A Canadian Agricultural Economist's Perspective on the Canada-U.S. Trade Liberalization Talks

International Relations/Trade,

BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS OF SURFACED ROADS IN THE EASTERN RICE REGION OF INDIA

Public Economics,

Northern Vanuatu as a Pacific Crossroads: The Archaeology of Discovery, Interaction, and the Emergence of the "Ethnographic Present"

Northern Vanuatu is a significant crossroads region of the Southwest Pacific. This paper outlines current archaeological research being undertaken in the area, focusing on defining initial human settlement there some 3000 years ago and subsequent cultural transformations which led to the establishment of the ethnographic present. The study to date has contributed to a more detailed picture of inter- and intra-archipelago interaction, settlement pattern, subsistence, and cultural differentiation. The research contributes to regional debates on human colonization, patterns of social interaction, and the drivers of social change in island contexts

INTERNATIONAL EFFECTS OF CANADA'S WESTERN GRAIN STABILIZATION PROGRAM

Canada's Western Grain Stabilization program is analyzed to determine the extent to which it acts as a buffer between the Canadian grains economy and the international grains economy. A dynamic stochastic simulation model is constructed to examine how Canada's Western Grain Stabilization Program modifies the transmission of: (a) domestic yield variability to the foreign grain market and (b) foreign demand variability to the domestic grains market. With respect to (a), the program was found to aggravate international uncertainty only very slightly while with respect to (b) it was found to substantially reduce domestic uncertainty.Agricultural and Food Policy, International Relations/Trade,

BEEF PRODUCER ATTITUDES TO COORDINATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE IN CANADA AND THE UK

Livestock Production/Industries,

On the Impact Assessment of ACIAR (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research) Projects

The current ACIAR (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research) guidelines for impact assessment of agricultural development projects see impact assessment as being useful for both accountability to stakeholders and as a learning tool to find out what works, what doesn’t work and why. The methodology involves the use of conventional economic evaluation and the estimation of a money metric based on measuring outcomes in terms of economic surplus changes attributable to directed actions and activities. On the question of accountability to stakeholders, this paper suggests that the money metric may not be the best outcomes-based measure of performance against development goals and that other performance indicators ought to be considered. The paper also suggests exploring other approaches to assess accountability including qualitative (narrative) methods as well as process-based accountability. On the question of using impact assessment as a learning tool, the paper suggests this might be quite useful for more traditional non-adaptive research, but is less useful for adaptive research projects involving participatory action research (PAR). With PAR projects, learning about what works, what doesn’t work and why already occurs as an integral part of the research process. The paper concludes with some thoughts about project evaluation of an ACIAR-funded project with which the authors are involved in northwest Cambodia focusing on upland crop production and marketing.Project evaluation, impact assessment, adaptive project management, Cambodia., Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Perceptions of accident risk among on-track machine workers : an interview study

Although non-fatal injuries remain a frequent occurrence in safety-critical work, very few studies have examined the ways in which organisational systems and processes influence individual safety behaviour. Even fewer have explored the perceived factors contributing to accident risk using qualitative research methods. This short paper presents the initial results from a thematic analysis of ten interviews with On Track Machine (OTM) operatives. Issues arising from two key themes (fatigue, and safety communication and training) are briefly described. Implications, planned organisational response, and opportunities for further research are discussed