Zambia feeder roads research project rural transport policy toolkit: Livelihoods profile for North and Luapula provinces.

External factors influencing the rural poor in the two provinces are outlined, and analysis of access to different types of livelihood capital are described particularly in relation to transport issues. This information has been collected through discussions with villagers and distilled from secondary literature to provide some baseline information for the World Bank impact study (funded by DFID). Currently, the impact study will be based on a questionnaire approach focusing on quantitative information. This report provides some information to contextualise this information, which will be complemented by the PRAs to be carried out under the parallel Rural Transport Policy Toolkit. Specific issues are also discussed in relation to transport and livelihoods. Attempting to study the impact of feeder road improvements is very difficult in these Provinces given the relatively low levels of economic activity, large distances, distribution and low densities of populations (many are located near to rivers and lakes and thus far from roads, particularly in the Bangweulu swamps). The nature of long-term impact is discussed and the extent to which feeder road improvements can have developmental impact in such socio-economic conditions is questioned. Detecting what are likely to be marginal changes will be difficult as will proving clear attribution

Climate change, agriculture and Fairtrade: identifying the challenges and opportunities

This paper presents the findings of a study commissioned by the UK's Fairtrade Foundation on the implications of climate change for agricultural producers in Fairtrade value chains

Social impact of ethical and conventional brazil nut trading on forest-dependent people in Peru

This study compares the impact of conventional and ethical international export of brazil nuts on the livelihoods of forest dependent people in order to identify the potential of ethical trade to improve those livelihoods

Techniques for targeted Fermi-GBM follow-up of gravitational-wave events

The Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo ground-based gravitational-wave detectors are projected to come online 2015-2016, reaching a final sensitivity sufficient to observe dozens of binary neutron star mergers per year by 2018. We present a fully-automated, targeted search strategy for prompt gamma-ray counterparts in offline Fermi-GBM data. The multi-detector method makes use of a detailed model response of the instrument, and benefits from time and sky location information derived from the gravitational-wave signal.Comment: 2012 Fermi Symposium proceedings - eConf C12102

Planned search for LIGO-GBM coincidence in the first advanced LIGO data run

In the fall of 2015 the first scientific observing run (O1) of the advanced LIGO detectors will be conducted. Based on the recent commissioning progress at the LIGO Hanford and Livingston sites, the gravitational wave detector range for a neutron star binary inspiral is expected to be of order 60 Mpc. We describe here our planning for an O1 search for coincidence between a LIGO gravitational wave detection and a gamma-ray signal from the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor. Such a coincidence would constitute measurement of an electromagnetic counterpart to a gravitational wave signal, with significant corresponding scientific benefits, including revealing the central engine powering the gamma-ray burst, enhanced confidence in the event as a genuine astrophysical detection, and a determination of the relative speed of the photon and graviton.Comment: Submitted to Moriond Gravitation Conference Proceedings 201

Synthesis of thematic papers from the series ‘Women’s empowerment in the drylands

Women’s land rights and their importance for women’s empowerment and wider development goals have gained increased attention in recent years. However, gender inequality in land rights in dryland countries and across the developing world more broadly remains pervasive. This is related to discriminatory socio-cultural norms that are found in customary and statutory institutions and practices that differ according to local contexts. In addition, women often lack representation and the authority to make decisions in land management and governance. Against this backdrop, the UNDP Global Policy Centre on Resilient Ecosystems and Desertification (GPC-Nairobi) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) have commissioned three new studies exploring the issues of gender justice with respect to dryland land rights, governance and resilience

A review of the literature and knowledge of standards and certification systems in agricultural production and farming systems (NRI working paper series on sustainability standards No. 2)

In this review we closely follow the terms of reference set by RESOLV, with respect to the standards summarised below in Table 1.2, specifically: organic, GlobalGAP, Fairtrade, the Sustainable Agriculture Network standard (known as SAN, and sometimes referred to as the Rainforest Alliance (RA) standard), and Utz Certified), plus two newer standards – the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the Roundtable on Responsible Soy (RTRS) standards. In most of the text the discussion focuses on the first five of these standards according to the availability of literature and the length of time that the standards have been in operation (RTRS only published its standard in June 2010 with its first certification in June 2011; RSPO Principles were agreed in 2005 followed by the criteria and indicators agreed 2007 and the first certification took place in 2008). So in section 1 we focus on the market for certified agricultural products exploring trends in supply and demand including reflections on how consumers and companies influence these trends. In section 2 we begin by discussing the evolving methodologies in use to assess impacts of standards and standards systems. Informed by this methodological understanding, we provide a summary of key findings from a variety of studies on particular standards or groups of standards in agriculture. In section 3 we consider the relative effectiveness of certification systems both in relation to each other and compared to other approaches to improving ‘sustainability performance’. Following this in section 4 we discuss communication of the standards to the public and public awareness of different standards. Here we explore the complex relationship with public regulation and also consider ways other than standards which may facilitate improvements. The concluding section summarises the key findings and presents our analysis of the gaps in knowledge that exist. We propose a research agenda that will enhance our understanding of standards and certification systems operating in agriculture, particularly with respect to how they meet their objectives and broader impacts, intended and unintended

Bringing Music to Underserved Children

84 pagesThe mission of this lecture document is to present a string education nonprofit startup model which addresses the need for equal access to string education. It includes original research from interviews with four nonprofits currently serving low-income children and families in the United States. Also included is a literature review of current scholarship regarding low-income children and the numerous struggles they face in life. Benefits of music education are discussed in relation to improving the lives of these children. Suzuki and El Sistema pedagogical philosophies are discussed. Guiding steps for nonprofit formation are included, but are specific to the state of Oregon

African Agricultural Research and Advisory Services under Climate Change: Perspectives from an E-­Discussion

This paper presents some of the information presented and views expressed, during a three-week e-discussion on the issue of climate change within African agricultural research and advisory services. For us, as organisers, the results were surprising, in that participants departed strongly and significantly from the questions we had wanted them to answer, and raised different and broader issues, that we might have regarded as tangential but which provided significant learning for us on the questions of climate change and agriculture

Gender and drylands governance: Empowering women for change

Thematic study 2: Gender and drylands governance: empowering women for change found that significant opportunities exist for facilitating dryland women's empowerment in governance, in the context of wider support for processes seeking greater democracy in dryland governance and values. There is a need to tackle the inadequate representation and recognition of women’s rights in the drylands, and to consider the redistribution of resources to more equitable ends. Effective channels that can be used to support gender justice are increased investment in dryland governance, building upon contemporary trends in the drylands towards democratization and decentralization, supporting current processes for greater dryland citizen engagement and ownership, and opening up new spaces for participation of women in dryland governance specifically