Strategies For Improving Coordination Between The Public and Private Institutions For Agricultural and Rural Development

EnglishAgriculture/agribusiness plays a strategic role in labor absorption, capital formation, foreign exchange, providing food supply, and supply a market for domestically produced industrial goods. Globalization has suddenly changed the way leaders of nations in managing agriculture/agribusiness development. Many countries are more open, moving toward democracy. Through the impact of decentralization, the government is shifting from dominating development in the past to people participation. This implies that the private sector will play a more active role in agriculture/agribusiness and rural development. With the new vision, agriculture should not be seen as a separate sector (on-farm), but in a more broad way which is agribusiness consisting of all related activities from upstream to downstream agribusiness subsystem. Good governance is a prerequisite to encourage private institutions to participate in agriculture/agribusiness and rural development. Policy measures to improve coordination between public and private institutions includes: infrastructure development, development of seed industry, develop and strengthen agro-industry in rural areas, develop and strengthen market information, market restructuring and trade policy, development of the private sector, micro, small, and medium size enterprises, macroeconomic stability, land market deregulation, strengthening of governance, environment sustainability, and improving rural productivity. All of these measures must be transparent and communicated to all stakeholders in agriculture/agribusiness and rural development. IndonesianSektor pertanian memiliki peranan yang strategis dalam penyerapan tenaga kerja, pembentukan kapital, penyediaan pangan, dan menyadiakan bahan baku untuk industri dalam negeri. Globalisasi secara serta merta talah merubah kebijakan pemimpin-pemimpin nasional dalam menangani pembangunan pertanian dan agribisnis. Berbagai negara menjadi lebih terbuka menuju ke arah demokrasi. Melalui dampak desentralisasi, pemerintah telah beralih dari sikap mendominasi di masa lalu menuju pada partisipasi masyarakat. Hal ini berimplikasi kepada semakin besarnya peran sektor swasta dalam pembangunan pertanian di pedesaan. Dengan visi baru ini, maka pertanian tidak lagi di pandang sebagai sektor yang terpisah-pisah, namun menjadi lebih luas, dimana mencakup aktivitas-aktivitas yang terkaIt mulai dari subsistem hulu sampai hilir. Pemerintahan yang baik dituntut untuk mendorong koordinasi antara institusi swasta dan publik mencakup: pengembangan infrastruktur, pengembangan industri benih, pengembangan dan penguatan agroindustri di pedesaan, pengembangan informasi pasar, merestruktur pasar dan kebijakan perdagangan, pengembangan sektor swasta, usaha mikro, kecil, menengah, stabilitas ekonomi makro, deregulasi pasar lahan, penguatan pemerintahan, keberlanjutan lingkungan, dan peningkatan produktivitas pedesan. Semua kebijakan ini mestilah dilakukan secara transparan dan dikomunikasikan kepada stakeholders yang terlibat dalam pembangunan pertanian dan pedesaan

Lecture 00: Opening Remarks: 46th Spring Lecture Series

Opening remarks for the 46th Annual Mathematical Sciences Spring Lecture Series at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

Major Issues and Challenges for Improving the Marketing and Distribution of Agricultural Products

No Abstract Availabl

Chirality: The Key to Specific Bacterial Protease-Based Diagnosis?

Abstract Bacterial proteases play an important role in a broad spectrum of processes, including colonization, proliferation and virulence. In this respect, bacterial proteases are potential biomarkers for bacterial diagnosis and targets for novel therapeutic protease inhibitors. To investigate these potential functions, the authors designed and used a protease substrate fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-library comprising 115 short D- and L-amino-acid-containing fluorogenic substrates as a tool to generate proteolytic profiles for a wide range of bacteria. Bacterial specificity of the D-amino acid substrates was confirmed using enzymes isolated from both eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. Interestingly, bacterial proteases that are known to be involved in housekeeping and nutrition, but not in virulence, were able to degrade substrates in which a D-amino acid was present. Using our FRET peptide library and culture supernatants from a total of 60 different bacterial species revealed novel, bacteria-specific, proteolytic profiles. Although in-species variation was observed for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Porphyromonas gingivalis and Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, the specific characteristic of our substrate peptide library makes it a rapid tool to high-throughput screen for novel substrates to detect bacterial proteolytic activity

