New Pathways to Industrialisation in Tanzania: Theoretical and Strategic Considerations

Summary This article discusses the relevance of flexible specialisation in a Tanzanian context. The first section of the article draws together key aspects of the new approach. The second section suggests that a distinction between flexible specialisation as a positive and normative approach is necessary, and that industrialisation should be understood as a locally embedded process. The third section adopts the positive approach and explores the relevance of flexible specialisation to the industrial development of small town Tanzania. The fourth section, which employs flexible specialisation from a normative perspective, discusses how to promote Tanzanian industrial development. The article concludes that the ongoing Structural Adjustment Programme should be supplemented with regional and district supportive industrial policies, as these are essential for small town industrial development. Résumé De nouveaux chemins vers l'industrialisation en Tanzanie: les considérations théoriques et stratégiques Le présent article discute la pertinence de la spécialisation souple dans le contexte de la Tanzanie. La première section de l'article regroupe les principaux aspects de l'approche nouvelle. La deuxième section propose qu'une différentiation s'impose entre la spécialisation souple en tant qu'approche positive et en tant qu'approche normative, et que l'industrialisation devrait être interprétée comme processus imbriqué dans la localité. La troisième section adopte une approche positive et explore la pertinence de la spécialisation souple dans le contexte du développement industriel des petites villes de la Tanzanie. La quatrième section, qui utilise la spécialisation souple dans une perspective normative, discute la possibilité de promouvoir le développement industriel en Tanzanie. La conclusion de l'auteur est que le Programme d'adjustement structurel en vigueur en Tanzanie devrait être augmenté par des politiques de soutien industriel tant au niveau régional qu'à celui des districts, étant donné que les politiques de ce genre sont essentielles pour le développement industriel des petites villes. Resumen Nuevos rumbos hacia la industrialización en Tanzania: consideraciones teoréticas y estratégicas Este artículo analiza la importancia de la especialización flexible en el contexto de Tanzania. En la primera sección se reunen algunos aspectos claves del nuevo enfoque. En la segunda sección se sugiere que es necesario establecer la diferencia entre el enfoque positivo y el normativo en la especialización flexible, y que la industrialización debe entenderse como un proceso insertado en la comunidad local. La tercera sección adopta el enfoque positivo y explora la relevancia de la especialización flexible en los pueblos pequeños de Tanzania. La cuarta sección, que emplea la especialización flexible desde una perspectiva normativa, analiza cómo promover el desarrollo industrial de Tanzania. El artículo llega a la conclusión de que el presente Programa de ajuste estructural debe ser complementado con políticas de apoyo industrial regionales y de distrito, ya que estas son esenciales para el desarrollo industrial de las ciudades

Production of the fermented foods mageu and yoghurt using isolated Lactobacillaceae species for the improvement of vaginal health

Mageu and yoghurt are investigated for their potential as probiotic delivery vehicles. Previously isolated Lactobacillaceae strains from the genital tracts of healthy South African women are tested for their ability to ferment maize meal to mageu and milk to yoghurt, both as pure cultures and supplemented with traditionally-used microorganisms: Saccharomyces cerevisiae for mageu and Streptococcus thermophilus for yoghurt. During production, fermentation was monitored by measuring pH. After fermentation, the products were analysed by measuring titratable acidity, lactic acid and ethanol concentrations, total solids content, viable cell counts, qualitative analysis and shelf-life. Four mageu samples were then analysed for their consumer acceptability by an untrained consumer panel. The data provided is linked to the thesis published on Open UCT. The data is used in specifically the Results and Discussion sections (Sections 4 and 5) for mageu and yoghurt production and analysis. The link to access the thesis is (insert link here).</p

The Role of Small Towns in Regional Development and Poverty Reduction in Ghana

Ghana, like many other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, lacks a clearly articulated urban development strategy. Urban growth has been rapid but largely uncontrolled. Ghana's adoption of a decentralization programme in 1988 focused some attention on small towns. The country's more recent adoption of the Millennium Development Goals and other specific poverty reduction strategies requires more concerted state promotion of small towns. Improved service provision and delivery through small towns is a necessary component of any successful poverty reduction or regional development strategy. Copyright (c) 2008 The Author. Journal Compilation (c) 2008 Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.