Linking communities of practice with value chain development in smallholder farming systems

Recognizing that value chains involve complex social and economic relationships, there are shortcomings in existing approaches to governance, whereby different communities in smallholder agriculture could instead work together, leading to increased resilience. Relations of power, politics, socialization, and a collective history of slavery were identified by smallholders as factors contributing to mistrust, and provoked the desire to act independently rather than collaborating in communities of practice. “Communities of practice” literature is not included in value chain research and development; however, it is helpful in discerning the core challenges of collaboration, trust, and learning, particularly in developing area contexts

Institutional analysis of food and agriculture policy in the Caribbean : the case of Saint Lucia

This paper explores how various dimensions of social capital have evolved and been influenced by institutional dynamics in Saint Lucia's domestic agri-food system. Economic and political power was concentrated in the hands of the minority ‘White planter class’ formal governance systems pre-1950, and can still be characterized as monocentric. Research findings support the view that the plantation institution had a strong influence on the export (formal) and domestic (informal) agri-food systems in Saint Lucia. Better bridging institutions in the domestic agri-food sector could help support shared rule-making, decentralization of power, enhanced participation in export agriculture opportunities and healthier rural communities

How do stakeholder interactions influence national food security policy in the Caribbean? : the case of Saint Lucia

In Saint Lucia monocrop (banana) plantation agriculture for commodity export continues to dominate the national and regional agricultural psyche, with minimal policy attention being directed towards developing more locally-oriented food systems involving agricultural diversification. This paper explores the nature of stakeholder interactions in Saint Lucia’s agri-food system and considers some of the implications for food security-related policy outcomes. A ‘top-down’ approach to policy development and implementation is likely to increase conflict and undermine food security. Agricultural cooperatives and research institutes were both identified as key secondary stakeholder groups, playing critical knowledge brokering roles in support of agricultural system innovation

Managing biological invasions: the cost of inaction

Ecological and socioeconomic impacts from biological invasions are rapidly escalating worldwide. While effective management underpins impact mitigation, such actions are often delayed, insufficient or entirely absent. Presently, management delays emanate from a lack of monetary rationale to invest at early invasion stages, which precludes effective prevention and eradication. Here, we provide such rationale by developing a conceptual model to quantify the cost of inaction, i.e., the additional expenditure due to delayed management, under varying time delays and management efficiencies. Further, we apply the model to management and damage cost data from a relatively data-rich genus (Aedes mosquitoes). Our model demonstrates that rapid management interventions following invasion drastically minimise costs. We also identify key points in time that differentiate among scenarios of timely, delayed and severely delayed management intervention. Any management action during the severely delayed phase results in substantial losses (>50% of the potential maximum loss). For Aedes spp., we estimate that the existing management delay of 55 years led to an additional total cost of approximately $4.57 billion (14$ 32.31 billion, or more than seven times the observed inaction cost. These results highlight the need for more timely management of invasive alien species—either pre-invasion, or as soon as possible after detection—by demonstrating how early investments rapidly reduce long-term economic impacts

Hyslop Farm microstation climate summary

Published December 1973. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Knowledge gaps in economic costs of invasive alien fish worldwide

Peer reviewe

Individuals With Scleroderma May Have Increased Risk of Sleep-Disordered Breathing.

STUDY OBJECTIVES:Scleroderma is associated with abnormal skin thickening, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, and abnormalities of the upper airway. These changes can cause cardiopulmonary complications, potentially including sleep-disordered breathing. The objective of this study is to examine the risk of sleep-disordered breathing in patients with scleroderma. METHODS:We retrospectively identified patients with documented scleroderma. We abstracted data from their electronic health records, including findings from antibody tests, serial pulmonary function tests, transthoracic echocardiography, high-resolution computed tomography, and overnight forehead oximetry. RESULTS:We identified 171 patients with scleroderma. Mean age at the time of initial consult was 56.5 years (range, 18-96 years), and 150 (86.7%) were women. Scleroderma was categorized as limited disease for 108 (62.4%), diffuse disease for 59 (34.1%), and mixed connective tissue disease for 6 (3.5%). Fifty-four patients (31.2%) had abnormal overnight forehead oximetry results, defined as an oxygen desaturation index greater than 5 or a baseline mean arterial oxygen saturation level less than 90%. CONCLUSIONS:Cardiopulmonary complications are common in patients with scleroderma, one of which may be sleep-disordered breathing. In our cohort, approximately one-third of individuals with scleroderma had evidence of sleep-disordered breathing. Moreover, the rate of sleep-disordered breathing in our population of scleroderma patients was twice the rate of pulmonary hypertension and was approximately the same as the rate of interstitial lung disease. Future prospective studies are needed to further assess the role of sleep-disordered breathing in scleroderma clinical outcomes

Integrated “farm to fork approach” to improving food and nutrition security in the Caribbean by linking agricultural productivity and diversity on small holder farms to school feeding programs

PowerPoint presentationPresented at the International Food Security Dialogue 2014 : theme “Nutritional security ‐ relations between food, agriculture, health and nutrition”Delivered at the International Food Security Dialogue conference (2014) this presentation provides information regarding the successful Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF) food security project. Slides present statistical information about farm productivity; child health and obesity; project goals, and how the integrated project model was created and implemented. Equipped with drip irrigation and other agricultural technologies, local farmers delivered about 20 tons of new nutritious produce in one year to the school feeding program (SFP) in St. Kitts – a remarkable feat in food procurement in the Eastern Caribbean