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ARE 242 Spring 2005 Course Syllabus   Gordon Rausser Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-2:00 201 Giannini Hall     Class Date Reading Assignment Tuesday January 18 Rausser, G.C. and R.E. Goodhue. "Public Policy: Its Many Analytical Dimensions," in Handbook of Agricultural Economics, B. Gardner and G. Rausser (eds.). Volume 2, Chapter 39, Elsevier North Holland, 2002.   Thursday January 20 Alston, J.M. and J.S. James. "The Incidence of Agricultural Policy," in Handbook of Agricultural Economics, B. Gardner and G. Rausser (eds.). Volume 2, Chapter 33, Elsevier North Holland, 2002.   Chambers, R.G., "The incidence of agricultural policies," Journal of Public Economics 57, (1995) 317-335.   Floyd, J.E. "The Effects of Farm Price Supports on the Returns to Land and Labor in Agriculture." Journal of Political Economy 73 (1965), p. 148-158.   Tuesday January 25 Baylis, K., G. Rausser, and L. Simon, "Agri-Environmental Program in the United States and European Union," in Agricultural Policy Reform and the WTO: Where Are We Heading?," G. Anania, M.E. Bohman, C.A. Carter, and A.F. McCalla (eds.) Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 2004.   Glebe, T.W. "Multifunctionality: How "Green" is the "European Model of Agriculture"? Environmental Economics, Resource Economics and Agricultural Policy Research Group, Discussion Paper 01-2003.   Swinbank, A. "Multifunctionality: A European Euphemism for Protection?" Presented at the FWAG Conference: Multifunctional Agriculture-A European Model, Stoneleigh, UK, November 29, 2001.   Thursday January 27 Hodge, I. "Agri-environmental Relationships and the Choice of Policy Mechanism," The World Economy, 26 (5), May, 2003, 705-725.   Blandford, D. and R.N. Boisvert, "Multifunctional Agriculture-A View from the United States," Plenary paper presented at the 90th EAAE Seminar: Multifunctional Agriculture, Policies and Markets: Understanding the Critical Linkage; Rennes, France, October 28-29, 200

Special Issue "Renewable Agriculture" Quicklinks Special Issue Editors Published Papers Special Issue Information Keywords Planned Papers A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2009) Special Issue Editor Guest Editor Dr. Stephen S. Jones Director, Northwestern Research and Extension Center, Washington State University, Mount Vernon, Washington 98273, USA E-Mail: joness@wsu.edu Published Papers Click here to see a list of 19 papers that have been published in this special issue. Special Issue Information Dear Colleagues, For centuries the perceived need for an immediate and dramatic increase in agricultural production has been a theme throughout the developed world. But only very recently, and with less urgency, has society recognized the need for the true sustainability of agricultural production. For long-term sustainability, agriculture must have the capacity for renewal. Even the most basic forms of agriculture require an input of energy, this in essence is what defines the system as agricultural. Starting with human and animal labor, energy inputs have developed into an industrial system using fertilizers, water, seed, pest control, and other products often brought in from off the farm. While these products may increase production, for the most part they are non-renewable, require vast amounts of fuel to produce and transport, are costly, and may harm the native organisms and environment. Additionally, most seed in industrial agriculture is non-renewable due to legal and genetic mechanisms that make it problematic for farmers to save and replant what they have grown on their farms. Is a renewable agriculture with a high level of productivity possible? What research is underway to test the robustness of current systems when measured against a standard of true long-term sustainability? Stephen S. Jones, Ph. D. Guest Editor   Submission Information All papers should be submitted to

