Horizontal nutrient fluxes and production efficiencies in urban and peri-urban crop and livestock husbandry of Niamey, Niger

Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) increasingly supplies food and non-food values to the rapidly growing West African cities. However, little is known about the resource use efficiencies in West African small-scale UPA crop and livestock production systems, and about the benefits that urban producers and retailers obtain from the cultivation and sale of UPA products. To contribute to filling this gap of knowledge, the studies comprising this doctoral thesis determined nutrient use efficiencies in representative urban crop and livestock production system in Niamey, Niger, and investigated potential health risks for consumers. Also assessed was the economic efficiency of urban farming activities. The field study, which was conducted during November 2005 to January 2008, quantified management-related horizontal nutrient flows in 10 vegetable gardens, 9 millet fields and 13 cattle and small ruminant production units. These farms, selected on the basis of a preceding study, represented the diversity of UPA crop and livestock production systems in Niamey. Based on the management intensity, the market orientation and especially the nutrient input to individual gardens and fields, these were categorized as high or low input systems. In the livestock study, high and low input cattle and small ruminant units were differentiated based on the amounts of total feed dry matter offered daily to the animals at the homestead. Additionally, economic returns to gardeners and market retailers cultivating and selling amaranth, lettuce, cabbage and tomato - four highly appreciated vegetables in Niamey were determined during a 6-months survey in forty gardens and five markets. For vegetable gardens and millet fields, significant differences in partial horizontal nutrient balances were determined for both management intensities. Per hectare, average annual partial balances for carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) amounted to 9936 kg C, 1133 kg N, 223 kg P and 312 kg K in high input vegetable gardens as opposed to 9580 kg C, 290 kg N, 125 kg P and 351 kg K in low input gardens. These surpluses were mainly explained by heavy use of mineral fertilizers and animal manure to which irrigation with nutrient rich wastewater added. In high input millet fields, annual surpluses of 259 kg C ha-1, 126 kg N ha-1, 20 kg P ha-1 and 0.4 kg K ha-1 were determined. Surpluses of 12 kg C ha-1, 17 kg N ha-1, and deficits of -3 kg P ha-1 and -3 kg K ha-1 were determined for low input millet fields. Here, carbon and nutrient inputs predominantly originated from livestock manure application through corralling of sheep, goats and cattle. In the livestock enterprises, N, P and K supplied by forages offered at the farm exceeded the animals’ requirements for maintenance and growth in high and low input sheep/goat as well as cattle units. The highest average growth rate determined in high input sheep/goat units was 104 g d-1 during the cool dry season, while a maximum average gain of 70 g d-1 was determined for low input sheep/goat units during the hot dry season. In low as well as in high input cattle units, animals lost weight during the hot dry season, and gained weight during the cool dry season. In all livestock units, conversion efficiencies for feeds offered at the homestead were rather poor, ranging from 13 to 42 kg dry matter (DM) per kg live weight gain (LWG) in cattle and from 16 to 43 kg DM kg-1 LWG in sheep/goats, pointing to a substantial waste of feeds and nutrients. The economic assessment of the production of four high value vegetables pointed to a low efficiency of N and P use in amaranth and lettuce production, causing low economic returns for these crops compared to tomato and cabbage to which inexpensive animal manure was applied. The net profit of market retailers depended on the type of vegetable marketed. In addition it depended on marketplace for amaranth and lettuce, and on season and marketplace for cabbage and tomato. Analysis of faecal pathogens in lettuce irrigated with river water and fertilized with animal manure indicated a substantial contamination by Salmonella spp. with 7.2 x 104 colony forming units (CFU) per 25 g of produce fresh matter, while counts of Escherichia coli averaged 3.9 x 104 CFU g-1. In lettuce irrigated with wastewater, Salmonella counts averaged 9.8 x 104 CFU 25 g-1 and E. coli counts were 0.6 x 104 CFU g-1; these values exceeded the tolerable contamination levels in vegetables of 10 CFU g-1 for E. coli and of 0 CFU 25 g-1 for Salmonella. Taken together, the results of this study indicate that Niamey’s UPA enterprises put environmental safety at risk since excess inputs of N, P and K to crop and livestock production units favour N volatilisation and groundwater pollution by nutrient leaching. However, more detailed studies are needed to corroborate these indications. Farmers’ revenues could be significantly increased if nutrient use efficiency in the different production (sub)systems was improved by better matching nutrient supply through fertilizers and feeds with the actual nutrient demands of plants and animals.