Pengaruh kepimpinan pengetua dan amalan Pengurusan Kualiti Menyeluruh (TQM) terhadap kepuasan kerja serta komitmen guru

Teacher job satisfaction and commitment are essential in improving school performance. However, previous studies in Malaysia showed that the two variables are moderate. Additionally, research on the relationship between transformational leadership, Total Quality Management (TQM) and teacher job satisfaction and commitments have showed inconsistencies in their findings. Therefore, this study aims to identify the influence of transformational leadership on the TQM practices, teacher job satisfaction and commitment. This study also aims to determine the level of transformational leadership, TQM practices, teacher job satisfaction and commitment. A total of 309 teachers from 31 high-performance schools in Peninsular Malaysia were randomly selected to participate in this cross sectional survey. A total of four standardised questionnaires, namely the Principal Leadership Questionnaire (PLQ), the TQM, the Teaching Satisfaction Scale (TSS) and the Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) were used to collect the data. The data were analysed using the structural equation modeling method (SEM). The results revealed that transformational leadership does influence the TQM practices, teachers' job satisfaction and teachers' commitment. On the other hand, TQM practices do not affect the teachers' job satisfaction and commitment. The results revealed that TQM practices are not a mediating variable on the relationships between transformational leadership, teachers' job satisfaction and teachers' commitment. The results also found a high level of transformational leadership practiced by the principal, and a very high level on the TQM practices. The teachers' job satisfaction and commitment were also at a high level. Upon modification, the best compatibility test model (goodness-of-fit model) showed that it is able to match the data. This study has further contributed to the development of the transformational leadership theory, TQM, job satisfaction and commitment of teachers in the Malaysian context. In addition, this study suggests that in order to improve the TQM practices, as well as the job satisfaction and commitment of teachers, school principals must practice transformational leaderships style

Ketahanan Dan Stabilitas Pasokan, Permintaan, Dan Harga Komoditas Pangan

Persoalan pangan dewasa ini dipicu oleh melejitnya harga-harga pangan Internasional dengan tajam. Faktor penyebab meroketnya harga pangan antara lain adalah naiknya harga minyak fosil dan biaya energi, peningkatan permintaan beras di India akibat substitusi konsumsi gandum oleh beras, bencana alam di Vietnam dan Myanmar, panic buying di Filippina, serta kemungkinan pengaruh spekulator yang cenderung melakukan hoarding. Faktor lain yang tidak kalah penting adalah tingginya permintaan akan biofuel. Maka isu ketahanan pangan bangsa harus menjadi fokus perhatian di masa mendatang. Ketahanan pangan nasional merupakan pilar bagi pembentukan sumberdaya manusia dan generasi yang berkualitas, yang diperlukan untuk membangun bangsa ini. Kemandirian pangan di tingkat rumah tangga perlu mendapat perhatian yang lebih besar di masa mendatang, karena kemandirian pangan rumah tangga merupakan fondasi kemandirian pangan wilayah dan nasional. Sampai saat ini dari aspek ketersediaan pangan, distribusi, stabilitas harga, dan konsumsi, kondisi ketahanan pangan kita masih cukup baik. Pertumbuhan produksi pangan domestik lima tahun terakhir cukup baik kecuali kedelai. Angka Ramalan I BPS tahun 2008 juga memberikan gambaran yang lebih optimis. Demikian pula dalam hal konsumsi pangan, skor pola pangan harapan tahun 2007 mencapai 82,8 lebih baik dibanding tahun sebelumnya. Upaya-upaya yang telah dilakukan perlu terus ditingkatkan mengingat krisis harga global bisa berdampak pada ekonomi domestik. Kebijakan ketahanan pangan telah ditetapkan yang meliputi aspek ketersediaan, distribusi dan stabilitas harga pangan, akses pangan, serta kebijakan pendukungnya. Pembangunan ketahanan pangan yang berbasis pada sumberdaya dan kearifan lokal harus terus digali dan ditingkatkan. Ini telah dan akan terus menerus kita lakukan dengan program aksi Desa Mandiri Pangan, yang sampai saat ini telah mencapai 825 desa miskin di 201 kabupaten/kota di 32 Propinsi. Filosofi yang dikembangkan adalah pemberdayaan masyarakat agar mereka dapat menolong dirinya sendiri

