Agricultural Productivity: Measurement and Sources of Growth addresses measurement issues and techniques in agricultural productivity analysis, applying those techniques to recently published data sets for American agriculture. The data sets are used to estimate and explain state level productivity and efficiency differences, and to test different approaches to productivity measurement. The rise in agricultural productivity is the single most important source of economic growth in the U.S. farm sector, and the rate of productivity growth is estimated to be higher in agriculture than in the non-farm sector. It is important to understand productivity sources and to measure its growth properly, including the effects of environmental externalities.

Both the methods and the data can be accessed by economists at the state level to conduct analyses for their own states. In a sense, although not explicitly, the book provides a guide to using the productivity data available on the website of the U.S. Department of Agriculture/Economic Research Service. It should be of interest to a broad spectrum of professionals in academia, the government, and the private sector.

The agricultural and rural crisis besetting Africa is the result of both policy failures and inadequacies and the product of structural rigidities inhibiting access to and control of vital resources. The challenge of leadership in the agricultural sector is how to design and implement policies which would help induce growth and development in this sector. It is against this background that the Africa Leadership Forum convened in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria in July of 1989 to explore a broad range of parameters to be addressed in the formulation of successful policies. This volume is derived from papers submitted and presentations made. The book provides the main conclusions and recommendations which emanated from the conference. They highlight a series of actions which must be taken in such areas as women in agriculture, small-scale farmers, agribusiness, subsidies, human capital, and linkages between international and national research anbd energy. Other topics include - Africa's security situation; social and economic factors, ecology, and social engineering; dietary patterns in Africa; pest management; agricultural practice; and international organizations. It is aimed at economists, anthropologists, ecologists, agriculturalists, social and political scientists, and all those interested or involved in agricultural production in Africa and other underdeveloped countries.

Written by world experts in astacology, this book covers a range of aspects of the biology and ecology of freshwater crayfish. With a strong focus on wild crayfish, the book studies the taxonomy and genetics of this interesting group of animals. Under examination also are crayfish growth and reproduction, with detailed illustrations; behavior and chemical ecology of crayfish; diseases of crayfish; holistic understanding of drivers for crayfish population success; and methods for the control of non-native crayfish.

There are many introductions to the animal ethics literature. There aren't many introductions to the practice of doing animal ethics. Bob Fischer's Animal Ethics: A Contemporary Introduction fills that gap, offering an accessible model of how animal ethics can be done today. The book takes up classic issues, such as the ethics of eating meat and experimenting on animals, but tackles them in an empirically informed and nuanced way. It also covers a range of relatively neglected issues in animal ethics, such as the possibility of insect sentience and the ethics of dealing with pests. Finally, the book doesn't assess every current practice using standard ethical theories, but tries to evaluate some of them using the moral frameworks endorsed by those involved. So, for instance, there is a chapter on the way that animal care and use committees try to justify some of the educational uses of animals, and the chapter on zoos considers the way that international zoological societies justify compromising animal welfare. The book wraps up with a discussion of the future of animal ethics. Each chapter opens with a helpful initial overview of the chapter and ends with a list of suggested readings to help students go further on their own. Key Features Covers animal ethics from an empirically informed perspective, bringing philosophy into conversation with key issues in animal science, conservation biology, economics, ethology, and legal studies, among other fields Provides ample coverage of the most salient current topics, including, for example: Debates about which animals are sentient The suffering of wild animals Research ethics The boundaries of activism Avoids suggesting that animal ethics is simply the practice of applying the right general theory to a problem, instead allowing readers to first work out the specific costs and benefits of making ethical decisions Impresses upon the reader the need for her to work out for herself the best way forward with difficult ethical issues, suggesting that progress can indeed be made Includes summaries and recommended readings at the end of each chapter

The creation of large new tracts of forest, together with the development of a modern wood processing sector, was the single biggest transformation to occur in the Scottish countryside during the twentieth century. While the environmental and landscape impacts of this change have been much commented upon, its impact on Scottish culture and society has attracted comparatively little attention. This book tells the fascinating story of the human side of forestry, drawing heavily on the thoughts, experiences and reflections of a wide range of individuals from all levels and all sectors of the industry as it has developed in Scotland over the last 100 years. The book also analyses the evolution of forestry policy and the changing roles of both the state-run Forestry Commission and the private sector. However, at its core are the stories of the men, women and children who have lived and worked in the many communities where old and new forests have loomed large - communities where, especially in the middle decades of the twentieth century, forestry was often the largest source of employment and income, and without which many of these places would have struggled to survive.

