Exploring geographical dispersion in Thailand-based food supply chain (FSC)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the key influential factors and their implications on food supply chain (FSC) location decisions from a Thailand-based manufacturer's view. Design/methodology/approach: In total, 21 case studies were conducted with eight Thailand-based food manufacturers. In each case, key influential factors were observed along with their implications on upstream and downstream FSC location decisions. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and documentations. Data reduction and data display in tables were used to help data analysis of the case studies. Findings: This exploratory research found that, in the food industry, FSC geographical dispersion pattern could be determined by four factors: perishability, value density, economic-political forces, and technological forces. Technological forces were found as an enabler for FSC geographical dispersion whereas the other three factors could be both barriers and enablers. The implications of these four influential factors drive FSC towards four key patterns of FSC geographical dispersion: local supply chain (SC), supply-proximity SC, market-proximity SC, and international SC. Additionally, the strategy of the firm was found to also be an influential factor in determining FSC geographical dispersion. Research limitations/implications: Despite conducting 21 cases, the findings in this research are based on a relatively small sample, given the large size of the industry. More case evidence from a broader range of food product market and supply items, particularly ones that have significantly different patterns of FSC geographical dispersions would have been insightful. The consideration of additional influential factors such as labour movement between developing countries, currency fluctuations and labour costs, would also enrich the framework as well as improve the quality and validity of the research findings. The different strategies employed by the case companies and their implications on FSC location decisions should also be further investigated along with cases outside Thailand, to provide a more comprehensive view of FSC geographical location decisions. Practical implications: This paper provides insights how FSC is geographically located in both supply-side and demand-side from a manufacturing firm's view. The findings can also provide SC managers and researchers a better understanding of their FSCs. Originality/value: This research bridges the existing gap in the literature, explaining the geographical dispersion of SC particularly in the food industry where the characteristics are very specific, by exploring the internationalization ability of Thailand-based FSC and generalizing the key influential factors - perishability (lead time), value density, economic-political forces, market opportunities, and technological advancements. Four key patterns of FSC internationalization emerged from the case studies. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Biology, ecology and the fishery of Mukene, Rastrineobola argentea

Food and feeding, condition factor, breeding periods, growth and size at first maturity of a small pelagic cyprinid Rastrineobola argentea (P.) in Lake Victoria are determined. Fishing gears and methods that have been used in the exploitation of the species and could be harmful to the fishery are outlined. Management measures leading to possible sustainable exploitation of the fishery are suggested. Adult R. argentea feed on zooplankton during daytime. Juveniles feed on planktonic early instars of lakefly larvae. Although the species breeds throughout the year, two breeding peaks were observed during the drier months of August and December January. Least breeding was observed in the rainy months of April-May and October November. Fishes from the open water station at Bugaia showed higher numbers of breeding individuals than those from inshore areas. The mean monthly condition factor of fish from Napoleon Gulf confirmed breeding peaks as obtained from the number of fish with ripe gonads. The species showed a mean instantaneous growth rate (K) of 1.75 and attains length infinity (Lx) of 54mm. Females of the species in these waters show a reduced size at maturity as compared to ten years ago when exploitation of the species was at minimal levels. The males have however not changed much.

Trophic interrelationships and food-webs among the fishes in ecosystems of the Victoria and Kyoga lake basin

The Victoria and Kyoga lake basins had a high fish species diversity with many fish species that were found only in these lakes. Two Tilapiines species Oreochromis esculentus and Oreochromis variabilis were the most important commercial species in these lakes and were found nowhere else on earth except in the Victoria and Kyoga lake basins (Graham 1929, Worthington 1929). Lakes Kyoga and Nabugabo also had endemic haplochromine species (Worthington 1929, Trewavas 1933, Greenwood 1965, 1966). As stocks of introduced species increased, stocks of most of the native species declined rapidly or disappeared altogether. The study was carried out on Lakes Victoria and Kyoga, River Nile, some selected satellite lakes from the two basins namely Lakes Mburo, Kachera, Wamala, Kayanja, Kayugi, Nabugabo, Victoria, Victoria nile and River Sio(Victoria lake basin). Lakes Kyoga (Iyingo), Nawampasa, Nakuwa, Gigati, Nyaguo, Agu, Kawi and Lemwa (Kyoga lake basin). Species composillon and relative abundance of fishes were estimated by detennining the overall average total number of each species encountered. A trophic consists of species using the same food category. Shannon-Weaver Index of diversity H (Pielou, 1969) and number of trophic groups, were used to estimate the Trophic diversity of various fish species in the lakes. Food analysis has been done on some fishes in some of the sampled lakes and is still going on, on remaining fishes and in some lakes. Generally fish ingested detritus, Spirulina, Melosira, filamentous algae, Planktolyngbya, Microcysists, Anabaena, Merismopedia, Spirogyra, higher plant material, rotifers, Ostracodes, Chironomid larvae and pupae, Choaborus larvae, Odonata, Povilla, Insect remains, Caridina, fish eggs and fish. Eight trophic groups were identified from thes food items ingestes. These included detritivores, algae eaters, higher plant eaters, zooplanktivores, insectivores, molluscivores, prawn eaters, paedophages and piscivores. Trophic diversity by number of trophic groups was highest in Lake Kyoga (6) followed by lakes Kayugi, Nabugabo, River Nile and Mburo (3) and the lowest number was recorded in kachera (2).