Search About CSDi CSDi is firmly committed to proven, results-based solutions to end suffering and poverty. Our goal is to spread these solutions across the globe through our in-depth field guides and interactive online workshops. Work with us and become the solution. We've trained development professionals... in 103 countries who have developed course projects... impacting over 100,000 people. ~ What our students are saying: I really appreciate the time you have taken to go through correcting assignments.... I am very confident that all your labours are producing lots of learning and stimulation for your students. MATT, IRELAND Facebook Like Box Upcoming Courses ¡Cursos Nuevos en Español! May 17 - July 11 101: From the Ground Up May 17 - July 11 341: Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change May 17 - July 11 Adaptación Basado en la Comunidad-CBA May 17 - July 11 Upcoming Online Development Courses May 2011 Community Based Adaptation: 300 Hands-On Field Activities Donate CSDi, a 501c3, relies on your generous donations for our work, training individuals to be the solution in communities across the globe. News Newsletter: March Newsletter: Project Sustainability: Put the Community in Charge. Field Project of the Month: Rainwater Harvesting: Mexico City Google Translate Translate This Website Powered by Google Tradutor iLearning Experience Student Testimonials International Partnerships Learning Environment Student Field Projects Example Assignment: Kenya Student Countries, Organizations, Project Challenges HANDS-ON FIELD ACTIVITIES FOR COMMUNITY-BASED ADAPTATION Module OL 340: Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change Posted by Tim Magee CSDi is pleased to present a compilation of Community Based Adaptation Field Activities-complete with links to source materials and technical information-compiled from case studies & from projects developed by CSDi field partners & online students. We encourage you to submit activities: Onl

Donald F. Larson's Scholarly Papers Click on the title of any column to sort the table by that column. Aggregate Statistics Total Downloads 5,552 Total Citations 84 Papers (30) Authors Date Downloads  (Rank) Citations ACTIONS:    Email Selected Abstracts    Export Selected Bibliographic Info    VIEW: Selected      Original List     All Versions       All Abstracts       Legend 1.   Commodity Risk Management and Development | Show Abstract | Download | World Bank Policy Research Paper No. 1963 Working Paper Series Donald F. F. Larson World Bank Development Research Group Panos Varangis World Bank - Agriculture and Rural Development Department Nanae Yabuki United Nations - Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Posted: 07 Oct 04 1,081 (5,084) 8 2.   Dealing with Commodity Price Uncertainty | Show Abstract | Download | World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 1667 Working Paper Series Panos Varangis World Bank - Agriculture and Rural Development Department Donald F. F. Larson World Bank Development Research Group Posted: 24 Nov 04 599 (12,921) 13 3.   Uncertainty and the Price for Crude Oil Reserves | Show Abstract | Download | World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 1655 Working Paper Series Donald F. F. Larson World Bank Development Research Group Posted: 20 Oct 04 536 (15,210)   4.   Warehouse Receipts: Facilitating Credit and Commodity Markets | Show Abstract | Download | Working Paper Series Daniele Giovannucci Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA) Panos Varangis World Bank - Agriculture and Rural Development Department Donald F. F. Larson World Bank Development Research Group Posted: 15 Jan 07 375 (24,641) 1 5.   Carbon Markets, Institutions, Policies, and Research | Show Abstract | Download | World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 4761 Working Paper Series Donald F. F. Larson World Bank Development Research Group Philippe Ambrosi World Bank Ariel Dinar World Bank - Agriculture and Rura

Intellectual Property Rights And Concentration In Agricultural Biotechnology William Lesser Cornell University AgBioForum Fall98 v.1, n.2 The relationships between intellectual property rights (IPRs) and structural change are examined in this paper. Intellectual property rights are a complex, multifaceted area and one in which corporate strategies are poorly understood. Nevertheless, it is argued here that IPRs can affect firm entry, can make vertical integration in downstream industries more or less necessary, and can create financial incentives for downstream mergers and acquisitions. Hence, IPRs can have significant structural impacts. Key words: intellectual property rights; agrobiotechnology; industry structure; research and development (R&D) The later 1990s have been a tumultuous time for merger and acquisition activity among firms involved in agricultural biotechnology. By the end of the third quarter of 1998, Monsanto alone had been involved in 18 acquisitions and had itself agreed and then reneged on a merger with American Home Products. In addition, Monsanto completed overseas acquisitions worth a total of $7.3 billion over two years. Novartis was formed by the merging of Sandoz and Ciba-Geigy, while DuPont chose to enter the market through joint ventures; a total of 20 joint ventures valued at over $5 billion (Moore, 1998). These mergers have contributed greatly to a restructuring of the seed industry. Most notably, Monsanto controlled up to 40 percent of seed for the 1998 United States (U.S.) soybean crop and, if approved, full acquisition of Delta & Pine Land will give Monsanto ownership of at least 80 percent of the U.S. cotton seed industry (Kilman & Warren, 1998). This is not the only incidence of major acquisition activity, a previous one occurred about 20 years earlier. Butler and Marion (1985) list 27 mergers during the period 1978-80. The 1980 date is pivotal as it marks some strengthening amendments to the United States Plant Variety Prot

