Coordination of European transnational research in organic food and farming

Research in organic food and farming is a fairly new, but rapidly ex-panding, discipline on the European research scene. One of the problems faced by the authorities seeking to initiate research programmes in organic food and farming is that the present research effort in Europe is caracterised by small research communities, which are often scattered and fragmented both geographically and institutionally. Therefore a gathering of the dispersed expertise to a critical mass in order to increase the competitive quality and relevance of the research as well as the dessemination and use of research is needed

Double Trace Interfaces

We introduce and study renormalization group interfaces between two holographic conformal theories which are related by deformation by a scalar double trace operator. At leading order in the 1/N expansion, we derive expressions for the two point correlation functions of the scalar, as well as the spectrum of operators living on the interface. We also compute the interface contribution to the sphere partition function, which in two dimensions gives the boundary g factor. Checks of our proposal include reproducing the g factor and some defect overlap coefficients of Gaiotto's RG interfaces at large N, and the two-point correlation function whenever conformal perturbation theory is valid.Comment: 59 pages, 2 figure

Final project report: EEC 2092/91 (ORGANIC) Revision

This report summarises the findings of the project that have been presented in a number of separate reports and publications. In the Chapters 2 to 5 the approach, results and conclusions of the project are summarised, following the structure of the different work packages. Chapter 2 summarises the work on ethical values of organic agriculture. Chapter 3 looks at the differences in the implementation of Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 across Europe and compares the European Regulation with international standards. Chapters 4 and 5 summarise the findings that relate to reducing the dependency on non-organic inputs in the case of feed and seed. The final Chapter 6 consolidates the recommendations of the whole project arising from the various different work packages in one place. Recommendations are aimed in particular at the second stage of the ongoing revision process of the European Regulation, the transfer of the detailed rules from the Annexes of the Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 that is expected to start after the completion of the project. Further recommendations for standard setting bodies, regulators and research recommendations are also presented. The overall objective of the project was to provide recommendations for the revision and further development of the Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 and other standards for organic agriculture, broken down into a number of specific objectives that resulted in 12 seperate reports. The basic ethical values and value differences of organic agriculture in Europe was identified through stakeholder consultation (D 2.1) and through literature as part of developing a procedure for balancing and integrating the basic values in developments of EU regulation (D 2.3). Organic standards from national and private organisations in Europe were compared with the EU regulation with help of database (www.organicrules.org) and differences were analysed to give recommendations on further harmonisation of the EU regulation (D 3.2). The knowledge on how to achieve 100 % organic rations in diets for livestock was expanded through a meta-analysis of literature and an overview of the current situation to characterise the availability of protein sources for 100% organic diets for pigs and poultry was produced (D 4.1 part 1 and 2). Criteria for use of organic inputs, evaluation criteria for Annex II C: Feed materials and Annex II D: Dietary supplements of Regulation (EEC) 2092/91 were developed (D. 4.2). A guide for operators was developed (D 4.3). The knowledge on how to reduce the use of non-organic seed and vegetative propagation materials was improved through reports on seed borne diseases in organic seed and propagation material (D 5.1), on the importance of quality characterising in organic seed and propagation material (D 5.2) and analysis of national derogation regimes (D 5.3). The project produced 12 reports, 7 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, and a project web-page at www.organic-revision.org where all reports and further documents are available. It organised 3 workshops with stakeholders and had ongoing communication with the Unit on Organic Farming in DG Agriculture responsible for the Organic Regulation. Members of the team produced in total more than 250 dissemination items

Organic Rules and Certification

Development of the database, www.organicrules.org: The database was developed by ICROFS (DARCOF) and FiBL in 2005 - 2006 for comparison of European and international standards with the EU Regulation 2092/91 in the EU FP6 project, ”EEC 2092/91 Revision” (www.organic-revision). In the EU FP7 project, Economic Analysis of Certification Systems in Organic Food and Farming, www.CERTCOST.org (2008-2011). The database has been further developed by ICROFS. The information for the database is collected by the 9 partners of the CERTCOST project, and it is edited by Lizzie Melby Jespersen, ICROFS

Instantons and Entanglement Entropy

We would like to put the area law -- believed to by obeyed by entanglement entropies in the ground state of a local field theory -- to scrutiny in the presence of non-perturbative effects. We study instanton corrections to entanglement entropy in various models whose instanton effects are well understood, including $U(1)$ gauge theory in 2+1 dimensions and false vacuum decay in $\phi^4$ theory, and we demonstrate that the area law is indeed obeyed in these models. We also perform numerical computations for toy wavefunctions mimicking the theta vacuum of the (1+1)-dimensional Schwinger model. Our results indicate that such superpositions exhibit no more violation of the area law than the logarithmic behavior of a single Fermi surface.Comment: 29 pages, 4 figures, typos corrected, substantially revised, published versio

Discourse analysis and small state ‘cyber norms’: Estonia’s views on benefits, limitations, and cooperation

Cyber norms are a topic of growing importance, but very little work has been done in relation to a small states ability to create and promote cyber norms. This thesis argues that Estonia is a traditional small state and seeks to determine how Estonia perceives its ability to create and promote cyber norms. To do this this Martha Finnemore’s theory of the cyber norm cultivation has been used. In addition, this thesis uses Alam and Chantzos theory on how the private sector contributes to the creation of norms to determine how successful Estonia has been at integrating the private sector. Five interviews were conducted with officials and experts that are knowledgeable on cyber issues, from a variety of departments in the Estonian government. Discourse analysis was used in order to analyze and determine the official the dominate view of Estonia in relation to three areas, protection of critical infrastructure, e-governance as a norm, and the free and open internet. Through discourse analysis official views on the ability of Estonia to create and promote norms in these areas was determined. In addition the benefits and limitations that Estonia faces while promoting norms and their perceived relationship with the private sector was also analyzed. This thesis finds that despite Estonia being considered a small state they perceive themselves as being fairly effective at promoting cyber norms in most of the areas. Estonia also perceives itself as facing many of the limitations that have traditionally been attributed to small states. Specifically, limited resources are perceived as limiting Estonia’s ability to promote cyber norms in most cases. The benefits that Estonia perceives itself to receive from the promotion of cyber norms is diverse and ranges from financial to the minimizing the risk of conflict by creating clarity. Like the diverse range of benefits that Estonia is perceived to receive from promoting these cyber norms, their ability to cooperate with the private sector varies from topic to topic. Some areas like the protection of critical infrastructure receive good cooperation between the private sector and Estonia, while other areas such as the promotion of a free and open internet or portrayed as having marginal cooperation and less of a need for cooperation.http://www.ester.ee/record=b4614486*es