Coordination of European Transnational Research in Organic Farming Systems

Organic agriculture and food markets have grown considerably, and organic agriculture addresses important challenges of European agriculture, such as the sustainable production of high-quality food, reducing dependency on high energy inputs, improving environmental and nature conservation, climate change adaptation, animal welfare and rural livelihoods. Organic farming and food systems still have a huge potential for innovation and improved solutions. Research activities will be important for this

La vie est un sac rempli d’air : Polysémie de pooq et autres notions associées

L’auteure aborde les significations littérales et métaphoriques de l’inuit pooq ou puuq et des objets qui y sont associés et montre qu’elles interagissent de la même manière dans les rituels entre le monde visible et les mondes invisibles de la cosmologie inuit. Ce parallèle donne l’occasion de remettre en question la théorie de la perspective somatique de Viveiros de Castro, qui correspond parfaitement bien, à d’autres égards, à la situation inuit. Littéralement, pooq signifie sac, abri, poche des eaux et, métaphoriquement dans la langue des esprits, « mère », de l’est du Groenland au nord de l’Alaska. Les sacs remplis d’air, faits d’intestins en particulier, abondent dans les rituels esquimaux, mais on ne retrouve ni « mère », ni sac, ni abri, ni poche des eaux dans les rituels et les mythes de l’est du Groenland autour de l’accession au statut d’angakkoq puulik (chamane avec pooq). Pour ce qui est des rituels d’initiation, l’auteure constate que les ours polaires et les morses que l’on retrouve dans d’autres mythes font partie d’une constellation de notions gravitant autour de celle du pooq, parmi lesquelles figurent les intestins et les armes du phoque barbu durant la période correspondant au milieu de l’hiver. Les connotations associées aux multiples objets autrefois fabriqués à partir de membranes intestinales de phoque barbu s’avèrent être les mêmes que dans les rituels. L’attirail du phoque barbu offre une protection spirituelle et permet l’établissement de relations et les déplacement entre ce monde et les autres. À cet égard, les connotations relatives au phoque barbu révèlent qu’un mélange s’est opéré entre l’initiation du puulik et le symbolisme de la renaissance dans la vie, dans le temps et dans l’espace.Literal and metaphoric meanings of Inuit pooq/puuq and associated objects are treated and shown to interact in ways that apply also to the interaction through ritual between the visible world and the invisible ones of Inuit cosmology. Such mergings give occasion for a discussion of Viveiros de Castro’s theory of somatic perspective, which in other respects fits the Inuit case perfectly well. Literally pooq means bag, cover, caul and, as a metaphor “mother”, i.e. in the spirit languages from East Greenland to North Alaska. Airfilled bags, intestinal ones in particular, abound in Eskimo ritual, but the East Greenland ritual and myth of becoming an angakkoq puulik (shaman with pooq) does not reveal any “mother”, bag, cover, or caul. Treating the initiators, polar bear and walrus also in other myths, they turn out to be part of a “pooq complex” that includes the intestines and weapon of bearded seal in a mid-winter context. Pursuing the connotations of the multiple objects formerly made of bearded seal intestines they turn out to be the same in ritual. Bearded seal paraphernalia offers spiritual protection and permits connection with and movement between this and the other worlds. In this light bearded seal connotations reveal a merging of the puulik initiation and the symbolism of rebirth in life, in time, and in space.La autora aborda las significaciones literales y metafóricas de los inuit pooq o puuq y de los objetos que están asociados y muestra que interactúan de la misma manera en los ritos entre el mundo visible y los mundos invisibles de la cosmología inuit. Ese paralelo ofrece la oportunidad de cuestionar la teoría de la perspectiva somática de Viveiros de Castro, que corresponde bastante bien, en ciertos aspectos, a la situación inuit. Literalmente, pooq significa bolsa, refugio, bolsa de agua y, metafóricamente en la lengua de los espíritus, «madre» del este de Groenlandia al norte de Alaska. Las bolsas llenas de aire, hechos de intestinos en particular, abundan en los rituales esquimales, pero no se encuentra ni «madre», ni saco, ni refugio, ni bolsa de agua en los rituales y los mitos del este de Groenlandia al rededor del ascenso al estatus de angakkoqpuulik (chaman con pooq). En lo que respecta a los ritos de iniciación, la autora constata que los osos polares y las morsas que se encuentran en otros mitos forman parte de una constelación de nociones que gravitan al rededor de la del pooq, entre las cuales figuran los intestinos y las armas de la foca barbuda durante el periodo correspondiente a la mitad del invierno. Las connotaciones asociadas a los múltiples objetos antiguamente fabricados con membranas intestinales de la foca barbuda ofrecen una protección espiritual y permiten establecer relaciones y desplazarse entre este mundo y los otros. Al respecto, las connotaciones relativas a la foca barbuda muestran que una mezcla se opera entre la iniciación del puulik y el simbolismo del renacimiento en la vida, en el tiempo y en el espacio