Since 1993 a major research programme, "Stochastic Decision Analysis in Forest Management" has been running at Department of Economics and Natural Resources, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University (KVL), Copenhagen, in collaboration with Institute of Mathematical Statistics, University of Copenhagen (KU). The research is funded by the two Universities; The Danish Agricultural and Veterinary Research Council; The Danish Research Academy; The National Forest and Nature Agency; and Danish Informatics Network in the Agricultural Sciepces (DINA). A first international workshop in the research programme was held 5 - 8 August, 1996 at Eldrupgaard, Denmark, within the frameworkofacollaborationagreementbetween University of California at Berkeley (UCB) and the Danish Universities, and funded by The Danish Research Academy and the L0venholm Foundation. Having participated in the workshop, Professor Peter Berck (UCB) suggested that the papers be published along with selected papers in the same scientific field, i.e. mainly cointegration analysis of time series in forestry. The editors express their sincere appreciations to the many persons who have contributed to the realisation of the present book: participants in the research programme and the workshop, in particular Professors S0ren Johansen (KU) and Peter Berck (UCB); authors outside the programme/workshop; reviewers of the papers not previously published, in particuler Associate Professors Niels Haldrup (Aarhus University) and Henrik Hansen (KVL); and finally Mrs Mette Riis and Lizzie Rohde who did the tedious work of giving the papers a uniform style. Copenhagen, October 1998.

Social, economic, political, business, and cultural environmental factors affect the international marketing operation and performance of international firms. This highly insightful volume focuses on four of the most significant forces with which companies must deal on an international level--macro international marketing issues, sociopolitical international marketing issues, international marketing strategies, and special international marketing topics. Within this framework, experts examine the impact of two major environmental factors, namely the social and political conditions, on international companies to adopt corresponding marketing techniques and practices in different international markets. They also explore how specific details of a country, such as income level, cultural attributes, consumer characteristics, laws, and politics, influence the market potential of international firms and thus the scale of the company operations. Indispensable reading for scholars, economists, and business people who are interested in marketing on a global scale.

European agriculture is on the brink of a financial and ecological crisis. The European Community, individual governments, and the industry itself have precipitated this crisis. Controversy follows controversy -- in the areas of pollution, use of chemicals, land degradation, and overproduction. "The Diversion of Land" assesses the conservation challenge at the end of a long period of agricultural expansion. The book draws on the experience of continental Europe and North America to contextualize a case study analysis of the U.K. Incorporating new research and a new methodology for the targeting of land diversion, the emphasis throughout is on the agricultural adjustment process. This process, the authors argue, must be informed not only by an ecological awareness, but also by the anticipation of economic and social change.

This book is the culmination of 45 years of research in fisheries economics by Dr Pontecorvo, and 25 years of similar work by Dr Shrank. The authors are prominent and respected academics in their discipline and have published many papers in relevant journals including Marine Policy. They have also carried out research on behalf of NGOs such as the FAO and the Canadian and US government (see Attachment 1 for author CVs).
The potential audience for this book is very broad, though the main audience will be academics working in the area of natural resource management especially fisheries, economics, business & management, environmental policy, conservation and development. In addition, those working in fisheries management for government bodies, and NGOs such as the International Institute for Fisheries and Trade, the European Association of Fishery Economists, the FAO and the UN, will be interested in this book.

The book presents expert assessments of modern opportunities for fisheries and aquaculture in terms of economic efficiency, the state of fishery reservoirs, and the state of ichthyocenoses. The purpose of this book is to provide interested parties (government bodies, representatives of business, science and civil society) with information about modern solutions in the field of aquatic biological resources management, the state of aquatic ecosystems and fish stocks, and modern and promising technologies in aquaculture and fisheries. The book contains an assessment of the state and recommendations for the restoration of natural aquatic ecosystems, an analysis of the state of fisheries and aquaculture in inland waters, taking into account regional characteristics, the development of a methodology for assessing freshwater fish stocks, information on advanced technologies in cage aquaculture in reservoirs and lakes and in circulation systems, data on opportunities for capacity building in small-scale fisheries, and the prospects for establishing a data and information management system for fisheries and aquaculture.

This wise, eloquent volume distils the essence of Dr. Jerry Lewis' rich 25-year background in the teaching of psychotherapeutic skills to residents and other professionals - skills that are central to the core identity of the psychiatrist.