Assessment of the strategies of organic fruit production and fruit drying in Uganda

Organic agriculture in Uganda is developing at a fast pace and despite this trend Uganda is still unable to produce enough fresh and dry organic fruits mainly pineapple to meet the exporters demand. This current research investigated the strategies of farmers at production level by assessing the pros and cons of fruit growing, organic agriculture and fruit drying in order to understand the underlying causal factor for the low production of organic dry fruits in a major fruit producing district of Uganda. The study was carried out in two separate and distinctive areas; one which only produces and export fresh organic pineapple and the other which exports dried fruits (mainly pineapple and papaya). About 10% of the farmers in the two study areas were surveyed using questionnaires which were further followed by semi-structured interviews and participatory rural appraisals activities with various types of farmers in order to understand the different decisions and strategies of farmers. 82% and 74% of farmers in the two study areas grew fruits as it gave better economic returns and for 77% and 90% respectively in the two study areas, the reasons for growing fruit was the ease of selling compared to other crops. All the farmers were relying on coffee husk for growing organic pineapples. However, 50% of the farmers want to grow pineapples (either organic or conventional) but couldn't afford to buy coffee husk. Fruit drying was mainly a strategy to utilize cheap fruits during harvesting seasons for value addition. 71% and 42% of farmers in the two study areas wanted to dry fruits but it was beyond their economic capacity to buy the driers. Decision of the farmers whether to grow fruits or cereals, organic or conventional agriculture and selling the fruits as fresh or dry were dependent mainly on the economic, knowledge and resource availability of each type of practices. It is concluded that the main barrier for an increase in the production of organic dried fruits is at the processing level, and the limited capacity for investments in drying facilities.

A Study of a Comprehensive Career Services System in Chinese Universities

Since 1999, with the adoption of expansion policy in higher education by the Chinese government, enrollment and graduate numbers have been increasing at an unprecedented speed. Accustomed to a system in which university graduates were placed, many students are not trained in “selling themselves”, which exacerbates the situation leading to a skyrocketing unemployment rate among new graduates. The idea of emphasizing career services comes with increasing employment pressure among university graduates in recent years. The 1998 “Higher Education Act” made it a legislative requirement. Thereafter, the Ministry of Education issued a series of documents in order to promote the development of career services. All higher education institutions are required to set up special career service centers and to set a ratio of 1:500 between career staff and the total number of students. Related career management courses, especially career planning classes, are required to be clearly included as specific modules into the teaching plan with a requirement of no less than 38 sessions in one semester at all universities. Developing career services in higher education has thus become a hot issue. One of the more notable trends in higher education in recent years has been the transformation of university career service centers from merely being the coordinators of on-campus placement into full service centers for international career development. The traditional core of career services in higher education had been built around guidance, information and placements (Watts, 1997). This core was still in place, but the role of higher education career services has changed considerably in recent years and the nature of each part is being transformed (Watts, 1997). Most services are undertaking a range of additional activities, and the career guidance issue is emphasized much more than before. Career management courses, especially career planning classes, are given special focus in developing career services in the Chinese case. This links career services clearly and directly with the course provision function. In China, most career service centers are engaging in the transformation period from a “management-oriented” organization to a “service-oriented” organization. Besides guidance services, information services and placement activities, there is a need to blend them together with the new additional teaching function, which follows the general trend as regulated by the government. The role of career services has been expanding and this has brought more challenges to its development in Chinese higher education. Chinese universities still remain in the period of exploration and establishment in developing their own career services. In the face of the new situation, it is very important and meaningful to explore and establish a comprehensive career services system to address student needs in the universities. A key part in developing this system is the introduction of career courses and delivering related career management skills to the students. So there is the need to restructure the career service sectors within the Chinese universities in general. The career service centers will operate as a hub and function as a spoke in the wheel of this model system, providing support and information to staff located in individual teaching departments who are responsible for the delivery of career education, information, advice and guidance. The career service centers will also provide training and career planning classes. The purpose of establishing a comprehensive career services system is to provide a strong base for student career development. The students can prepare themselves well in psychology, ideology and ability before employment with the assistance of effective career services. To conclude, according to the different characteristics and needs of students, there will be appropriate services and guidance in different stages and different ways. In other words, related career services and career guidance activities would be started for newly enrolled freshmen and continue throughout their whole university process. For the operation of a comprehensive services system, there is a need for strong support by the government in the form of macro-control and policy guarantee, but support by the government in the form of macro-control and policy guarantee, but also a need for close cooperation with the academic administration and faculties to be actively involved in career planning and employment programs. As an integral function within the universities, career services must develop and maintain productive relationships with relevant campus offices and key stakeholders both within the universities and externally.