Ordinal Comparison of Multidimensional Deprivation: theory and application

This paper develops an ordinal method of comparison of multidimensional inequality. In our model, population distribution g is more unequal than f when the distributions have common median and can be obtained from f by one or more shifts in population density that increase inequality. For our benchmark 2x2 case (i.e. the case of two binary outcome variables), we derive an empirical method for making inequality comparisons. As an illustration, we apply the model to childhood poverty in Mozambique.qualitative data; multidimensional first order dominance; multidimensional inequality; ordinal comparison

The Policy Environment for Food, Agriculture and Nutrition in India: Taking Stock and Looking Forward

India’s policy environment has undergone a substantial overhaul since 2014, when a new government came in. This paper discusses recent changes in, and the current state of, food, agriculture and nutrition policies in India at the national and state levels. It provides an overview of the current policy framework, together with recommendations for the future, based on best practices in nutrition policy and the dynamics of the Indian economy and policy environment. The authors find that current strategies are focused more on malnutrition than on nutrition per se, with limited overlap with those in allied sectors such as agriculture and sanitation. The paper recommends that a new strategy takes a broader approach to nutrition, including pre-emptive behavioural change programmes, while ensuring quality and not just access to food in food security programmes, which should incorporate nutritional goals. Likewise, related policy areas, such as agriculture and sanitation, should include nutritional goals. To enable cross-sectoral and government collaboration on nutrition, high-level commitment is required to ensure coordination. Increasing devolution of authority and funds could empower state and district administrations to better tailor programmes to suit local contexts.UK AIDDepartment for International Development (DFID

Experiences with the development of a Computer-aided herd management system in connection with a mobile data acquisition on basis of a transponder reader

Titel Inhaltsverzeichnis Einleitung Literaturübersicht Material und Methoden Ergebnisse Diskussion Zusammenfassung Summary Literaturverzeichnis AnhangZusammenfassung Computergestützte Herdenmanagementsysteme sind in heutigen modernen landwirtschaftlichen Tierzucht- und Mastbetrieben Grundlage für ein effektives und wirtschaftliches Management. Die tiernahe Datenerfassung und -bereitstellung mittels Mobilen Datenerfassungsgeräten bedeutet eine wesentliche Erweiterung des computergestützten Herdenmanagements. Ziel dieses Projekts war die Entwicklung und Erprobung eines mobilen Herdenmanagementsystems auf Basis eines industriellen Handcomputers mit Transponderlesegerät. Ein industrieller Handcomputer wurde aufgrund des robusten Aufbaus und der Möglichkeit der Transpondererfassung zur Tieridentifizierung für dieses Projekt gewählt. Es sollten die Vorteile eines Mobilen Herdenmanagementsystems im Vergleich zur konventionellen Datenerfassung dargestellt werden. Zur Anwendung kam das System bei dem Fruchtbarkeitsmanagement einer Färsenaufzuchtanlage in Brandenburg. Da im Vorfeld keine Dokumentation auf EDV-Basis in diesem Versuchsbetrieb stattfand, war ein direkter Vergleich der verschiedenen Arten der Dokumentationsführung sehr gut durchzuführen. In diesem Projekt wurden die Vorteile eines mobilen Herdenmanagementsystems hinsichtlich Zeitersparnis, Verringerung von Fehlern in der Dokumentation und verbessertes Management durch tiernahe Dokumentation deutlich dargestellt. Bei der Erstellung und Anwendung des mobilen Herdenmanagementsystems konnten Anforderungen definiert werden, welches so ein System erfüllen sollte. Sie wurden in einem Pflichtenheft zusammengefasst.Computer-assisted herd management systems are in today's modern agricultural animal breeding and mast enterprises basis for an effective and economic management. The data capture and data supply close to animal by means of mobile data recording equipments signifies an essential extension of the computer-aided herd management. The purpose of this project was the development and testing of a mobile herd management system on basis of an industrial hand computer with transponder reader. An industrial hand computer was chosen on account of the robust construction and the possibility of the of the transponder collection for the animal identification for this project. The advantages of a mobile herd management system in the comparison to the conventional data acquisition should be represented. The system was used at the fertility management of a cattle farm into Brandenburg. Because in the approach no documentation on EDP base took place in this attempt company, a direct comparison of the different kinds of the documentation guidance was to be carried out very well. In this project the advantages of a mobile herd management system were clearly shown concerning time savings, reduction by mistakes in the documentation and improved management by documentation close to animal. By the production and application of the mobile herd management system requirements could be defined which should fulfil such a system. They were summarized into a Product requirement specification

