A case study of Fairtrade labelling and worker empowerment on two wine and fruit farms in the Western Cape

Magister Philosophiae (Land and Agrarian Studies) - MPhil(LAS)This thesis explores the link between Fairtrade labelling and worker empowerment in the cases of LFFT and Stellar Organics in terms of: the reasons for becoming certified and commercial benefits expected from the Fairtrade labelling; the intergration of the Faitrade requirements into the structures and management of employee equity share shemes; the enabling or disabling factors for Fairtrade certification to contribute to the socio-economic development and empowerment of the workers. This thesis describes the two cases in detail according to these links and concludes that Fairtrade labelling has not significantly changed the trade relationships with large retailers for these two Fairtrade producers even though it has provided additional market access. The link between the Fairtrade requirements and the legal and administrativestructures of employee equity share schemes is complex and open to interpretation. Finally, the possibility for Fairtrade certification to contribute to the socio-economic development and empowerment of workers is dependent on changes in management and communicationbetween white farm owners and bleck workers which confronts deeply held paternalist beliefs.South Afric

Prolactin secretory rhythm in women: immediate and long-term alterations after sexual contact

BACKGROUND Prolactin (PRL) is one of the most versatile hormones in the mammalian body, affecting reproductive, sexual and other functions. In rats, mating or vaginocervical stimulation activates a characteristic PRL secretory pattern for several days, which is essential for successful reproduction. Although the underlying mechanisms appear to be different, PRL is also crucial for human fertility. We have detected a PRL increase in women induced by sexual intercourse. Extending these findings, the current study aimed at analyzing the PRL secretory rhythm after sexual contact, in order to elucidate whether human females also show long-term alterations of the PRL secretory pattern. METHODS In a pilot study, serial blood samples were taken from women (n= 7) in mid-cycle to assess changes in PRL secretory rhythm induced by sexual intercourse, during a period of 32 h. RESULTS Compared with control condition, sexual intercourse with orgasm induced not only the well-established immediate PRL increase of ∼300% but also an additional PRL elevation around noon of the next day (P< 0.05). These fluctuations were measured on top of the regular circadian rhythm of PRL, manifested as a surge early in the morning. CONCLUSIONS We are able to demonstrate a long-term change in the PRL secretory rhythm after sexual intercourse with orgasm in females, suggesting memory effects. We hypothesize that the additionally secreted PRL could be beneficial for decidualization and implantation. Further studies with more participants are required to investigate in detail the implications of such effects on reproductive success in human

Participatory commodity networking: An integrated framework for Fairtrade research and support

This article discusses the potential for humanizing production and trade relations by extending action research to multilateral commodity networks. Participatory action research and Fairtrade certification both promote social justice, but the first faces difficulties in terms of scalability, while the second experiences challenges in terms of producer support. As conventional research has failed to deliver methods for improving services, we worked with small-scale farmers in South Africa’s rooibos tea industry to meet this gap. Responding to producer concerns regarding market and certification access, we conducted a participatory research, training, and networking program to establish a farmer leadership network within the rooibos industry. Despite the challenges involved in advancing participation in an arena marked by complex power relations, our work helped stakeholders establish trust, improve knowledge, and begin addressing issues. By incorporating commodity network analysis into action research methodology, our model facilitates both community and organizational development, offering a multilateral framework for collaborative inquiry

Emerging rooibos farmer market access project

Global markets increasingly require rapid and coordinated response to standards and certification. Yet despite broad political transformations in post‐Apartheid South Africa, structural power relations limit emerging farmer capacity to effectively access certified markets such as fairtrade and organic. Within the Rooibos commodity network, inequitable functioning has prevented emerging farmers from fully developing critical market‐access skills and resources. While diverse groups have collaborated to achieve mutual interests, the cooperative building process has been marked by conflict. There is a need to involve producers in networks as this will help the industry to more effectively capture lucrative market opportunities. Successful community and emerging farmer network efforts are potential building blocks in which to inform further engagement. The South African Rooibos Council is working towards developing formal emerging farmer networking space as part of its Broad‐based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) portfolio. Diverse industry and organizational experts are increasingly invested in emerging communities and a core group has expressed interest in further collaboration. Commodity network efforts have been incrementally achieving goals, but more work needs to be done to ensure development sustainability and scalability

The International Surface Pressure Databank version 2

The International Surface Pressure Databank (ISPD) is the world's largest collection of global surface and sea-level pressure observations. It was developed by extracting observations from established international archives, through international cooperation with data recovery facilitated by the Atmospheric Circulation Reconstructions over the Earth (ACRE) initiative, and directly by contributing universities, organizations, and countries. The dataset period is currently 1768–2012 and consists of three data components: observations from land stations, marine observing systems, and tropical cyclone best track pressure reports. Version 2 of the ISPD (ISPDv2) was created to be observational input for the Twentieth Century Reanalysis Project (20CR) and contains the quality control and assimilation feedback metadata from the 20CR. Since then, it has been used for various general climate and weather studies, and an updated version 3 (ISPDv3) has been used in the ERA-20C reanalysis in connection with the European Reanalysis of Global Climate Observations project (ERA-CLIM). The focus of this paper is on the ISPDv2 and the inclusion of the 20CR feedback metadata. The Research Data Archive at the National Center for Atmospheric Research provides data collection and access for the ISPDv2, and will provide access to future versions

Qualidade de vida de pacientes com Psoríase – uma revisão da literatura

A psoríase é uma doença crônica da pele caracterizada pelo rápido acúmulo de células na superfície epidermal, levando à formação de placas avermelhadas e escamosas, com sintomas como coceira, dor e desconforto. Os tipos de psoríase incluem a psoríase em placas, gutata, inversa, pustulosa, eritrodermia, pustulose palmar-plantar e psoríase das unhas, cada uma com características distintas. A prevalência varia, afetando aproximadamente 2% da população mundial, com incidência mais comum em adultos jovens e idosos. A psoríase trás além de questões físicas como dor e coceira, também questões psicológicas como auto estima e ansiedade, por isso é importante investigar como é dada a qualidade de vida destes pacientes crônicos. A maioria dos tratamentos auxilia na qualidade de vida, tanto no alivio as dores quanto nas questões psicológicas ajudando a manter a auto estima. Muitos pacientes tem medo de perder acesso aos seus respectivos tratamentos. A capacidade de controlar os sintomas da psoríase não só alivia o desconforto físico, mas também reduz o estresse, a ansiedade e a depressão associados à condição