Towards food sovereignty

In the context of the SSF Guidelines, the need now is to progressively work towards achieving food sovereignty for the small-scale fishing communities and fishworkers.

Market opportunity identification for minor crops for food security through value chain studies

The brochure is to contribute to the overall goal of stimulating the adaptation of pro-poor agri-food systems innovations to improve food security and sustainable natural resource management among rural poor farmers. The paper seeks to identify and exploit opportunities for expanding market access for minor crops and NRM products. The minor crops studied included cow pea, sorghum, groundnut, sweet potato and yam.

Futures of inland aquatic agricultural systems and implications for fish agri-food systems in southern Africa

The CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) is collaborating with partners to develop and implement a foresight-based engagement with diverse stakeholders linked to aquatic agricultural systems. The program’s aim is to understand the implications of current drivers of change for fish agri-food systems, and consequently food and nutrition security, in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Partners include the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AU-NEPAD). A key part of the program was a participatory scenario-building workshop held in July 2015 under the theme of "futures of aquatic agricultural systems and implications for fish agri-food systems in southern Africa." The objectives for the workshop were (i) to engage local stakeholders in exploring plausible futures of aquatic agricultural systems, and (ii) to broker and catalyze collaborative plans of action based on the foresight analysis. This report presents technical findings from the workshop. The CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems (AAS) is collaborating with partners to develop and implement a foresight-based engagement with diverse stakeholders linked to aquatic agricultural systems. The program’s aim is to understand the implications of current drivers of change for fish agri-food systems, and consequently food and nutrition security, in Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Partners include the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR), the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AU-NEPAD). A key part of the program was a participatory scenario-building workshop held in July 2015 under the theme of "futures of aquatic agricultural systems and implications for fish agri-food systems in southern Africa." The objectives for the workshop were (i) to engage local stakeholders in exploring plausible futures of aquatic agricultural systems, and (ii) to broker and catalyze collaborative plans of action based on the foresight analysis. This report presents technical findings from the workshop.

The potential of community fish refuges (CFRs) in rice field agro-ecosystems for improving food and nutrition security in the Tonle Sap region

The fisheries sector in Cambodia contributes 8%–12% to national GDP and 25% - 30% to agricultural GDP, with an estimated 4.5 million people involved in fishing and associated trades. Fish and other aquatic animals are important food sources, contributing an estimated national average of 60% - 70% of total animal protein intake. Of the 2013 total fish production, 550,000 metric tons were harvested from freshwater habitats, of which rice field fisheries and small-scale family fisheries contributed approximately 20%. The productivity and value of rice field fisheries to households in rural Cambodia has been highlighted in a number of previous studies. The Fisheries Administration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries plans to increase productivity from rice field fisheries and aquaculture at an annual rate of 15% to maintain supply for a growing population. This report draws mainly on the baseline and monitoring data from the Rice Field Fisheries Enhancement Project (RFFEP) during its implementation between 2012 and 2014. Reference is also made to the Fish on Farms project to highlight the relative contribution of fish from small-scale aquaculture compared to wild-caught fish.

Building more sustainable solutions in production-consumption systems: the case of food for people with reduced access

In new product development, the ability to integrate different dimensions of sustainability at a value chain level is still a complex, problematic goal. As product-service approaches are increasingly enabling the introduction of more sustainable paths, this paper describes the authors' experience thus far when building insights into conditions for the implementation of integrated solutions in a process of co-development and testing in real life conditions, which are driven by a social need focusing on food for people with reduced access. Throughout this process, which brought together producers, consumers and other stakeholders to design and test industrialised, sustainable solutions, empirical evidence demonstrates feasibility and usefulness of the approach and insight into the conditions for implementing interactive, comprehensive multi-stakeholder processes in real life situations. In addition, results show that the delivery of innovative solutions enabled to offer social added value, economic profits and environmental improvements under specific experimental conditions. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOPAMINE D-1 RECEPTOR MECHANISMS IN THE COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE OF YOUNG-ADULT AND AGED MONKEYS

