Consumentenzorgen over de intensieve veehouderij : bedreiging of kans om tussensegmenten te creëren?

De auteurs analyseren de marketing en consumentengedragsinsteek aan de hand van drie vragen: (a) waarom nu, (b) is dit een bedreiging of een kans voor de veehouderij, en (c) hoe kunnen de kansen worden benut? De conclusie is dat consumentenzorgen over intensieve veehouderij volop kansen bieden voor de sector, met name om uit de commoditysfeer te raken

Maatschappelijke acceptatie van maatregelen tegen Campylobacter in kippenvlees in Nederland

This report looks at levels of acceptance among broiler farmers, poultry slaughterhouses and consumers of eleven possible measures by which the infection of poultry meat with Campylobacter could be reduced in the Netherlands. The results of a survey showed that there is little support among broiler farmers and poultry slaughterhouses for additional measures in combating Campylobacter in the chicken meat chain. Broiler farmers and slaughterhouses are not convinced that extra measures would have a positive effect, and they fear that such measures would bring extra expense and sales problems. Consumers are generally not overly concerned with regard to Campylobacter infection

Trendbreuken in de landbouw; achtergrondrapport project VIJNO-toets van het Milieu [sic] en Natuurplanbureau t.b.v. de Vijfde Nota Ruimtelijke Ordening

Dit rapport beschrijft vier trendbreuken in de grondgebonden landbouw die zich in de komende decennia kunnen voordoen. In de eerste twee trendbreuken blijft Nederland georiënteerd op de wereldmarkt. In het eerste geval via een verregaande specialisatie op zuivel, in het tweede via een verregaande rationalisering van het productieproces leidend tot het verdwijnen van het gezinsbedrijf met eigen grond. In de twee laatste trendbreuken is de oriëntatie minder internationaal. Het ene geval beschrijft een versterkte maatschappelijke en economische positie van de landbouw onder meer ingegeven door zorg om voedselveiligheid. In het andere geval is de positie daarentegen zwak, maar door verbreding van de inkomensbasis blijft nog veel grond in agrarisch gebruik op semi-professionele basis

Organic plant breeding and propagation: concepts and strategies

The organic farming system differs fundamentally from conventionally agriculture in the management of soil fertility,weeds,diseases and pests.Organic farmers depend greatly on conventionally bred and produced varieties,but require varieties better adapted to organic farming systems for further optimisation of organic agriculture.This includes a greater need for ‘reliable ’ varieties contributing to higher yield stability. In this thesis the concept of ‘naturalness ’ as applied in organic agriculture is elaborated and used as a guide to develop concepts and strategies for organic plant breeding and propagation.It refers to ecological and ethical principles,including the non-chemical and agro-ecological approach,and also taking the integrity of life into account. Based on these approaches the organic farming system is described and a general crop ideotype is defined.In the long run organic agriculture can only gain further progress when the genetic basis is renewed and broadened,and when the selection process is conducted under organic farming conditions. For self-fertilisers the concept of (isophenic)line mixture varieties seems most promising,being composed of lines which are phenotypically uniform but genetically heterogeneous.The ability to produce healthy seed under organic conditions should also be included in the variety ideotype.Further research is needed to develop protocols for seed health testing,to assess threshold values for seed-borne diseases and to design organic seed treatments. To improve transparency in the discussions on the ethical aspects of organic agriculture concerning the assessment of the suitability of the breeding and propagation techniques,the concept of the intrinsic value and integrity of plants has been elaborated and operationalised.Therefore principles are derived from the relevant characteristics of the nature of plants at four different levels:integrity of life,planttypic integrity,genotypic integrity and phenotypic integrity.Techniques at whole plant or crop level are most in line with these principles,respecting the self-reproductive ability and the reproductive barriers.The concept of integrity of plants can also give direction to the perception of plants in the selection process by the so-called breeder ’s eye. The consequences of the ecological and ethical principles for the concepts and strategies for organic plant breeding and propagation are demonstrated for the case of spring wheat in the Netherlands,including the adaptation and application of the protocol for Value for Cultivation and Use (VCU)testing.The participation of organic farmers with their experiential knowledge and farmer ’s eye was essential in the development of the spring wheat ideotype,but can also contribute to the selection process of new varieties. The proposed organic crop ideotype and variety concept may benefit not only organic farming systems,but in future also conventional systems moving away from high inputs of nutrients and chemical pesticides