Strategies for Improving Coordination Between the Public and Private Institutions for Agricultural and Rural Development

EnglishAgriculture/agribusiness plays a strategic role in labor absorption, capital formation, foreign exchange, providing food supply, and supply a market for domestically produced industrial goods. Globalization has suddenly changed the way leaders of nations in managing agriculture/agribusiness development. Many countries are more open, moving toward democracy. Through the impact of decentralization, the government is shifting from dominating development in the past to people participation. This implies that the private sector will play a more active role in agriculture/agribusiness and rural development. With the new vision, agriculture should not be seen as a separate sector (on-farm), but in a more broad way which is agribusiness consisting of all related activities from upstream to downstream agribusiness subsystem. Good governance is a prerequisite to encourage private institutions to participate in agriculture/agribusiness and rural development. Policy measures to improve coordination between public and private institutions includes: infrastructure development, development of seed industry, develop and strengthen agro-industry in rural areas, develop and strengthen market information, market restructuring and trade policy, development of the private sector, micro, small, and medium size enterprises, macroeconomic stability, land market deregulation, strengthening of governance, environment sustainability, and improving rural productivity. All of these measures must be transparent and communicated to all stakeholders in agriculture/agribusiness and rural development. IndonesianSektor pertanian memiliki peranan yang strategis dalam penyerapan tenaga kerja, pembentukan kapital, penyediaan pangan, dan menyadiakan bahan baku untuk industri dalam negeri. Globalisasi secara serta merta talah merubah kebijakan pemimpin-pemimpin nasional dalam menangani pembangunan pertanian dan agribisnis. Berbagai negara menjadi lebih terbuka menuju ke arah demokrasi. Melalui dampak desentralisasi, pemerintah telah beralih dari sikap mendominasi di masa lalu menuju pada partisipasi masyarakat. Hal ini berimplikasi kepada semakin besarnya peran sektor swasta dalam pembangunan pertanian di pedesaan. Dengan visi baru ini, maka pertanian tidak lagi di pandang sebagai sektor yang terpisah-pisah, namun menjadi lebih luas, dimana mencakup aktivitas-aktivitas yang terkaIt mulai dari subsistem hulu sampai hilir. Pemerintahan yang baik dituntut untuk mendorong koordinasi antara institusi swasta dan publik mencakup: pengembangan infrastruktur, pengembangan industri benih, pengembangan dan penguatan agroindustri di pedesaan, pengembangan informasi pasar, merestruktur pasar dan kebijakan perdagangan, pengembangan sektor swasta, USAha mikro, kecil, menengah, stabilitas ekonomi makro, deregulasi pasar lahan, penguatan pemerintahan, keberlanjutan lingkungan, dan peningkatan produktivitas pedesan. Semua kebijakan ini mestilah dilakukan secara transparan dan dikomunikasikan kepada stakeholders yang terlibat dalam pembangunan pertanian dan pedesaan

Investigation of the AFM Contact-Mode Force Calibration with Simulation

Force-curves measured by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) are frequently used to determine the local Young’s Modulus of the sample. Originally the AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) instruments measure the cantilever deflection as a voltage signal; however the natural unit of the deflection is nanometer. In general, the V/nm conversion factor is determined from the force-curve of a hard sample. Since this conversion is highly affects the value of the Young’s modulus, the accuracy of this method was investigated experimentally and using a finite element simulation of the cantilever motion. It was found, that the position of the laser spot significantly modify the conversion factor and in case of the sample with steep surface, the error of this calibration method can be significant