Dopamine (DA) D-1 receptor compounds were examined in monkeys for effects on the working memory functions of the prefrontal cortex and on the fine motor abilities of the primary motor cortex. The D-1 antagonist, SCH23390, the partial D-1 agonist, SKF38393, and the full D-1 agonist, dihydrexidine, were characterized in young control monkeys, and in aged monkeys with naturally occurring catecholamine depletion. In addition, SKF38393 was tested in young monkeys experimentally depleted of catecholamines with chronic reserpine treatment. Injections of SCH23390 significantly impaired the memory performance of young control monkeys, but did not impair aged monkeys with presumed catecholamine depletion. Conversely, the partial agonist, SKF38393, improved the depleted monkeys (aged or reserpine-treated) but did not improve young control animals. The full agonist, dihydrexidine, did improve memory performance in young control monkeys, as well as in a subset of aged monkeys. Consistent with D, receptor mechanisms, agonist-induced improvements were blocked by SCH23390. Drug effects on memory performance occurred independently of effects on fine motor performance. These results underscore the importance of DA D-1 mechanisms in cognitive function, and provide functional evidence of DA system degeneration in aged monkeys. Finally, high doses of D-1 agonists impaired memory performance in aged monkeys, suggesting that excessive D-1 stimulation may be deleterious to cognitive function.

Intergroup interactions in Tibetan macaques at Mt. Emei, China

Data on intergroup-interactions (I-I) were collected in 5 seasonally provisioned groups (A, B, D, D-1, and E) of Tibetan macaques (Macaca Thibetana) at Mt. Emei in three 70-day periods between 1991 April-June (P1), September-November (P2), December-1992 February (P3). The I-I were categorized as forewarning made by high-ranking males (including Branch Shaking and/or Loud Calls), long-distance interactions in space (specified by changes in their foraging movements), and close encounters (with Affinitive Behavior, Male's Herding Female, Sexual Interaction, Severe Conflict, Adult Male-male Conflict, Opportunistic Advance and Retreat, etc. performed by different age-sex classes). From periods Fl to P3, the I-I rate decreased with reduction in population density as a positive correlate of food clumpedness or the number of potential feeders along a pedestrian trail. On the other hand, from the birth season (BS, represented by P1 and P3) to the mating season (MS, represented by P2) the dominance relation between groups, which produced a winner and a loser in the encounters, became obscure; the proportion of close encounters in the I-I increased; the asymmetry (local groups over intruders) of forewarning signals disappeared; the rate of branch shaking decreased; and sometimes intergroup cohesion appeared. Considering that sexual interactions also occurred between the encountering groups, above changes in intergroup behaviors may be explained with a model of the way in which the competition for food (exclusion) and the sexual attractiveness between opposite sexes were in a dynamic equilibrium among the groups, with the former outweighing the latter in the BS, and conversely in the MS. Females made 93% of severe conflicts, which occurred in 18% of close encounters. Groups fissioned in the recent past shared the same home range, and showed the highest hostility to each other by females. In conspicuous contrast with females' great interest in intergroup food/range competition, adult male-male conflicts that were normally without body contact occurred in 66% bf close encounters; high-ranking male herding of females, which is typical in baboons, appeared in 83% of close encounters, and showed no changes with season and sexual weight-dimorphism; peripheral juvenile and subadult males were the main performers of the affinitive behaviors, opportunistic advance and retreat, and guarding at the border. In brief, all males appeared to "sit on the fence" at the border, likely holding out hope of gaining the favor of females both within and outside the group. Thus, females and males attempted to maximize reproductive values in different ways, just as expected by Darwin-Trivers' theory of sexual selection. In addition, group fission was observed in the largest and highest-ranking group for two times (both in the MS) when its size increased to a certain level, and the mother group kept their dominant position in size and rank among the groups that might encounter, suggesting that fission takes a way of discarding the "superfluous part" in order to balance the cost of competition for food and mates within a group, and the benefit of cooperation to access the resources for animals in the mother group. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Responses to seasonal changes in nutrient quality and patchiness of food in a multigroup community of Tibetan macaques at Mt. Emei

Provisioning along pedestrian trails by tourists much increased the nutrient quality and patchiness of food (NqPF)for Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) at Mt Emei in spring and summer. In the habitat at a temperate-subtropical transition zone, the mncaque's NqPF could be ordered in a decreasing rank from spring summer to autumn to winter With the aid of a radio-tracking system, I collected ranging data on a multigroup community in three 70-day periods representing the different seasons in 1991-92, Rank-order correlation on the data show that with the decline of NqPF; the groups tended to increase days away from the trail, their effective range size (ERS) their exclusive area (EA) and the number of days spent in the EA, and reduced their group/community density and the ratio of the overlapped range to the seasonal range (ROR). In icy/snowy winter; the macaques searched for mature leaves slowly and carefully in the largest seasonal range with a considerable portion that was nor used in other seasons. Of the responses, the ROR decreased with the reduction in group/community density; and the ERS was the function of both group size (+) and intergroup rank (-) when favorite food was highly clumped. All above responses were clearly bound to maximize foraging effectiveness and minimize energy expenditure, and their integration in term of changes in time and space leads to better understanding macaque ecological adaptability. Based on this study and previous work on behavioral and physiological factors, I suggest a unifying theory of intergroup interactions. Ir! addition, as the rate of behavioral interactions,was also related to the group density, I Waser's (1976) gas model probably applies to behavioral, as well as spatial, data on intergroup interactions.