Cyclotomic factors of the descent set polynomial

We introduce the notion of the descent set polynomial as an alternative way of encoding the sizes of descent classes of permutations. Descent set polynomials exhibit interesting factorization patterns. We explore the question of when particular cyclotomic factors divide these polynomials. As an instance we deduce that the proportion of odd entries in the descent set statistics in the symmetric group S_n only depends on the number on 1's in the binary expansion of n. We observe similar properties for the signed descent set statistics.Comment: 21 pages, revised the proof of the opening result and cleaned up notatio

Responsible Coffee Sourcing: Towards a Living Income for Producers

Coffee, one of the world’s most popular beverages, provides livelihoods for at least 60 million people across dozens of countries. Promoting the long-term health, wellbeing, and environmental sustainability of the much beloved coffee sector should be a clear priority. CCSI has continued its work on coffee sustainability with this 2021 report: “Responsible Coffee Sourcing: Towards a Living Income for Producers.” This report focuses on a critical but under-examined topic: the impact of coffee company sourcing practices on coffee producer and farmworker well-being. The report, commissioned by a long-term investment manager, analyzes the sourcing practices of ten large coffee roasters and retailers, and finds that all of them could do more--and some of them must do much more—to improve producer and worker prosperity. The report also provides analysis on the gap between coffee incomes and living incomes in ten of the largest coffee-producing countries, shedding new light on how deep those gaps are. This 2021 report offers a complementary path to the suggestions provided in CCSI’s 2019 report on the economic viability and sustainability of coffee production. That report was written in response to the sustained decline in world coffee prices. While many consumers willingly pay high prices for coffee, coffee farmers receive a tiny fraction of the final retail price. Producers are price-takers in a global market that has turned against them. These sustained low prices hurt even more as coffee producers begin to bear the brunt of climate change

Responsible Coffee Sourcing: Towards a Living Income for Producers

Coffee, one of the world’s most popular beverages, provides livelihoods for at least 60 million people across dozens of countries. Promoting the long-term health, wellbeing, and environmental sustainability of the much beloved coffee sector should be a clear priority. CCSI has continued its work on coffee sustainability with a 2021 report: “Responsible Coffee Sourcing: Towards a Living Income for Producers.” The report focuses on a critical but under-examined topic: the impact of coffee company sourcing practices on coffee producer and farmworker well-being. The report, commissioned by a long-term investment manager, analyzes the sourcing practices of ten large coffee roasters and retailers, and finds that all of them could do more – and some of them must do much more – to improve producer and worker prosperity. The report also provides analysis on the gap between coffee incomes and living incomes in ten of the largest coffee-producing countries, shedding new light on how deep those gaps are. The 2021 report offers a complementary path to the suggestions provided in the Center’s 2019 report on the economic viability and sustainability of coffee production. That report was written in response to the sustained decline in world coffee prices. While many consumers willingly pay high prices for coffee, coffee farmers receive a tiny fraction of the final retail price. Producers are price-takers in a global market that has turned against them. These sustained low prices hurt even more as coffee producers begin to bear the brunt of climate change

Global health workforce strategies to address the COVID‐19 pandemic: learning lessons for the future

COVID-19 put unprecedented strain on the health and care workforce (HCWF). Yet, it also brought the HCWF to the forefront of the policy agenda and revealed many innovative solutions that can be built upon to overcome persistent workforce challenges. In this perspective, which draws on a Policy Brief prepared for the WHO Fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, we present findings from a scoping review of global emergency workforce strategies implemented during the pandemic and consider what we can learn from them for the long-term sustainability of the HCWF. Our review shows that strategies to strengthen HCWF capacity during COVID-19 fell into three categories: (1) surging supply of health and care workers (HCWs); (2) optimizing the use of the workforce in terms of setting, skills and roles; and (3) providing HCWs with support and protection. While some initiatives were only short-term strategies, others have potential to be continued. COVID-19 demonstrated that changes to scope-of-practice and the introduction of team-based roles are possible and central to an effective, sustainable workforce. Additionally, the use of technology and digital tools increased rapidly during COVID-19 and can be built on to enhance access and efficiency. The pandemic also highlighted the importance of prioritizing the security, safety, and physical and mental health of workers, implementing measures that are gender and equity-focused, and ensuring the centrality of the worker perspective in efforts to improve HCWF retention. Flexibility of regulatory, financial, technical measures and quality assurance was critical in facilitating the implementation of HCWF strategies and needs to be continued. The lessons learned from COVID-19 can help countries strengthen the HCWF, health systems, and the health and well-being of all, now and in the future