Donovan Campbell and Clinton Beckford Article: Negotiating Uncertainty: Jamaican Small Farmers' Adaptation and Coping Strategies, Before and After Hurricanes-A Case Study of Hurricane Dean Sustainability 2009, 1(4), 1366-1387; doi:10.3390/su1041366 Received: 29 October 2009 / Accepted: 10 December 2009 / Published: 16 December 2009 Show/Hide Abstract | Download PDF Full-text (1801 KB) (This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Agriculture) Philip H. Howard Article: Visualizing Consolidation in the Global Seed Industry: 1996-2008 Sustainability 2009, 1(4), 1266-1287; doi:10.3390/su1041266 Received: 28 October 2009 / Accepted: 4 December 2009 / Published: 8 December 2009 Show/Hide Abstract | Download PDF Full-text (933 KB) (This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Agriculture) Hossein Mousazadeh, Alireza Keyhani, Hossein Mobli, Ugo Bardi and Toufic El Asmar Article: Sustainability in Agricultural Mechanization: Assessment of a Combined Photovoltaic and Electric Multipurpose System for Farmers Sustainability 2009, 1(4), 1042-1068; doi:10.3390/su1041042 Received: 9 September 2009 / Accepted: 6 November 2009 / Published: 17 November 2009 Show/Hide Abstract | Download PDF Full-text (910 KB) (This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Agriculture) Madhu Subedi, Trevor J. Hocking, Michael A. Fullen, Alison R. McCrea and Eleanor Milne Article: Lessons from Participatory Evaluation of Cropping Practices in Yunnan Province, China: Overview of the Effectiveness of Technologies and Issues Related to Technology Adoption Sustainability 2009, 1(3), 628-661; doi:10.3390/su1030628 Received: 9 August 2009 / Accepted: 9 September 2009 / Published: 16 September 2009 Show/Hide Abstract | Download PDF Full-text (195 KB) (This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Agriculture) Travis A. Smith, Biing-Hwan Lin and Chung L. Huang Article: Growth and Development in the U.S. Retail Organic Food Sector Sustainability 2009, 1(3), 573-591

Tadeusz W. Patzek Article: A Probabilistic Analysis of the Switchgrass Ethanol Cycle Sustainability 2010, 2(10), 3158-3194; doi:10.3390/su2103158 Received: 24 August 2010; in revised form: 26 September 2010 / Accepted: 29 September 2010 / Published: 30 September 2010 Show/Hide Abstract | Download PDF Full-text (857 KB) (This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Agriculture) Crystal Snyder and Dean Spaner Review: The Sustainability of Organic Grain Production on the Canadian Prairies-A Review Sustainability 2010, 2(4), 1016-1034; doi:10.3390/su2041016 Received: 2 March 2010; in revised form: 29 March 2010 / Accepted: 12 April 2010 / Published: 14 April 2010 Show/Hide Abstract | Download PDF Full-text (215 KB) (This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Agriculture) Masakazu Komatsuzaki and M. Faiz Syuaib Article: Comparison of the Farming System and Carbon Sequestration between Conventional and Organic Rice Production in West Java, Indonesia Sustainability 2010, 2(3), 833-843; doi:10.3390/su2030833 Received: 1 February 2010; in revised form: 20 February 2010 / Accepted: 1 March 2010 / Published: 22 March 2010 Show/Hide Abstract | Download PDF Full-text (719 KB) (This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Agriculture) David Conner, Kathryn Colasanti, R. Brent Ross and Susan B. Smalley Article: Locally Grown Foods and Farmers Markets: Consumer Attitudes and Behaviors Sustainability 2010, 2(3), 742-756; doi:10.3390/su2030742 Received: 9 February 2010; in revised form: 4 March 2010 / Accepted: 10 March 2010 / Published: 12 March 2010 Show/Hide Abstract | Download PDF Full-text (301 KB) (This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Agriculture) Hossein Shabanali Fami, Javad Ghasemi, Rahil Malekipoor, Parinaz Rashidi, Saeede Nazari and Arezoo Mirzaee Article: Renewable Energy Use in Smallholder Farming Systems: A Case Study in Tafresh Township of Iran Sustainability 2010, 2(3), 702-716; doi:10.3390/su2030702 Received: 28

