In Mozambique, these regional dynamics are minimal however, albeit indirect through basic infrastructural and service development. On contrary, through land loss and increased land pressures, labour extensive crops and production models, and not well developed labour rights, major fractions of the local populations tend to be affected negatively. Lastly, in Madagascar, for the few investments that are still operational, they tend to function on an enclave model, with very little – if any – interactions and impacts on the regional economy and local populations. The paper concludes by repositioning these results in the broader framework of interactions among sustainable development goals (SDGs), representing a critical, but mostly overlooked aspect in the debate on LAIs. In policy debates, LAIs are frequently justified with the argument that LAIs would create new flows of investments to capital-poor regions; create new employment; enhance agricultural productivity. In other words, this narratives relates LAIs positively to SDG10.B and SDG17.3 (investment flows), SDG8.5 (employment), and SDG2.3 (agricultural productivity), among others. By contrast, a recent review finds that LAIs can affect 14 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in adverse ways. The results of this study and the analyses in terms of diverging development trajectories induced by LAIs allows to assess how LAIs shapes the interaction between multiple SDGs. These interactions among SDGs in the framework of LAIs can take the forms of trade-offs, co-benefits, and co-damage

Combined ecological risks of nitrogen and phosphorus in European freshwaters

Eutrophication is a key water quality issue triggered by increasing nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) levels and potentially posing risks to freshwater biota. We predicted the probability that an invertebrate species within a community assemblage becomes absent due to nutrient stress as the ecological risk (ER) for European lakes and streams subjected to N and P pollution from 1985 to 2011. The ER was calculated as a function of species-specific tolerances to NO3 - and total P concentrations and water quality monitoring data. Lake and stream ER averaged 50% in the last monitored year (i.e. 2011) and we observed a decrease by 22% and 38% in lake and stream ER (respectively) of river basins since 1985. Additionally, the ER from N stress surpassed that of P in both freshwater systems. The ER can be applied to identify river basins most subjected to eutrophication risks and the main drivers of impacts