The professional ecstatic in his social and ritual position

The professional ecstatic is a religious specialist, who has become recognized as a person able to carry out an ecstatic ritual, corresponding with the local cultural expectations in force. The ecstatic ritual per se comprises a number of persons, i.e. it is a collective ritual. Part of the criteria that may be employed as a measure of the professional ecstatic's social status, is covered by the determining designation, social and cultic position. What ecstatic ritual duties does he have, and how large a part in the whole range of collective rituals within his society will his duties comprise? This question is examined through the social and ritual position among the Eskimos in their traditional, and thus relatively stable, societal cultures. The professional ecstatics among the Eskimos may be defined as shamans. However, the shamans were only part-time specialists among the Eskimos. They did have ritual tasks in the economic rituals of their society, and most of them had to pass a special ritual of initiation to obtain recognition as a shaman. The Eskimos have no juridical institutions, and as their informal leaders have no juridical authority, the shaman must exercise a considerable control of social morality. The shaman can here function simultaneously as informal leader, which is an impossible combination in societies with some degree of political organization. A shaman never became a leader due to his shaman powers in isolation. In societies where hunting demanded organized cooperation under a single man's leadership, he should also have organisatorial gifts. If a shaman, apart from his recognized shaman powers, possessed these qualities, he could attain a leader's status. His advice as a shaman, in common situations of crisis, combined with his authority as a leader, would endow him with particularly great authority

Dwelling in the metropolis : reformed urban blocks 1890-1940

The subject of this study is the reformed perimeter block in the metropolis of the early 20th century. Instead of overcoming the existing cities by Garden Cities or Siedlungen (well known in all histories of 20th century urban design), there was a broad international movement to reform them and to develop a metropolis having the advantages of a real city as well as improved conditions for housing (much less prominent in the usual history books). A central task was the arrangement of urban housing. The reformed perimeter block was seen as the appropriate model for the metropolis: an urban block, built up at its edges and thus fronting the street with an urban façade, but also delivering green spaces and light with a large planted inner courtyard. First attempts were undertaken in Berlin with the famous houses by Alfred Messel in the 1890's and in Paris with the competition of the Rothschild Foundation for a social housing block at the Rue de Prague in 1905. Soon the model spread out internationally: The Greater Berlin competition in 1910 developed several original solutions, Eliel Saarinen designed whole cities according to the new model (1910-18) and in 1917 Hendrik Petrus Berlage built his Amsterdam-South extension on this idea. Also in the 1920s and '30s the reformed urban block was a widespread and successful urbanistic means (perhaps more influental than Siedlungen with rows or skyscrapers): examples from Berlin (Gutkind), Hamburg (Schumacher), Copenhagen (Boumann, Fisker), Vienna (the Hoefe), Paris (the Boulevard Peripherique), Milan (Muzio, de Finetti) and even New York (Stein) may show the importance. The two main objectives are to deliver a valuable and successful model for sustainable housing in the metropolis today by presenting well tested examples, and to reconsider modern urban design history in the 20th century - emphasising less on avantgardist breaks than on continuous development

The Birth of Urban Design History out of the Spirit of Multidisciplinarity

Urban design history did not emerge as a strictly disciplinary project of art history. Even if the first general urban design history was published in 1920 by art historian Albert Erich Brinckmann, a disciple of Heinrich Wölfflin’s, it took at least as much inspiration from architectural theories as Camillo Sitte’s Städtebau (1889). Furthermore, the first general urban design histories had not been published as separate history books, but appeared as substantial chapters in planning literature as in Daniel Burnham’s Plan of Chicago (1909) or Rudolf Eberstadt’s Handbuch des Wohnungswesens und der Wohnungsfrage (1909). The analysis of further urban design histories not only reveals that the authors came from such different disciplines as architecture, history, art history, economics, or politics, but also dealt with a variety of disciplines and factors for interpreting the development of cities. Despite this broad multidisciplinary approach, these authors never lost their focus: to interpret the urban form