Title: Agricultural biotechnology in international development. Personal Authors: Author Affiliation: Michigan State Univ., Agricultural Biotechnology for Sustainable Productivity (ABSP), East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Editors: Ives, C. L., Bedford, B. M. Document Title: Agricultural biotechnology in international development Abstract: A conference on biotechnology for agricultural development was held in Pacific Grove, California, in 1997. Subjects included: (1) the Agricultural Biotechnology (AB) for Sustainable Productivity project, which was established in 1991; (2) addressing agricultural development in Egypt through AB; (3) the release of transgenic varieties in centres of origin; (4) current status of AB research in Indonesia; (5) AB and agricultural needs in sub-Saharan Africa; (6) the application of AB to food security crops, such as maize, potato, rice and sweet potato; (7) the application of AB to non-traditional crops, such as banana, date palm, cucurbits and oil palm; (8) AB development, transfer, adaptation and utilization; (9) considering beneficiaries and sustainability while undertaking AB research; (10) rice AB capacity building in Asia; (11) the benefits and costs of international biosafety regulations; (12) cassava biotechnology research; (13) AB capacity building in Peru; (14) the technology transfer system in Thailand; (15) the development of AB business; and (16) bioprospecting in Cost Rica. International, US and developing country issues, perspectives and experiences in developing and accessing ABs are examined. KEYWORDS: TROPAG | Oryza sativa | Zea mays | Musa | Elaeis guineensis | Ipomoea batatas | Phoenix dactylifera | biotechnology | research policies | plant breeding | genetic engineering | technology transfer | agriculture.

Natural disasters and extreme events in agriculture: impacts and mitigation M. V. K. Siva Kumar, Mannava V. K. Sivakumar, Raymond P. Motha, Haripada P. Das 0 Resenhas Springer, 2005 - 367 páginas Agricultural production is highly dependent on weather, climate and water availability and is adversely affected by the weather and climate-related disasters. Droughts and natural disasters such as floods can result in crop failures, food insecurity, famine, loss of property and life, mass migration and negative national economic growth. It may not be possible to prevent the occurrence of these natural disasters, but the resultant disastrous effects can be reduced considerably through proper planning and effective preparation. Vulnerability associated with the hazards of natural disasters can be controlled to some extent by accurate and timely prediction and by taking counter-measures to reduce their impacts on agriculture. This book based on an expert meeting held in Beijing, China should be of interest to all organizations involved in disasters reduction and mitigation of extreme events. TOC:Preface.- Impacts of Natural Disasters in Agriculture.- The Role of Disaster Preparedness in National Planning.- The Occurrence and Predictability of Extreme Events.- Accessibility of Database Information.- Tools for Forecasting or Warning.- Agrometeorological Impact Assessment.- Damage Assessment of Agrometeorological Relevance.- Impacts of Tropical Cyclones on Chinese Lowland Agriculture.- Frost and High Temperature Injury in China.- Impacts of Sand Storms/Dust Storms on Agriculture.- Disaster Reduction Planning and Response.- Agricultural Drought Policy and Practices in Australia.- Agrometeorological Disaster Risk Management in China.- Degradation of Vegetation and Agricultural Productivity.- Agricultural Drought Mitigation.- Early Detection and Monitoring of Drought and Flood in China.- The Decision of the Center of a Tropical Cyclone.- Application of Remote Sensing and GIS fo