Smallholder pig production systems along a periurban-rural gradient in the Western provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), pigs are raised almost exclusively by smallholders either in periurban areas of major cities such as Kinshasa or in rural villages. Unfortunately, little information is available regarding pig production in the Western part of the DRC, wherefore a survey was carried out to characterize and compare 319 pig production systems in their management and feeding strategies, along a periurban - rural gradient inWestern provinces of the DRC. Pig breeding was the main source of income (43%) and half of respondents were active in mixed pig and crop production, mainly vegetable garden. Depending on the location, smallholders owned on average 18 pigs, including four sows. Piglet mortality rate varied from 9.5 to 21.8% while average weaned age ranged between 2.2 and 2.8 months. The major causes of mortality reported by the farmers were African swine fever 98 %, swine erysipelas (60 %), erysipelas trypanosomiasis (31 %), swine worm infection (17 %), and diarrhoea (12 %). The majority of the pigs were reared in pens without free roaming and fed essentially with locally available by-products and forage plants whose nature varied according with the location of the farm. The pig production systems depended on the local environment; particularly in terms of workforces, herd structure and characteristics, production parameters, pig building materials, selling price and in feed resources. It can be concluded that an improvement of Congolese pig production systems should consider (1) a reduction of inbreeding, (2) an improvement in biosafety to reduce the incidence of African swine fever and the spread of other diseases, and (3) an improvement in feeding practices.

Responsabilitat social i ambiental d’empreses multinacionals tèxtils: observatori ambiental

El treball tracta d’ explicar quines són les conseqüències sobre la societat i el medi ambient dels països que reben els processos productius de les empreses tèxtils deslocalitzades. El treball es divideix en: una part teòrica, on es fa un breu recorregut per la història del tèxtil i una relació entre medi ambient -indústria tèxtil i multinacionals tèxtils-societat. I en una part pràctica, on s’ analitzen les deu empreses amb major índex de vendes de roba a Espanya i també es comfigura un índex d’ ètica d’ empresa en termes socials i ambientals. Aquest treball pretén ser una eina per a futurs treballs d’ educació per al consum, per tal que els consumidors puguin escollir uns o altres productes, tenint en compte variables que vagin més enllà del renom de la marca, el preu o els colors atraients dels envasos que els contenen

Plan de Exportación Carnexport

La empresa Carnexport en busca de llegar a nuevos mercados con producto de mayor valor agregado, participó del programa del CIDEM, Maloka y Alcaldía Mayor de Bogota para realizar su plan exportador. Con el apoyo del equipo directivo de la empresa el proceso de consultaría da como resultado la exportación de sus productos a tres mercados posibles, para cada uno de ellos se realizó un estudio de mercados y elaboración de estrategias para la introducción de los mismos, soportado en dos estudios de costos y logísticos que permitieron definir el precio de venta y costos promedios de transporte para determinar si el precio de venta del producto es competitivo y logre la utilidad esperada por la empresa. También se realizó un presupuesto para poder dar inicio al plan exportador que está estructurado por mercados para conocer la inversión inicial y la manera para apalancar financieramente la propuesta

Generación de un modelo de gestión al sector papero de Cundinamarca

La papa juega un rol significativo en el sistema global de alimentación. Es una fuente importante de empleo e ingresos en las áreas rurales. En Colombia, es la principal actividad agrícola de las zonas andinas desarrollada por cerca de 90.000 familias. Se caracteriza por el uso intensivo de fertilizantes y plaguicidas, alta demanda de mano de obra rural no calificada, y por ser un cultivo disperso, aislado, de pequeños productores con limitado acceso a la tecnología. En el modelo de gestión para el sector papero en Cundinamarca se dividió en dos procesos principales de los cuales se desprenden en preparación de la tierra, negociación y adquisición de la semilla, cultivación de la semilla, inspección y control del cultivo, cosecha, almacenamiento, transporte, venta a intermediarios y finalmente colocación del producto en los canales de distribución.

