Feeding for health and welfare

Content: Feeding of livestock in organic production systems was discussed in four different groups: beef production, dairy production, pig production and poultry production. A. Beef production The general consensus was that most of these problems require solutions on management and systems level, rather than further nutritional research. Research and development needs are described. B. Dairy production The discussion on health and welfare related problems in dairy feeding focused on many issues. Some management solutions are given. Research and development needs are demonstrated. C. Pig production Research and development needs are demonstrated. D. Poultry production Potential solutions to these problems were suggested. Research and development needs are displayed

Fluidic hydrogen detector production prototype development

A hydrogen gas sensor that can replace catalytic combustion sensors used to detect leaks in the liquid hydrogen transfer systems at Kennedy Space Center was developed. A fluidic sensor concept, based on the principle that the frequency of a fluidic oscillator is proportional to the square root of the molecular weight of its operating fluid, was utilized. To minimize sensitivity to pressure and temperature fluctuations, and to make the sensor specific for hydrogen, two oscillators are used. One oscillator operates on sample gas containing hydrogen, while the other operates on sample gas with the hydrogen converted to steam. The conversion is accomplished with a small catalytic converter. The frequency difference is taken, and the hydrogen concentration computed with a simple digital processing circuit. The output from the sensor is an analog signal proportional to hydrogen content. The sensor is shown to be accurate and insensitive to severe environmental disturbances. It is also specific for hydrogen, even with large helium concentrations in the sample gas

Household production and capitalist development in contemporary Russia

This essay reviews four recent books based on research on the development of capitalism and the position of household-based farming in post-Soviet Russia. Each of the books represents a different set of conceptual assumptions and is based on different methods of enquiry. It is argued that a problematic feature of much of the literature on this topic is that it begins from the assumption that successful capitalist development in Russian agriculture should be based on the development of small-scale family farming. This tends to obscure the variety of forms of production that have emerged so far and the range of different relationships between them

Ideotyping integrated aquaculture systems to balance soil nutrients.

Due to growing land scarcity and lack of nutrient inputs, African farmers switched from shifting cultivation to continuous cropping and extended crop area by bringing fragile lands such as river banks and hill slopes into production. This accelerated soil fertility decline caused by erosion, harvesting and insufficient nutrient replenishment. We explored the feasibility to reduce nutrient depletion by increasing nutrient utilization efficiencies, while diversifying and increasing food production through the development of integrated aquaculture – agriculture (IAA). Considering the climatic conditions prevailing in Kenyan highlands, aquaculture production scenarios were ideotyped per agro-ecological zone. These aquaculture production scenarios were integrated into existing NUTrient MONitoring (NUTMON) farm surveydata for the area. The nutrient balances and flows of the resulting IAA-systems were compared to present land use.The effects of IAA development on nutrient depletion and total food production were evaluated. With the development of IAA systems, nutrient depletion rates dropped by 23–35%, agricultural production increased by 2–26% and overall farm food production increased by 22–70%. The study demonstrates that from a bio-physical point of view, the development of IAA-systems in Africa is technically possible and could raise soil fertility and total farm production. Further studies that evaluate the economic feasibility and impacts on the livelihood of farming households are recommended

MARKET EMERGENCE AND THE RISE AND FALL OF BACKYARD HOG PRODUCTION IN CHINA

This paper first identifies an interesting pattern in farm household livestock production in many developing countries: an inverted-U shape relationship between household livestock production and the levels of economic development (or farm household income). Using backyard hog production as a case study, the paper documents the ways in which trends in market development appear to correspond with observed trends in household hog production. After providing theoretical explanation of linkage between market development and household hog production, the paper econometrically estimates the effects of market development on household hog production. The results indicate that grain and labor market development can explain a significant portion of the rise and fall in China's backyard hog sector over the past two decades.Community/Rural/Urban Development, Consumer/Household Economics,

Development of an agroforestry system for chicken production

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Because conventional production of chickens has gone further than any other animal production system towards complete control of the animal’s brief lives, development of effective silvo-poultry systems seems particularly necessary for these essentially woodland birds. The objective is to develop a production system that closely matches the physiological and behavioural needs of the animals being reared. For the example of chickens, this means trying to mimic a woodland/forest-clearing environment. By providing a wide range of trees, shrubs and herbs, it should be possible to provide shelter, nutrition and medicinal benefits for the birds. At the same time, the system needs to fulfil other functions in terms of biodiversity and community assets for the farm, together with profitable organic chicken production

Farm Family Household Production and Rural Development

Community/Rural/Urban Development, Farm Management,

The Organization of Production and Economic Development

A formalization of the Coase-Williamson-Cheung theory of the firm is used to examine the trade-off between the firm and the market as institutions for organizing production in a dynamic, general equilibrium model with increasing returns to labor specialization. The model considers the interaction of internal and external transaction costs and the gains to labor specialization in determining important aspects of the organization of production including the degree of labor specialization, the size and specialization of firms and the pattern of interfirm trade. Endogenous growth is driven by capital accumulation and the division of labor. The evolution of economic organization is characterized by increases in labor specialization, interfirm trade, firm specialization (vertical disintegration) and firm employment.development; endogenous growth; labor specialization; dynamic model; institutions; division of labor; growth; transactions costs; coordination; coordination costs; contract enforcement; organization; neoinstitutionalism; traditional economy; interpersonal exchange; theory of the firm; interpersonal exchange