The poignant rise and fall of an idealistic immigrant who, as CEO of a major conglomerate, tried to change the way America did business before he himself was swallowed up by corporate corruption. At 8 a.m. on February 3, 1975, Eli Black leapt to his death from the 44th floor of Manhattan's Pan Am building. The immigrant-turned-CEO of United Brands-formerly United Fruit, now Chiquita-Black seemed an embodiment of the American dream. United Brands was transformed under his leadership-from the "octopus," a nickname that captured the corrupt power the company had held over Latin American governments, to "the most socially conscious company in the hemisphere," according to a well-placed commentator. How did it all go wrong? Eli and the Octopus traces the rise and fall of an enigmatic business leader and his influence on the nascent project of corporate social responsibility. Born Menashe Elihu Blachowitz in Lublin, Poland, Black arrived in New York at the age of three and became a rabbi before entering the business world. Driven by the moral tenets of his faith, he charted a new course in industries known for poor treatment of workers, partnering with labor leaders like Cesar Chavez to improve conditions. But risky investments, economic recession, and a costly wave of natural disasters led Black away from the path of reform and toward corrupt backroom dealing. Now, two decades after Google's embrace of "Don't be evil" as its unofficial motto, debates about "ethical capitalism" are more heated than ever. Matt Garcia presents an unvarnished portrait of Black's complicated legacy. Exploring the limits of corporate social responsibility on American life, Eli and the Octopus offers pointed lessons for those who hope to do good while doing business.

This set of proceedings volumes provides a broad coverage of basic and applied research projects dealing with the application of engineering principles to both food production and processing. The set consists of the following four volumes: Land and water use, Agricultural buildings, Agricultural mechanisation and Power, processing and systems. Includes about 450 papers from over 50 countries worldwide, drawn from the Eleventh International Congress on Agricultural Engineering, Dublin, 4-8 September 1989.

This book Understanding Pore Space through Log Measurements deals with porosity, insight on pore shape connectedness, grain size, grain aspect ratio, permeability etc. Most of the published literature is focused on permeability from log measurements and log analytic techniques for porosity and fluid saturation determination. On the other hand, this book aims at looking at porosity distribution, pore shape, and pore connectedness using log measurements and thus bringing pore space into focus. A compilation of available knowledge from this perspective will lead the reader to better understanding of reservoir characterization takeaways, which exploration and exploitation managers and workers will be looking for.

The book analyses agricultural economics and food policy in New Zealand, where farming produce has been by far the main export commodity. Farming exports' importance, together with the need to diversify exports away from a former colonial relationship with the UK, makes liberalising agricultural trade a major concern for New Zealand. Farmers, themselves, have influenced, significantly, policy development and implementation through their organisation, Federated Farmers. After World War II farmers at first encouraged Government financial support for farming and by the 1980s farming was highly subsidised. Farmers recognised in the 1980s that New Zealand's economic problems demanded reduced Government intervention and accepted ending farming subsidies. New Zealand then encouraged, globally, 'farming without subsidies'. New Zealand projected an image of environmental cleanliness and greenness in support of its exporting but into the 21st century wrestled to maintain that image because farming impacted on water quality and climate change emissions.

Facing new challenges with respect to sustainable agriculture and rural development strategies for low-income countries, related to global environmental change and globalization of markets, an interdisciplinary Wageningen University and Research Centre group set out to draw lessons from the DLO-IC projects of the last eight years. In discussing the way ahead and a future agenda, a number of major research challenges, as well as policy questions are outlined.

Women are contributing to disciplines once the sole domain of men. Field biology has been no different. The history of women field biologists, embedded in a history largely made and recorded by men, has never been written. Compilations of biographies have been assembled, but the narrative-their story-has never been told. In part, this is because many expressed their passion for nature as writers, artists, collectors, and educators during eras when women were excluded from the male-centric world of natural history and science. The history of women field biologists is intertwined with men's changing views of female intellect and with increasing educational opportunities available to women. Given the preponderance of today's professional female ecologists, animal behaviorists, systematists, conservation biologists, wildlife biologists, restoration ecologists, and natural historians, it is time to tell this story-the challenges and hardships they faced and still face, and the prominent role they have played and increasingly play in understanding our natural world. For a broader perspective, we profile selected European women field biologists, but our primary focus is the journey of women field biologists in North America. Each woman highlighted here followed a unique path. For some, personal wealth facilitated their work; some worked alongside their husbands. Many served as invisible assistants to men, receiving little or no recognition. Others were mavericks who carried out pioneering studies and whose published works are still read and valued today. All served as inspiration and proved to the women who would follow that women are as capable as men at studying nature in nature. Their legacy lives on today. The 75 female field biologists interviewed for this book are further testament that women have the intellect, stamina, and passion for fieldwork.

