Governance for quality management in smallholder-based tropical food chains

Abstract The paper provides a framework that focuses on the linkages between several key dimensions of supply chain organization and performance of perishable tropical food products. The focus is on the relationship between governance regime and quality management. However, two other but related variables are taken into account because they impact on the relationship between governance and quality management. These variables are channel choice and value added distribution in the supply chain. Governance regime is reflecting how to enhance coordination and trust amongst supply chain partners and how to reduce transaction costs. Quality management is dealing with how to manage food technology processes such that required quality levels can be improved and variability in quality of natural products can be exploited. Governance regimes in relation to quality management practices are discussed to the extent that supply chain partners are able, or are enabled, to invest in required quality improve-ments. Reduction of transaction costs, creation of trust-based networks and proper trade-offs between direct and future gains may offer substantial contributions to effective quality management and enforcement. This framework has been applied to nine case studies on smallholder-based food supply chains originating from developing countries (Ruben et al., 2007). Three of these case studies are discussed in this paper to illustrate what challenges can be derived from the case studies. The selected case studies concern fish originating from Kenya, mango originating from Costa Rica and vegetables produced in China

Nonlinear effects in the propagation of optically generated magnetostatic volume mode spin waves

Recent experimental work has demonstrated optical control of spin wave emission by tuning the shape of the optical pulse (Satoh et al.\ Nature Photonics, 6, 662 (2012)). We reproduce these results and extend the scope of the control by investigating nonlinear effects for large amplitude excitations. We observe an accumulation of spin wave power at the center of the initial excitation combined with short-wavelength spin waves. These kind of nonlinear effects have not been observed in earlier work on nonlinearities of spin waves. Our observations pave the way for the manipulation of magnetic structures at a smaller scale than the beam focus, for instance in devices with all-optical control of magnetism.Comment: Added new figures to further illustrate the nonlinear effects to show time evolution and spectral flow. Added references. Changed perspective on nonlinear effects w.r.t. applicability of NSE. Added acknowledgemen

Determining the optimal policy for a home delivery milk retailing: A simulation approach

A food retailing firm operates in a complex situation where its economic result is influenced by a large number of variables: own marketing variables, characteristics of customers and area of location and the nature of competition. This paper demonstrates how all these influences can be integrated into a model and how this model subsequently can be used to find the optimal policy of the retailing firm under various conditions. The specific application in the paper is home delivery milk retailing in the Netherlands

Een onderzoek naar het toekomstperspectief van de melkman in Nederland

In de periode augustus 1975-mei 1976 is door de vakgroep Marktkunde en Marktonderzoek van de Landbouwhogeschool een onderzoek ingesteld naar de toekomstmogelijkheden van de bezorgende melkdetailhandel in Nederland. Dit perspectief-onderzoek geschiedde in opdracht van het Bedrijfschap Detailhandel in Melk en Melk- en Zuivelprodukten en werd gesubsidieerd door het Ministerie van Economische Zaken. Zoals te doen gebruikelijk bij dergelijke onderzoekingen, werd het onderzoek begeleid door een beleidscommissie van deskundigen uit het bedrijfsleven. Het onderzoek vloeide voort uit behoefte aan meer inzicht in de thans bestaande structurele problemen in de bezorgende melkdetailhandel. Deze problemen komen onder meer tot uiting in de afname van het aantal melkslijters van 8.297 in 19i1 tot 5.883 in 1976 en in het teruglopend marktaandeel van de bezorgende melkdetailhandel in de totale detailhandelsomzet aan melk en melkprodukten van 85% in maart 1968 tot 40% in oktober 1976. Het onderzoek had tot doel op basis van inzicht in de huidige toestand en in de toekomstige ontwikkelingen tot aanbevelingen te komen voor het beleid van de ambulante melkdetailhandel

Onderzoek naar de mogelijkheden van de bezorgende melkdetailhandel

De onbevredigende ontwikkelingen in de bezorgende melkdetailhande1 hebben ertoe geleid dat het Bedrijfschap Detai1handel in Me1k, Me1k- en Zuive1produkten een onderzoek heeft doen instel1en naar de omvang en de oorzaken van de problemen, die zich in deze bedrijfstak voordoen. In het Kader van het structuuronderzoek nieuwe stijl zou ernaar moeten worden gestreefd om op zo kort mogelijke termijn tot een inzicht in de situatie van de branche en tot zo concreet mogelijke aanbevelingen te komen. Bij de uitvoering van het onderzoek kon worden beschikt over aankoopgegevens uit het nationaal consumentenpane1 van het Nederlands Instituut voor Agrarisch Marktonderzoek over de peri ode 18 mei 1975 - 14 juni 1975. Het Produktschap voor Zuive1 ste1de de gegevens van een enquete onder de bezorgende detailhandel in melk en melkprodukten uit 1974 ter beschikking voor nadere analyse. Door het Economisch Instituut voor het Midden- en Kleinbedrijf werd het basismateriaal van een enquete onder honderd melkslijters uit 1973 voor verdere bewerking beschikbaar gesteld. Het onderzoek werd begeleid door een Beleidscommissie waarin zitting hadden: vertegenwoordigers van het Bedrijfschap Detailhandel in Melk, Melk- en Zuivelprodukten, van het Produktschap voor Zuivel, van particuliere organisaties uit diverse schakels van de bedrijfskolom van melk en melkprodukten, en van de Ministeries van Economische Zaken en van Landbouw en Visserij. Deze commissie stond onder voorzitterschap van Ir. B. van Dam. (zie bijlage 1 voor de samenste1ling van de Beleidscommissie)

New vision on the mental problems of Vincent van Gogh; results from a bottom-up approach using (semi-)structured diagnostic interviews

Background: On July 29, 1890 at the age of 37 years, the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh died from the consequences of a suicide attempt with a gun 2 days earlier. Since then many medical and psychological theories were suggested about what had happened to Van Gogh. Aim: To present an overview of the history of the mental problems of Van Gogh and the most likely diagnoses. Method: (Semi-)structured diagnostic interviews were applied to three art historians who are very familiar with Van Gogh from his correspondence and other sources as well as a neuropsychiatric examination to evaluate whether the symptoms might be explained by a medical condition. Results: Several previously suggested diagnoses could be excluded as being highly unlikely, while other diagnoses could be classified as more of less likely. Conclusion: Most likely Van Gogh suffered from comorbid illnesses. Since young adulthood, he likely developed a (probably bipolar) mood disorder in combination with (traits of) a borderline personality disorder as underlying vulnerability. This likely worsened through an alcohol use disorder combined with malnutrition, which then led, in combination with rising psychosocial tensions, to a crisis in which he cut off his ear. Thereafter, he likely developed two deliriums probably related to alcohol withdrawal, followed by a worsening with severe depressive episodes (of which at least one with psychotic features) from which he did not fully recover, finally leading to his suicide. As additional comorbidity, focal (temporal lobe) epilepsy cannot be excluded

Climate risks are real and need to become part of bank capital regulation

Climate risks are building up on banks’ balance sheets. Supervisory reviews show that banks are not well prepared. Yet, supervisors have been slow to include climate risks in minimum capital requirements. This column argues that doing so would speed up the transition to a low-carbon economy. Given the urgency of addressing the environmental risks that are now largely not accounted for, speed is of the essence