Evolution not revolution of farming systemswill best feed and green the world

The challenge to properly feed a world population of 9.2 billion by 2050, that must be achieved on essentially currently cropped area, requires that food production be increased by 70%. This large increase can only be achieved by combinations of greater crop yields and more intensive cropping adapted to local conditions and availability of inputs. Farming systems are dynamic and continuously adapt to changing ecological, environmental and social conditions, while achieving greater production and resource-use efficiency by application of science and technology. This article argues that the solution to feed and green the world in 2050 is to support this evolution more strongly by providing farmers with necessary information, inputs, and recognition. There is no revolutionary alternative. Proposals to transform agriculture to low-input and organic systems would, because of low productiv- ity, exacerbate the challenge if applied in small part, and ensure failure if applied more widely. The challenge is, however, great. Irrigation, necessary to increase cropping intensity in many areas cannot be extended much more widely than at present, and it is uncertain if the current rate of crop yield increase can be maintained. Society needs greater recognition of the food-supply problem and must increase funding and support for agricultural research while it attends to issues of food waste and over consumption that can make valuable reductions to food demand from agriculture

Cadena de valor de papas nativas (Solanum andigenum sp.) en la provincia de Jauja, Per��

La Asamblea General de la ONU, a solicitud del gobierno peruano, declara en el a��o 2008 el A��o Internacional de la Papa, (AIP). Desde el a��o 2005, el gobierno peruano ha puesto en marcha estrategias en torno a la importancia de la papa, como la declaraci��n del 30 de Mayo como el D��a Nacional de la Papa. El a��o 2014 es declarado por la FAO, (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), A��o Internacional de la Agricultura Familiar, con un enfoque compartido por esta Tesis Doctoral en el apoyo a la familia campesina peruana. El gobierno peruano utiliza las cadenas de valor como una estrategia de promoci��n de desarrollo sostenible, que ha permitido contribuir a la inclusi��n social y econ��mica de productores pobres de zonas alto andinas, como las localizadas en la mancomunidad municipal del Yacus, (MMY), provincia de Jauja, departamento de Jun��n. Esta estrategia, en la que el mercado incorpora a los peque��os agricultores de las zonas altas de los Andes, (que disponen de recursos econ��micos muy bajos), en procesos productivos rentables, implica una serie de cambios a realizar, como la transformaci��n de los patrones de producci��n tradicional hacia aquellos productos o servicios que tienen demanda en el mercado, o la variaci��n de la mentalidad del agricultor peque��o hacia una concepci��n empresarial de su producci��n. (Fabi��n, 2013). Por otra parte, la sostenibilidad de las cadenas de valor depende del eslab��n m��s d��bil, lo que obliga a conocer la situaci��n de todos los eslabones para poder integrar y reforzar la cadena. Se requiere un sistema de transparencia adecuado que facilite el flujo de la informaci��n entre los distintos eslabones. (Briz et al., 2012). Adem��s, el establecimiento de la cadena de valor debe hacerse con cuidado, ya que la eficacia y supervivencia de las empresas est��n cada vez m��s ligadas a la cadena de valor a la que pertenece y a la coordinaci��n de la misma. (Briz, 2011). En esta situaci��n, adquiere importancia el estudio de la cadena de valor de la papa nativa, para una vez establecidas sus caracter��sticas, poder determinar la viabilidad o no de una cadena de valor de este producto que repercuta parte de la riqueza generada en los peque��os agricultores alto andinos, e incluso, de su extensi��n hasta Espa��a. Existen estudios sobre las papas nativas, realizadas por diferentes universidades de distintos pa��ses, e incluso, de diferentes continentes. Sin embargo, la mayor��a de los estudios se centran en la mejora de la producci��n de la papa nativa. La novedad de la investigaci��n realizada en la presente Tesis Doctoral radica en el estudio de la viabilidad de la comercializaci��n de la papa nativa, mediante el establecimiento de una cadena de valor que se inicie en la provincia de Jauja, Per��, y finalice tanto en los mercados peruanos de las regiones de Jun��n y Lima, como en Espa��a. El objetivo planteado en esta investigaci��n es la mejora de las condiciones econ��micas y sociales de las comunidades agr��colas de la provincia de Jauja en el Per��, as�� como fomentar su desarrollo tecnol��gico e industrial, mediante el fomento de la cadena de valor de la papa nativa y sus derivados. Se establecen como objetivos espec��ficos la caracterizaci��n de los eslabones de la cadena de valor de la papa nativa y sus derivados en la provincia de Jauja del Per�� y en Espa��a, de manera que se determine el valor agregado en los mismos; el fortalecimiento de las organizaciones de productores de papas nativas para la comercializaci��n de sus producciones y para el fomento de la cultura empresarial; y el desarrollo de una cadena de comercializaci��n papas nativas