Despite a significant growth in food production over the past half-century, one of the most important challenges facing society today is how to feed an expected population of some nine billion by the middle of the 20th century. To meet the expected demand for food without significant increases in prices, it has been estimated that we need to produce 70-100 per cent more food, in light of the growing impacts of climate change, concerns over energy security, regional dietary shifts and the Millennium Development target of halving world poverty and hunger by 2015. The goal for the agricultural sector is no longer simply to maximize productivity, but to optimize across a far more complex landscape of production, rural development, environmental, social justice and food consumption outcomes. However, there remain significant challenges to developing national and international policies that support the wide emergence of more sustainable forms of land use and efficient agricultural production. The lack of information flow between scientists, practitioners and policy makers is known to exacerbate the difficulties, despite increased emphasis upon evidence-based policy. In this paper, we seek to improve dialogue and understanding between agricultural research and policy by identifying the 100 most important questions for global agriculture. These have been compiled using a horizon-scanning approach with leading experts and representatives of major agricultural organizations worldwide. The aim is to use sound scientific evidence to inform decision making and guide policy makers in the future direction of agricultural research priorities and policy support. If addressed, we anticipate that these questions will have a significant impact on global agricultural practices worldwide, while improving the synergy between agricultural policy, practice and research. This research forms part of the UK Government's Foresight Global Food and Farming Futures project.

Agriculture has always attracted attention from governments, policy makers & planners. As a globalized industry any policy that has agriculture at its core must also be globalized. This book examines the policy & planning of agriculture, in the wake of the global crisis in capitalism, using this framework to examine the regulatory processes that intersect with agriculture while giving analytical emphasis to the capitalist accumulation process & the institutions of social regulation. Its three main obejectives are: to outline a theoretical framework & approach for analysing developmnents in capitalist agriculture in advanced industrial economices; the explore policy & planning issues & problems emanating from agriculture at the end of the twentieth century; & to review policy & planning processes & practice appropriate to the new structural conditions facing agriculture. The book concludes with an overview of policy & planning processes & addresses the political choices that are revealed as being required

COP10 Side Event: Agriculture and Biodiversity United Nations University (UNU), Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) jointly organized the side event "Agriculture and Biodiversity" at the tenth Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to draw international attention to the challenge for co-existence of agriculture and biodiversity. As much of the world's land area is now subject to increasing pressure for production of food, fiber and timber, the side event highlighted the role of agricultural diversity (agrodiversity), including agricultural heritage systems in meeting this challenge.

This detailed account of the politics of opening agricultural markets explains how the institutional context of international negotiations alters the balance of interests at the domestic level to favor trade liberalization despite opposition from powerful farm groups. Historically, agriculture stands out as a sector in which countries stubbornly defend domestic programs, and agricultural issues have been the most frequent source of trade disputes in the postwar trading system. While much protection remains, agricultural trade negotiations have resulted in substantial concessions as well as negotiation collapses.Food Fights over Free Tradeshows that the liberalization that has occurred has been due to the role of international institutions. Christina Davis examines the past thirty years of U.S. agricultural trade negotiations with Japan and Europe based on statistical analysis of an original dataset, case studies, and in-depth interviews with over one hundred negotiators and politicians. She shows how the use of issue linkage and international law in the negotiation structure transforms narrow interest group politics into a more broad-based decision process that considers the larger stakes of the negotiation. Even when U.S. threats and the spiraling budget costs of agricultural protection have failed to bring policy change, the agenda, rules, and procedures of trade negotiations have often provided the necessary leverage to open Japanese and European markets. This book represents a major contribution to understanding the negotiation process, agricultural politics, and the impact of international institutions on domestic politics. « Menos