With the world's largest population and second largest economy, China plays an important role in global food production and consumption. This book by a distinguished group of authors presents an updated analysis of food consumption in China. The material covered is informative and comprehensive. All food-related traders, researchers and analysts would benefit from reading this book.' - Yanrui Wu, The University of Western AustraliaRecent decades have seen China's domestic consumption in sectors such as food, housing, health care, education and travel greatly increase. This important book assesses China's current food consumption trends and the outlook for its future needs of such a crucial commodity. Key features of the book include: - A systematic examination of the key elements shaping food consumption, with particular attention to factors peculiar to China; - An evaluation of changes in food consumption between rural and urban residents, the rich and poor, and consumers of different regions and identification of the key drivers behind such changes; - A comprehensive coverage of all major food items including foodgrains, meats and other animal products, fruits and vegetables, alcoholic drinks, and aquacultural products; and - A projection for China s food import needs by 2020. This book will be of great relevance to anyone who is interested in the dynamics of Chinese food consumption, such as commodity traders, leaders of agri-food industries, food trade officials, and food market researchers. It will also prove a valuable reference for undergraduate and postgraduate students majoring in food marketing and trade, general food and agricultural economics and scholars studying food consumption issues. Contents: Preface 1. Introduction 2. Past Studies on China's Food Consumption 3. Recent Trends in China s Food Consumption 4. Food Consumption Dynamics: Key Drivers and Future Trends 5. Outlook for China s Food Consumption and Import Needs 6. Further Discussion 7. Conclusions and Implications References Appendixes Appendix A. Food Balance Sheets Appendix B. Income Elasticity Estimates Appendix C. Projections on China s Food Production and Consumption by 2022 Appendix D. Sown Area, Yield, Crop Output and Output of Animal Products Index

The agricultural sector's perceived importance in the international development circle waned dramatically after the 1980s, and investments in rural development and agricultural research and development declined sharply. This volume reasserts the role of agricultural and rural development in the economic development debate. By revisiting the evolution of ideas, paradigms and empirical evidence, and by drawing on Asian experiences, the book intends to set a reinvigorated agenda on agricultural and rural development both for research and policy discussions in the coming decades. Written by internationally acknowledged research scholars, this book is helpful to a wide range of audience, including researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and students interested in rural development in Asia and its future evolutions.

This book presents a collection of articles concerning key topics which examine the impacts of climate change and variability on agriculture. The application region is the southeastern United States. The main topics include an investigation of the effect of variations in the spatial scale of climate change scenarios on an agricultural integrated assessment, methods of simulating adaptations of climate change, and the relationship between large scale climate variability and local climate and vegetation. This book will be very useful for researchers and policy makers involved in climate change impacts.

A text for the student & the professional.

Experts from inside and outside the USAID program evaluate the effectiveness of governmental intervention aimed at ensuring adequate agricultural production and food security in Third-World nations. They consider in depth the question of how best to assure food security with the least amount of investment of scarce resources, looking in particular at the results of the $1 billion annual expenditure on Third-World agriculture by the USAID program.

On 16 August 2012, the South African police shot dead thirty-four men and injured hundreds more, bringing to an end a week-long strike at the Lonmin platinum mine in Marikana. None of the murdered people posed a threat to any police officer. Existing studies of this nation-shaping and internationally significant event have often overlooked the experiences and perspectives of the striking miners themselves. Now, for the first time, the men’s lives – and deaths – are put at the centre of the story.

Placing the strike in the context of South Africa’s long history of racial and economic exclusion, explaining how the miners came to be in Marikana, how their lives were ordinarily lived and the substance of their complaints, Julian Brown shows how the strike developed from an initial gathering into a mass movement of more than 3,000 workers. Drawing on interviews with strikers and their families, he tells the stories of those who embarked on the strike, those who were killed, and the attempts of the families of the deceased to identify and bury their dead.

Brown also provides a comprehensive review of the subsequent Commission of Inquiry and points to the politics of solidarity with the Marikana miners that have emerged since.

Mechanisms and Deployment of Resistance in Trees to Insects is a worldwide synthesis of tree resistance to insects. The contributions are by senior scientists and represent all the major forested regions of the world. The book constitutes a comprehensive treatment of the state of our knowledge on patterns of resistance by insect guilds and how this knowledge can be deployed to achieve the management of damaging forest insects. This book will serve as an essential reference book for all researchers and practitioners attempting to manage forest pests using genetic resistance.