y sus derivados con origen en la Provincia de Jauja, Per��, y que finalice en Espa��a, con la venta al consumidor espa��ol. Para alcanzar estos objetivos la metodolog��a utilizada es la cadena de valor agroalimentaria, utilizando como herramientas de an��lisis el an��lisis DAFO de la cadena de valor de la papa nativa. Las fuentes de informaci��n primarias utilizadas proceden en parte del proyecto de cooperaci��n de UPM, ���Mejora de la cadena de valor de la patata andina como impulso al desarrollo rural. Caso de tres Comunidades Campesinas en la Provincia de Jauja del Per�����, en el que particip�� el doctorando, y en parte proceden de la bater��a de encuestas espec��ficamente dise��adas para los diferentes eslabones de la cadena de valor de la papa nativa. Las fuentes de informaci��n secundarias proceden de art��culos acad��micos publicados, de art��culos publicados por revistas especializadas del sector y de informes realizados por diferentes instituciones gubernamentales, tanto espa��olas como peruanas. Las conclusiones de la investigaci��n son las siguientes. La creaci��n de la mancomunidad del Yacus ha beneficiado a los peque��os agricultores. Estos consiguen mejores condiciones de venta y mejores precios para sus productos, lo que repercute en la mejora de sus condiciones de vida. Estas mejoras en las condiciones de venta de los productos se deben a su pertenencia a una cadena de valor de papa nativa que est�� funcionando de forma eficaz. Las empresas consideradas para constituir la cadena de valor han mostrado inter��s por formar parte de ella: los campesinos para obtener mejores precios por sus productos y unas mejores condiciones de venta; los distribuidores para asegurarse una calidad determinada de unas variedades fijas de papa nativa; la industria transformadora por disponer de un suministro de producto adecuado al derivado de papa nativa correspondiente, (hojuelas, tunta, etc.); las empresas exportadoras para tener suministro garantizado de los productos que ellos requieren en los vol��menes adecuados. Es una situaci��n ventajosa para todas las empresas participantes. A pesar de trabajar con un producto tradicional, la cadena de valor de la papa nativa presenta innovaci��n en los productos comercializados, tanto en la papa nativa fresca como en sus derivados, en los formatos de los productos, en la red de distribuci��n, en las instituciones peruanas y en el consumidor final. Se percibe una demanda de papa nativa y de sus productos derivados en aquellos pa��ses donde existen comunidades de latinoamericanos que han emigrado de sus pa��ses de origen. Espa��a est�� entre los pa��ses que han acogido a un importante n��mero de personas de origen latinoamericano. A pesar de la fuerte crisis econ��mica sufrida por Espa��a, que ha llevado consigo la vuelta a sus pa��ses de origen de parte de su comunidad latinoamericana, el tama��o de esta poblaci��n sigue siendo importante. Esta poblaci��n demanda productos originarios de sus propios pa��ses, y los consumir��an de forma frecuente si los precios son adecuados a su capacidad de consumo. El precio de venta de la papa nativa y sus derivados en Espa��a es de gran importancia. La importaci��n de estos productos desde Per�� hace que este eleve a niveles que le resta competitividad, en especial en la papa fresca. Se aconseja la b��squeda de empresas que puedan adaptar la producci��n de la papa fresca de forma local, y mantener para los derivados la exportaci��n directa a Espa��a. Las preferencias de los consumidores peruanos y espa��oles en cuanto a formatos y marcas se refieren no son coincidentes. De las encuestas realizadas, se concluye que no puede seguirse la misma estrategia de marketing en ambos pa��ses, debi��ndose diferenciar los formatos de los paquetes de la papa nativa y de sus derivados en Espa��a y en Per��, para as�� lograr llegar a los consumidores potenciales de ambos pa��ses. ABSTRACT At the request of the Peruvian government, the UN General Assembly declared the International Year of the Potato in 2008. Since 2005, the Peruvian government has implemented strategies around the importance of the potato, as the declaration of the 30th of May as the National Day of the Potato. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) has declared 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming, with an approach shared by this Ph.D. dissertation about the Peruvian peasant family. The Peruvian government uses value chains as a strategy to promote sustainable development, which has allowed to contribute to the social and economic inclusion of poor farmers in the high Andean regions as those located in the municipal commonwealth of Yacus (MMY) province of Jauja, department of Jun��n. This strategy, which incorporates small farmers in the high Andean regions, (who have very low income), to the market with profitable production processes, implies a number of changes that should take place, such as changing patterns of traditional production to those products or services that are in demand in the market, or changes in the mentality of the small farmer into a concept of production business. (Fabi��n, 2013). Moreover, the sustainability of value chains depends on the weakest link, which demands a knowledge of the status of all the links, in order to integrate and strengthen