Aplicación y desarrollo modelo de internacionalización : Jushi Design Limitada

El estudio de caso a desarrollar va a comprender la viabilidad de exportación de una empresa Colombiana llamada Jushi Design Limitada, la cual lleva 35 años en el mercado Colombiano con un gran reconocimiento en sus clientes y en el mercado mismo. Los casos de internacionalización de las empresa son hoy en día muy bien visto y de gran ejecución en las empresas colombianas debido al entorno en cual estamos viviendo, después de la apertura económica en el país las empresas se han puesto en la tarea de abrir sus mercados a otros países, como de igual manera importar productos de otros países, generando un comercio mucho más libre, sin fronteras u obstáculos. La globalización ha generado el intercambio de muchos productos ayudando al desarrollo de los países. Hoy en día el consumidor tiene la oportunidad de poder encontrar gran variedad de un solo producto en el mercado teniendo la posibilidad de elegir a sus necesidades la mejor opción. La ropa de moda femenina es un artículo en el cual las mujeres están muy al tanto de lo que sale y se comercializa sin olvidar las últimas tendencias y prendas que están a la moda. Es por esto que una empresa como Jushi Design Limitada con mucho tiempo en el mercado nacional está interesada en el desarrollo del plan exportador, así mismo el estar posesionado en las principales ciudades del país colombiano es de gran ayuda para el desarrollo de los objetivos planteados ya que se a preocupado por expandirse en el territorio nacional con sus prendas de últimas tendencias y gustos en las mujeres. No solo se realizara un estudio de viabilidad de exportación hacia la empresa Jushi Design Limitada si no también se buscara fortalezas y debilidades de la organización con el fin de poder contribuirle de alguna forma a la empresa sus problemas en los cuales frecuentan internamente y externamente. De esta forma entenderán cual es la salida a las diferentes debilidades que frecuentan dado el caso que las tengan. Es importante dar entender que por más que una empresa este en las mejores condiciones y posicionamiento en el mercado hay ciertas variables de las cuales toda empresa depende para el gran éxito y perdurabilidad en el tiempo, como lo son los aspectos políticos, sociales, económicos culturales entre otros. Todos estos son de gran fundamento para la consecución de los objetivos, buscar un país que cumpla con todas estas expectativas es muy importante para poder conseguir los objetivos planteados. Sin embargo nos basaremos en el aspecto comercial de Colombia frente al otro país ya que en este caso sería el primordial para encontrar el país indicado a realizar el estudio. Se realizara el diagnostico e investigación de mercados, con el fin de determinar tanto la situación de la empresa como la viabilidad en la que se encuentra, para la obtención del planteamiento del problema. Se buscara penetrar otros mercados con las diferentes colecciones que Jushi Design Limitada obtiene en el ano, de esta forma mostrara las últimas tendencias de la moda femeninas y sus diferentes y nuevos diseños en el mercado exterior. Las colecciones estarán fundamentas de acuerdo a la ocasión, clima y gusto de la persona, teniendo en cuenta aspectos como clima, moda, y ocasión en el cual este último está fundamentado mediante la época o momento en el cual está viviendo el cliente siendo en este caso la mujer.

Análisis de las relaciones comerciales entre China y Colombia en el sector textil desde la perspectiva de las estrategias diplomáticas. Periodo 2003-2008

Esta monografía pretende examinar la relación existente entre el comercio bilateral Colombo-Chino en el sector textil y las estrategias diplomáticas establecidas por cada uno de estos países respecto al otro entre los años 2003 a 2008. En especifico se analiza de que manera dichas estrategias definen o han definido el rumbo del comercio binacional en este sector.

Factores comportamentales hacia la fotoprotección

Introducción: la fotoprotección constituye las actividades preventivas que minimizan los efectos deletéreos de la exposición solar; estos comportamientos de salud pueden estar relacionados con actitudes y conocimientos adquiridos. Objetivo: Identificar estas asociaciones en Estudiantes de Medicina de la Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud de la Universidad del Rosario, quienes se encargarán de transmitir educación y ejemplo de comportamiento en su contexto personal y profesional. Metodología: estudio de corte transversal. Se implementó una encuesta voluntaria por correo institucional y físicamente entre estudiantes de 1-8 semestre matriculados en el segundo semestre de 2009; n= 122 estudiantes, la mayoría menores de 20 años y de género femenino; factores de estudio analizados: biológico – demográficos, informador, actitudes, conocimientos, personas modelo y comportamiento, expresados en frecuencias, analizados con pruebas y fuerzas de asociación con intervalo de confianza del 95%. Resultados: factores asociados a fotoprotección: ser de 1-4 semestre (p=0,008), ser =19 años (p=0,028), reconocer como consecuencias las alteraciones en los ojos y la visión (p=0,043) y las alteraciones producidas en el sistema inmune (p=0,021), uso de la pareja de ropa protectora (p=0,019), permanencia de un amigo a la sombra (p=0,055), conocimiento de la posibilidad de quemadura independiente al clima (p=0,001) y conocimiento de la posibilidad de quemadura sin sentir los rayos calientes del sol (p=0,049). Conclusiones: es posible reforzar comportamientos preventivos, favorecer el seguimiento de modelos positivos afines a los jóvenes, incrementar el conocimiento en salud y afirmar la educación primaria en salud desde la Medicina General y mejorar así la fotoprotección.