Bacillus thuringiensis: a cornerstone of modern agriculture Matthew Metz 1 Resenha Routledge, 2003 - 242 páginas Make the right decisions when it comes to pest control in agriculture! "Bacillus thuringiensis": A Cornerstone of Modern Agriculture explores the impact that one of the most prominent biologically based pesticides has had on pest control technology--and the issues that surround its use. The book examines the development, use, and management of technologies derived from "Bacillus thuringiensis" ("Bt"), addressing the health, economic, environmental, and social concerns generated by the deployment of genetically engineered crops. Authors representing a diverse cross section of the international scientific community contribute review articles and research findings that address the use of "Bt" in microbial formulations and transgenic crops, technological advances in the genetic engineering of plants, advances in methodologies, and improved agricultural practices and productivity through the use of "Bt" cotton. "Bacillus thuringiensis": A Cornerstone of Modern Agriculture examines the vital issues surrounding this Gram-positive bacterium. Contributors from academia, government, and industry address the safety of "Bt" for human consumption, its effects on non-target organisms, the role of microbial "Bt" products in crop production in the United States, and the utility and management of transgenic plants. The book also explores: engineering "Bt" transgenic rice for insect pest protection the "Bt" potato in developing countries Bt expression in sugarcane and cauliflower a comparative analysis of "Bt" cotton in Argentina the ecological impact, gene expression, and current resistance management requirements of "Bt" cotton in the United States and much more! "Bacillus thuringiensis": A Cornerstone of Modern Agriculture is an essential resource for advanced students and technical specialists working in agriculture, biotechnology, entomology, pest management, and

Although modern agriculture has increased food production faster than population growth in recent decades, there are concerns that existing models of 'industrial agriculture' are unsustainable due to long-run trends towards increased fossil energy costs. This has led to suggestions that food production in future will need to be based on smaller-scale and more labour-intensive farming systems. This paper examines political economy arguments that large-scale capital-intensive agriculture has proved more productive. It counterposes these to ecological economics approaches that emphasize the low energy efficiency of capital-intensive mechanized agriculture. The paper argues that discussion of a 'post-industrial' agriculture remain polarized between visions of a more energy-efficient mechanized agriculture on the one hand, and labour-intensive farming by 'new peasantries', on the other. The paper identifies questions that are neglected by this debate, in particular those concerning the productivity of labour in food production and its implications for food prices and the livelihood basis of farming.

Water resource management is of paramount importance in agricultural development. Sustained socioeconomic development in countries with irrigated agriculture could be limited by water availability and deterioration in water quality. Consequently, any effort made to improve water use in irrigation practices will have a marked effect on sustainable agriculture and on conservation of soil and water resources. Problems associated with irrigated agriculture have been attributed to poor water management due to lack of knowledge of soil-plant-atmosphere relations, inadequate form of water application, hydrochemical relations triggered by irrigation, and soil's microbiological surroundings. Optimal design and selection of irrigation systems permit high efficiencies and uniform distribution of the applied water. Advanced planning and management of water is needed to ensure a sustainable agricultural process with optimal crop production, considering physical, environmental, financial, and technological restrictions. In addition, drainage techniques have also been developed, allowing removal of excess water from the soil profile. However, there is still a need to optimize water resource use and management to maintain sustainable irrigated agriculture considering water demand, water quality, economic evaluation of water, and decision support systems.

Following up on recent debates about sectoral systems of innovation and production, the paper introduces a heuristic framework for analyzing and explaining distinct patterns of technology-based sectoral change. The concept is based on two interrelated influencing factors. The first is the sectoral-specific transformative capacity of new technologies themselves, that is, their substantial or incremental impact on socioeconomic and institutional change in a given sectoral system. The second is the sectoral adaptability of socioeconomic structures, institutions, and actors confronted with the opportunities presented by new technologies. The first factor-the sectoral transformative capacity of new technologies-enables us to identify the technology-based pressure to change and adjust the structural, institutional, and organizational architectures of the sectoral system. The second, complementary factor-sectoral adaptability-helps us to discern the distinct social patterns of anticipating and adopting this technology-based pressure. The specific interplay between the two influencing factors creates distinguishable modes of sectoral transformation, ranging from anticipative and smooth adjustments to reactive and crisis-ridden patterns of change. Even processes of radical sectoral change continue over longer periods of mismatch and are characterized by numerous and mostly gradual organizational, structural and institutional transformations. Article Outline 1. Technology-based socioeconomic and institutional change: starting points 2. Sociotechnical systems and periods of mismatch 3. New technologies and their transformative capacity 3.1. Specification I: endogenous vs. exogenous technology 3.2. Specification II: low vs. high transformative capacity 4. New technologies and sectoral adaptability 4.1. Specification I: low adaptability 4.2. Specification II: high adaptability 4.2.1. High intensity of innovation and market competition 4.2.2. Transformation-supporting in