the chain. It is required an adequate transparency to facilitate the flow of information between the various actors. (Briz et al., 2012). Furthermore, the establishment of the value chain should be done carefully, since the effectiveness and the survival of the businesses are increasingly linked to the value chain where the firm is included and to its coordination. (Briz, 2011). In this situation, it becomes important to study the value chain of the native potato, once we establish its features, to be able to determine the feasibility or not of a value chain of this product, which has an impact of the generated wealth in small farms of the high Andean regions, and even the extension of this value chain to Spain. There are studies on native potatoes, made by different universities in several countries and even in more than one continent. However, most studies focus on improving the production of native potato. The originality of the research conducted in this Ph.D. dissertation is the study of the feasibility of commercialization of native potato, by the creation of a value chain that starts in the province of Jauja, Per��, and ends both in Peruvian markets in the region of Lima, and in Spain. The main goal of this research is to improve the economic and social conditions of farming communities in the province of Jauja in Per��, while promoting its technological and industrial development, by the establishment of a value chain of the native potato and derivatives. The specific objectives of the research are the characterization of the links in the value chain of the native potato and its derivatives in the province of Jauja, (Per��) and in Spain, in order to determine the added value; the strengthening of organizations of native potato producers, to commercialize their products and the promotion of enterprise culture; and the development of a chain to market native potato and its derivatives, with its origin in the province of Jauja, (Per��), and its end in Spain, with the sale to the Spanish consumer. In order to achieve these objectives, the used methodology is the agrifood value chain, using as a tool to analysis it the SWOT analysis of the value chain of the native potato. The primary sources of information used in the research come partly from UPM cooperation project, "Improving the value chain of Andean potato as a boost to rural development. Case Three Rural Communities in the Province of Jauja, (Per��)", in which the Ph.D. student was involved, and partly from the surveys, which were specifically designed for the different links of the value chain of the native potato. The secondary sources of information come from academic articles, from articles published by magazines of the industry, and from reports of several government institutions, both Spanish and Peruvian. The conclusions of the research are as follows. The creation of the commonwealth of Yacus has benefited small farmers. They get better sales conditions and better prices for their products, which results in the improvement of their living conditions. These improvements are due to a value chain of native potato which is working effectively. All the firms invited to constitute the value chain have shown interest in being part of it: the farmers to get better prices for their products and better sale conditions; the distributors to ensure a certain quality of fixed varieties of native potato, the processing industry in order to have an adequate supply of product to the corresponding derivative of native potato (chips, ���tunta���, etc.); exporting firms to have a guaranteed supply of the products that they require with the right volumes. It's a win-win situation for all participating companies. Despite being a traditional product, the value chain of the native potato presents innovation in marketed products, (both fresh native potato and its derivatives), in the formats of products, in the distribution network, in Peruvian institutions and in relation with the consumer. There is a perceived demand of native potato and its products in countries where communities of Latin Americans have settled down. Spain is among the countries that have received a significant number of people from Latin America. Despite the strong economic crisis suffered by Spain, which has lead to a return to their home countries of part of the Latin American community, the size of this population is still considerable. This population demands products from their own countries, and they frequently consume them if the prices are suitable to their standard of living. The selling price of the native potato and its derivatives in Spain is of great importance. The import of these products from Per�� makes the prices rise to levels that reduce competitiveness, especially in fresh native potatoes. It is advised to look for companies which can adapt the fresh potato production in our country, and keep direct export to Spain for the derivatives products. The preferences of Peruvian and Spanish consumers in terms of formats and brands are not the same. The surveys concluded that the same marketing strategy cannot be followed in both countries. Packet formats of native potato and its derivatives should be differentiated in Spain and Per��, in order to reach the potential consumers of both countries.

