Agricultural Research and Policy for Better Health and Nutrition In Developing Countries: A Food Systems Approach

This paper is about the two-way causal relationships between the global food system and health and nutrition. It argues that the global food system begins and ends with health and that the prioritization and implementation of agricultural research and policy should consider health and nutrition effects. An integrated health and food policy approach is likely to be more effective in achieving both health and economic development goals that the current practice of separate sectorial policies. The paper identifies a large number of health and nutrition factors affecting and affected by the food system and suggests research and policies to enhance positive effects and reduce negative ones.health and agriculture, food policy, global food system, agricultural research, nutrition policy, health and the food system, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Changing Patterns of Consumption Underlying Changes in Trade and Agricultural Development

International Development, International Relations/Trade,

Spin dynamics in the stripe phase of the cuprates

Within a model that supports stripe spin and charge order coexisting with a d$_{x^2-y^2}$-wave superconducting phase, we study the self-consistently obtained electronic structure and the associated transverse dynamical spin susceptibility. In the coexisting phase of superconducting and static stripe order, the resulting particle-hole continuum can strongly damp parts of the low-energy spin wave branches. This provides insight into recent inelastic neutron scattering data revealing the dispersion of the low-energy collective magnetic modes of lanthanum based cuprate superconductors.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Appropriate technology for sustainable food security:

CONTENTS: Brief 1. Overview / Per Pinstrup-Andersen Brief 2. Farmer-Based Agro-Ecological Technology / Jules Pretty Brief 3. Conventional Research-Based Technology / Prabhu Pingali Brief 4. Modern Biotechnology / Calestous Juma Brief 5. Modern Technology for African Agriculture / Jennifer Thomson Brief 6. Information and Communcations Technologies / Nuimuddin Chowdhury Brief 7. GIS, GPS, and Remote Sensing / Uwe Deichmann and Stanley Wood Brief 8. Alternative Energy Sources / R. K. Pachauri and Pooja Mehrotra Brief 9. Food Irradiation / Morton SatinTechnology., Technological innovations., Food security., Sustainability.,

Economic Growth, Lifestyle Changes, and the Coexistence of Under and Overweight in China: A Semiparametric Approach

We investigate the relationship between changes in socioeconomic factors and the emerging coexistence of under and overweight among adults in China during 1991-2000. Our key questions are: (1) whether any socioeconomic factor explains both increasing overweight (Body Mass Index (BMI)less than or equal to 25 kg/m2) and remaining underweight (BMI greater than or equal to 18.5 kg/m2), (2) whether China's continuing economic growth leads to further increase in the prevalence of overweight, and (3) whether China's economic growth alone can lead to commensurate decrease in its remaining underweight. Based on the theoretical model in Lakdawalla and Philipson (2002), we focus on the effects of economic growth on weight through changes in income, job-related activity and food prices. We adopt a semiparametric technique and decompose changes in the BMI distribution into the effects of changes in selected socioeconomic factors. We find that changes in the pattern of job-related activity partly explain both increasing overweight and remaining underweight. Overall income growth contributes to decreasing both under and overweight. Decreasing food prices are one of main factors shifting Chinese population from underweight toward overweight. The effects of economic growth examined in this paper well-explain increasing overweight, and thus continuing economic growth is likely to lead to further increase in overweight rates. Our results also indicate that there exist unobserved factors that significantly counteract the downward effects of economic growth on underweight rates, and thus economic growth alone is unlikely to lead to commensurate decrease in remaining underweight. To reduce remaining underweight, more direct interventions (e.g., micronutrient supplementation) may be needed.Economic Growth, Underweight, Overweight, Smiparametric, China, Health Economics and Policy, International Development,

Economic Growth, Lifestyle Changes, and the Coexistence of Under and Overweight in China: A Semiparametric Approach

This paper investigates the relationship between the emerging coexistence of under and overweight and changes in socioeconomic conditions associated with economic growth in China during 1991-2000. Our key questions are: (1) whether any socioeconomic factor explains both increasing overweight and remaining underweight, (2) whether China's continuing economic growth leads to further increase in the prevalence of overweight, and (3) whether China's economic growth alone can lead to commensurate decrease in its remaining underweight. We find that changes in the pattern of job-related activity could partly explain both remaining underweight and increasing overweight, while overall income growth contributes to reducing both under and overweight. The effects of economic growth examined in this paper, particularly decreasing food prices, explain a large share of increasing overweight, and thus continuing economic growth is likely to lead to further increase in the revalence of overweight. Our empirical results also ndicate that there exist unobserved factors that significantly counteract the downward effects of economic growth on underweight rates, and thus economic growth alone is unlikely to lead to commensurate decrease in remaining underweight. To reduce remaining underweight more effectively, more direct interventions (e.g., micronutrient supplementation) may be needed.Health Economics and Policy,

The pilot food price subsidy scheme in the Philippines: its impact on income, food consumption, and nutritional status

Food relief Philippines Case studies., Food consumption Philippines Case studies., Nutrition Philippines Case studies.,

Social innovation and entrepreneurship: Developing capacity to reduce poverty and hunger

Hunger, Capital, Social innovation, Roles of entrepreneurs, Poverty reduction, MDGs, Social capital, Capacity strengthening,