This book presents the first thorough economic analysis of current agricultural biotechnology regulation. The contributors, most of whom are agricultural economists working either in universities or NGOs, address issues such as commercial pesticides, the costs of approving new products, liability, benefits, consumer acceptance, regulation and its impacts, transgenic crops, social welfare implications, and biosafety. Richard E. Just is Distinguished University Professor and former Chair, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland at College Park. Julian M. Alston is Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California at Davis. David Zilberman is Chair, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California at Berkeley.

Learning Resources This page contains learning resources for the e-agriculture.org community.  These are courses and modules focused on e-Agriculture as a field or designed to teach participants skills relevant to areas of e-Agriculture.  If you come across other such resources, we hope you will contribute them. Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK) The Information Management Resource Kit (IMARK) is a partnership-based e-Learning initiative to train individuals and support institutions and networks world-wide in the effective management of agricultural information. IMARK consists of a suite of distance learning resources, tools and communities on information management. IMARK learning materials are being developed as a series of modules available online and on CD-ROM. The modules are being developed using the latest methods in e-learning, providing an interactive environment for self-paced learning. List of IMARK Modules ItrainOnline Multimedia Training Kit  The ItrainOnline MMTK is a growing collection of "workshop kits" for face-to-face training. The materials use a standard set of templates, and offer building blocks for trainers to build their own courses. Materials are available in English, French, Arabic, and Russian, and cover technical skills, content development skills, developing thematic content, organizational development and planning, and ICT policy, advocacy, and the digital divide. CGIAR Online Learning Resources Center From this page you can access a repository of CGIAR Centers' learning objects and other training resources, as well as Web-based training courses. You can access these sites anonymously to search and retrieve information and resources as well as enrol in courses. If you wish to contribute resources or need further information please contact the Learning Resources Team. Thank you for visiting. The Global Development Learning Network (GDLN) This is a partnership of over 120 learning centres (GDLN Affiliates) in nearly

Appropriate biotechnology in small-scale agriculture: how to reorient research and development. Personal Authors: Author Affiliation: Department of Biology and Society, Faculty of Biology, Free University, De Boelelaan, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Editors: Bunders, J. F. G., Broerse, J. E. W. Document Title: Appropriate biotechnology in small-scale agriculture: how to reorient research and development. Abstract: The first chapter (by the editors) outlines the potential of various biotechnology techniques for developing countries, and the gap between need and access to new technology. Tissue culture, improved biological nitrogen fixation, biological control and diagnostics are seen as the most applicable. Part 1 of the book (by the editors and Steen Joffe) is entitled 'Towards criteria for assessment of project proposals' and consists of the following chapters: a case study: yam tissue culture in the Caribbean; guidelines for assessment of project proposals; and practical implications. The guidelines suggested include meeting specific end-user needs, assessing economic, social, environmental and cultural impacts, having government and institutional support, technical feasibility and safety, superiority to existing options, and building indigenous research capacity. Successful projects are characterized by the vision of entrepreneurs and the opportunities that they see, a formal interdisciplinary team of intermediaries to initiate projects which involve scientists from a range of disciplines, networking and team building through informal channels, a carefully designed preparatory phase in which a rough idea is further specified, legitimized and justified, and a prestigious sponsor to give moral support to the idea. Part 2, 'An interactive bottom-up approach in agricultural research' (by the editors and Annelies Stolp), contains the followng chapters: different approaches to technology development for Third World agriculture; implementation strategies for innov