Ornaments of the earliest Upper Paleolithic: New insights from the Levant

Two sites located on the northern Levantine coast, ����a����zl�� Cave (Turkey) and Ksar 'Akil (Lebanon) have yielded numerous marine shell beads in association with early Upper Paleolithic stone tools. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates indicate ages between 39,000 and 41,000 radiocarbon years (roughly 41,000���43,000 calendar years) for the oldest ornament-bearing levels in ����a����zl�� Cave. Based on stratigraphic evidence, the earliest shell beads from Ksar 'Akil may be even older. These artifacts provide some of the earliest evidence for traditions of personal ornament manufacture by Upper Paleolithic humans in western Asia, comparable in age to similar objects from Eastern Europe and Africa. The new data show that the initial appearance of Upper Paleolithic ornament technologies was essentially simultaneous on three continents. The early appearance and proliferation of ornament technologies appears to have been contingent on variable demographic or social conditions.

Exceso de peso, aspectos econ��micos, pol��ticos y sociales en el mundo: un an��lisis ecol��gico

Se analizaron las prevalencias de exceso de peso, seg��n ��ndice de masa corporal (IMC), en adultos y su asociaci��n con algunas variables demogr��ficas, socioecon��micas e ��ndice de democracia. Se realiz�� un dise��o ecol��gico que consider�� un total de 105 pa��ses, con datos de IMC de 2000 a 2006. Las dem��s variables se obtuvieron en correspondencia con el a��o del dato de estado nutricional, o su referente m��s cercano. Se utilizaron los puntos de corte de la Organizaci��n Mundial de la Salud (OMS) para IMC. Se calcularon correlaciones de Spearman y modelos de regresi��n m��ltiple. El sobrepeso y la obesidad se correlacionaron en ambos sexos con la disponibilidad energ��tica y con el ��ndice de Desarrollo Humano (IDH) y sus variables constitutivas. En cuanto a las variables relacionadas con democracia, la correlaci��n fue inversa y m��s fuerte con el nivel ponderal de los hombres. En conclusi��n, indicadores de condiciones de vida m��s favorables en los pa��ses se asociaron de forma directa con mayores prevalencias de exceso de peso poblacional, con comportamientos diferentes en funci��n del g��nero.

