Economic consequences of EU-unapproved GM maize in US soy : estimates for the period October 2009 to March 2010

In June 2009 minute traces of GM maize events not yet authorised in the EU were discovered in US soybean and soybean meal consignments. This could result a problem in the period from October to March, because then the EU imports most soy products from the US. This desk study, this study estimates the additional first order costs for the crushing industry, compound feed industry, food sectors and animal producers in case the zero-tolerance policy towards unapproved GM maize varieties in US soy products remains in place from October 2009 until March 2010

Energiegebruik en kosten van centrale afzuiging en afzuiging per afdeling in varkensstallen

Centrale afzuiging wordt in de praktijk bij nieuwbouw vaak toegepast. Een belangrijk voordeel van centrale afzuiging is de energiebesparing die ermee te realiseren is

Leer kind veilig koken

Hoe goed producenten hun best ook doen, het valt nooit uit te sluiten dat er enkele ziekmakende bacteriën in een product zitten. Consumenten moeten in de keuken dus schoon blijven werken en ze moeten er ook steeds aan worden herinnerd, maakt Coen van Wagenberg van het LEI duidelijk. Omdat dit soort keukenhandelingen gewoontegedrag is, moet je kinderen al aanrechtmanieren lere

Microklimaatmetingen geven inzicht in prestaties klimaatsysteem

Het klimaat in de directe omgeving van varkens wordt microklimaat genoemd. Microklimaat lijkt een belangrijke invloed te hebben op de gezondheid, de productie en het welzijn van de varkens. Sinds enige tijd onderzoekt het PV deze materie. Het blijkt dat het soort ventilatiesysteem een belangrijke invloed heeft op het microklimaat. Tevens blijkt uit metingen dat er verschil is in microklimaat tussen hokken binnen één afdeling en zelfs binnen hokke

Incentive mechanisms for food safety control in pork supply chains : a study on the relationship between finishing pig producers and slaughterhouses in the Netherlands

Food borne illness today still results in high societal costs, even though FBOs have implemented food safety control systems. In addition, the susceptibility to food borne diseases of the human population is likely to increase in the coming decades. Thus food safety control needs to be improved. Since 2005, a new EU food safety policy aims to improve food safety through shifting primary responsibility for food safety from government to FBOs and through shifting food safety control from company level to supply chain level. This research aims to contribute to improvement of food safety by analyzing private incentive mechanisms aimed at food safety control on supply chain level. It focuses on the two stage supply chain between pig producers and slaughter company in the Netherlands. A framework for designing and developing incentive mechanisms for food safety control is developed. An incentive mechanism aimed at food safety control is defined as the set of the performance and compliance measurement system and the compensation scheme between buyer and supplier, which aims to induce the supplier to apply measures to control food safety hazards as the buyer requests. The framework includes all important characteristics of incentive mechanisms for food safety and their relationships. In this thesis the influence on supplier behaviour of four important characteristics of incentive mechanisms for food safety control are analysed, namely 1) the type of performance compensation, 2) the causes for variability in performance between suppliers, 3) the accuracy of a test to determine supplier performance, and 4) the reliability of information provided by the supplier. It uses different food safety hazards in pork: lesioned livers, Mycobacterium avium, and residues of antibiotics. Results show that a penalty for each lesioned liver was more effective to induce pig producers to use control measures than a collective premium. Variability in liver lesion prevalence between pig producers with a penalty for each lesioned liver occurred because each pig producer used different control measures with different effectiveness. The accuracy of a Mycobacterium avium test showed to have a significant impact on pig producer behaviour to use control measures if an incentive mechanism was in place. Finally, information about the use of antibiotics provided by pig producers without an incentive system for the reliability of the information was insufficiently reliable to guarantee absence of residues in pork. It is concluded in this thesis that private incentive mechanisms can be used to reduce opportunistic behaviour of pig producers, thereby improving food safety control on supply chain level and helping to raise food safety control to the next level. For optimal inducement it is important that the performance and compliance measurement system is attuned to the compensation scheme. <br/

The Nature of Lessons Learned from Argentina’s 2001 Financial Crisis

This paper makes the argument that though Argentina’s 2001 financial crisis was influenced by several factors, it is the 1991 Convertibility Plan that most strongly pushed the nation to the point of needing outside financial assistance. Its implementation led to and worked in combination with a multitude of unexpected factors. Together, these created economic conditions that chipped away at the stability of Argentina’s economy. Given the nature of this project, information was gathered solely through research in texts published by both supporters and critics of organizations like the International Monetary Fund. In my readings, I found that there is generally more criticism than praise, though I tried not to be swayed too strongly either way. Ultimately, however, it became clear that a decision on outside organizations did not need to be made. Rather, it was clear that a criticism of policy would suffice