Aprovechamiento de canales alternativos de venta : PREPYS

PREPYS es un plan de empresa cuyo objetivo es el aprovechamiento de los dispensadores receptores de monedas como canal alternativo de venta. El presente documento estructura variables a tener en cuenta en la creación de una organización, cubriendo cada uno de sus áreas y estrategias.

Diseño del plan exportador para la empresa Creaciones J&D

Creaciones J&D es una empresa de confecciones creada en al año 2001 por su actual gerente general, gracias a la información suministrada por el gerente se lleva a cabo el desarrollo del Plan Exportador de la empresa en donde se tomo en cuenta una serie de variables para identificar el segmento de mercado y tipo de cliente al que se va a exportar. Por medio del uso de una serie de variables analizadas en el desarrollo del proceso para el inicio de una actividad de exportación ayudamos a esta PYME a facilitar su proceso de internacionalización a mediano plazo, dependiendo de la experiencia y resultados en el mercado objetivo a largo plazo será probable vender los productos comercialmente por medio de marca y prestigio. De esta forma hemos desarrollado este trabajo teniendo en cuenta estos factores, para poder lograr las metas de exportación, la empresa debe generar un plan de trabajo para que en tres años se encuentre exportando y por ello se plantea actividades a realizar para continuar explorando los mercados que hacen parte de la CAN. La recomendación es concentrarse en la ventaja competitiva del diseño y calidad del producto, en cuanto a su capacidad productiva, es poder garantizar los tiempos de entrega usando empresas satélites y demás medios que maximicen utilidades y optimicen tiempo, para tener una capacidad de respuesta a la altura de los mercados internacionales.

Redes y conexiones : estrategia, complejidad y colaboración como clave para un ambiente de crecimiento en las pymes del sector de confecciones

La idea principal de este trabajo es tener un acercamiento de la realidad de tres empresas del sector de confecciones de Bogotá, para posteriormente visualizar como podrían generar una nueva forma de trabajo que les permita no solo perdurar en el tiempo sino ser más competitivos; proponiendo así la conformación de una red empresarial. Inicialmente se hace un análisis de la situación actual de cada una de las empresas, evaluándola internamente y en relación a su entorno, identificando los factores relevantes que ayudan a la organización a perdurar y ser competitivos en su entorno. Tras haber realizado el diagnostico de las empresas, este será contrastado con un análisis hipotético de cómo funcionaria la red propuesta si los tres empresarios decidieran participar. De este modo, se evidenciará las ventajas que genera el trabajo cooperativo entre las organizaciones, para aumentar el grado de competitividad, gracias al incremento en la capacidad operativa y calidad de los productos entre otros.

It will be succesful to have a commercial relation between France and Colombia focus on the milk sector ?

Globalization has led to a drastic change on the international trade, this has caused that many countries such as France and Colombia find new business partners. This is the raison because I develop the investigation about How these countries can be integrated commercially in the dairy sector? Colombia and France had active trade relations for more than 8 years, but this has been declining for several factors. In the case of France, it has found that Germany is an excellent producer of raw milk, which can supply domestic demand and can export large quantities with a low price to European countries because of its proximity. For this reason, Colombia is a country that can not compete with Germany directly in raw milk, but I concluded that Colombia could become a major competitor with organic milk. This is the result of a research of the way they raise and feed the cows in the two countries, Colombia is generally on open country and Germany is on cow housing. In Colombia, the country found that Venezuela could offer many benefits in the processing of raw milk, and other processes that require high technology. But today Colombia has had several disputes with Venezuela and many Colombian companies are affected in this sector. Additionally, France is one of the largest producers and distributors of processed milk and its derivatives; it launches annually many manufactured products with high technology. At this point, Colombia can take out the best advantage because it can create an strategic alliance with French companies to bring most innovative and processed products such as cheese and yoghurts. The theoretical framework of this thesis consists on the analysis of competitiveness, because it is relevant to see if these two countries are competitive or if one has the comparative advantage over the other. The related authors are: Michael Porter, Adam Smith and David Ricardo. To complete the theoretical part, we found that France has a comparative advantage over Colombia in this sector thanks to its high technology, and Colombia is not currently competitive in the area of raw milk because the milk price is higher and the distance is a barrier, and it has no technology. But this research indicates that Colombia could become a competitive country selling organic milk.

How ikea should enter in the colombian market

IKEA es una de las empresas más grandes en el mundo que produce y comercializa productos para el hogar, sin embargo, todavía no tiene una filial en Colombia. Por esta razón, este trabajo de investigación se dedicará a evaluar no solo los factores generales que influenciarán la apertura de una tienda IKEA en Colombia, sino también los factores internos.