Ciudad de Vacaciones 1933. El concurso internacional para Playa de San Juan (Alicante)

En 1933, por iniciativa municipal y con el apoyo del Gobierno, con la intenci��n de captar un turismo extranjero y nacional de ��lite generando una nueva ���industria���, se convoca el concurso de anteproyectos para la construcci��n de una ciudad sat��lite (a modo de ciudad jard��n) para destinarla a ciudad de vacaciones en la Playa de San Juan (cvPSJ), Alicante, al que se presentan tres propuestas. Aqu�� se estudia el anteproyecto ganador (de P. Muguruza), que resulta pionero por las t��cnicas urban��sticas empleadas (informaci��n y zonificaci��n), por la aplicaci��n de la fotograf��a para la inserci��n de arquitecturas y equipamientos y por la sensibilidad desplegada en la protecci��n del patrimonio cultural (medioambiental e hist��rico). Los referentes para este macro complejo tur��stico (de casi 10 km2), coet��neo a la Ciutat del Rep��s i Vacances (CRV) de Castelldefels, no proceden tanto de Europa como de EUA. Se realiza un an��lisis pormenorizado de la ordenaci��n urban��stica en atenci��n a c��mo el territorio existente la condiciona y se entrelaza con estrategias de promoci��n tur��stica, donde se combinan la tr��ada: hotel, deporte y naturaleza (alojamiento, ocio y salud). Pero toda la ciudad est�� enfocada a un turismo burgu��s, para el que se prev�� una arquitectura comercial que pronto envejecer��a en su repertorio. Veinticinco a��os despu��s, en 1958, cuando las condiciones econ��micas y sociales fueron favorables al desarrollo de la zona, el mundo ser��a ya otro y el proyecto qued�� obsoleto.

Assist��ncia estudantil no cen��rio da Universidade Federal do Tri��ngulo Mineiro ��� UFTM

Este artigo foi organizado por meio da disserta����o de mestrado cujo tema se concentra em �� ���Pol��ticas P��blicas Educacionais: uma an��lise sobre a Pol��tica Nacional de Assist��ncia Estudantil no contexto da Universidade Federal do Tri��ngulo Mineiro ��� UFTM���. O interesse pela tem��tica vincula-se ��s pol��ticas p��blicas educacionais tendo como objeto de estudo a sua implementa����o. O objetivo �� demonstrar as formas como se d�� a implementa����o da pol��tica de assist��ncia estudantil e seus condicionantes pol��ticos e sociais. O referencial te��rico est�� pautado na teoria social cr��tica que busca a apreens��o do processo hist��rico das rela����es sociais, repercutindo nas pol��ticas p��blicas educacionais.

Keys: Kenya youth scenarios, 2011

Kenya youth scenarios are projections of alternative pathways into the future that explore the dynamic interaction between the social, political, technological, environmental and economic forces operating within a given context (such as a nation or local communtiy). It is important to note that scenarios are not predictions of what will happen, but rather, identify what may happen.

Abandoned and forgotten: the sad story of Kenya's internally displaced persons

This documentary is about the internal displacement of ethnic minorities brought about by politically instigated post-election violence towards ethnic minorities in all eight provinces, namely, Coast, Rift Valley, Western, Eastern, North Eastern, Central Kenya, Nairobi, and Nyanza. During the years of 1991 to 1996, over 15,000 people died and almost 300,000 were displaced in the Rift Valley, Central, Nyanza and Western provinces. Before the 1997 elections, violence erupted. Again, following the disputed presidential elections in December 2007 politically and ethnically instigated displacements resulted in human rights violations against 600,000 people in 8 provinces of Kenya.

Beyond the plains [videorecording]: histoire exemplaire d'un africain ordinaire

Shows the traditional world of the Masai as it is confronted by the westernized, modern world by telling the life story of a young Masai. Dramatized scenes show his early life in a village, his school days and his present position as a university lecturer.

Give me a shilling [videorecording]: phenomenon of the street children

Pictures of the Watoto wa Lwanga project, the efforts of the Brothers of St. Charles Lwanga not only to rehabilitate Nairobi's street children, but to prevent slum children from ending up in the streets. Features life in the slums, the situation of the street children, the efforts of the social workers to involve the children's parents, the various reception centers, the vocational school, the Boy's Town Ruai Residential School, the community of the Brothers of St. Charles Lwanga as well as interviews with former street children and with various directors and benefactors of the project.