INNOVATION IN AGRIBUSINESS

Carbon Footprint May Deepen Latin AmericaTrade Vulnerability The emerging role of the carbon footprint as a tool for climate change mitigation for developed countries in line with their international commitments is increasing in importance, but its possible consequences for trade in Latin America are a long way from being fully understood and resolved.  The carbon footprint refers to the amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2) emitted during the life-cycle of a product along the supply chain, and sometimes including end-of-life recovery and disposal. Overall, the region lacks consensus on the benefits of the carbon footprint, with some concerned about the possible hindrance to trade, while others see it as an opportunity. Since Latin America and the Caribbean has an export matrix heavily dependent on environmentally sensitive products, and thus would be affected by measures taken that discriminate products based on their carbon footprint, Latin American countries are concerned that the "carbon content" of goods may result in "protectionism". This is especially worrisome, since developing countries are hardly responsible for the vast majority of historical carbon emissions and emit far less per capita than developed nations. In addition, LAC has a wide range of products that are destined for the markets currently discussed in carbon footprint laws. For example, of Argentina's total global exports in 2008, 1,8 % correspond to vehicles to France, and of Brazil's total global exports in 2009, 0.6% correspond to coffee exports to Germany. These types of products are already included in the carbon footprint product families proposed by France and coffee in the products considered in Germany. Therefore, countries could incur increased cost or suffer from decreased international demand if their products are considered higher in carbon intensity at comparable prices. Other vulnerable sectors identified from the LAC region include textiles, salmon, frozen foods and flowers. Carbon

Maril Hazlett, "Voices from the Spring: SilentSpring and the Ecological Turn in American Health," in Seeing NatureThrough Gender (2003). I used it in a Freshman seminar on the historyof pollution and the students seemed to find it useful as it showedhow industrial interests tried to discredit her findings in all sortsof bizarre ways.

Technology and society: building our sociotechnical future Deborah G. Johnson, Jameson M. Wetmore 0 Resenhas MIT Press, 2008 - 623 páginas Technological change does not happen in a vacuum; decisions about which technologies to develop, fund, market, and use engage ideas about values as well as calculations of costs and benefits. This anthology focuses on the interconnections of technology, society, and values. It offers writings by authorities as varied as Freeman Dyson, Lawrence Lessig, Bruno Latour, and Judy Wajcman that will introduce readers to recent thinking about technology and provide them with conceptual tools, a theoretical framework, and knowledge to help understand how technology shapes society and how society shapes technology. It offers readers a new perspective on such current issues as globalization, the balance between security and privacy, environmental justice, and poverty in the developing world. The careful ordering of the selections and the editors' introductions give Technology and Society a coherence and flow that is unusual in anthologies. The book is suitable for use in undergraduate courses in STS and in such other disciplines as engineering, sociology, and anthropology. The selections begin with predictions of the future that range from forecasts of technological utopia to cautionary tales. These are followed by writings that explore the complexity of sociotechnical systems, presenting a picture of how technology and society work in step, shaping and being shaped by one another. Finally, the book goes back to considerations of the future, discussing twenty-first-century challenges that include nanotechnology, the role of citizens in technological decisions, and the technologies of human enhancement. « Menos

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.

Sudamérica en la mira de inversionistas agrícolas Published: 12 November 2010 Posted in: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay Comments [0] Print Email thisDigg it!Facebook Gestión, 11-11-2010 Brasil, Uruguay, Paraguay y Argentina se presentan como los mercados más atractivos para el sector. Las tierras en Brasil y Argentina están entre los activos más preciados en el nuevo mercado global de terrenos agrícolas que surgió de la mano con el alza en los precios de materias primas. En una foro de inversión agrícola, administradores de capital privado y de fondos nombraron a Sudamérica como el principal lugar para comprar, arrendar y administrar tierras agrícolas con fines de lucro. "El mercado sudamericano está en auge en este momento", manifestó Mark Zenuk, director general del fondo NGP Global Adaptation Partners , de 3,000 millones de dólares. Black River Asset Management, parte de la gigante agricultora estadounidense Cargill [CARG.UL ], controla 50,000 hectáreas de tierra productiva en la región y está buscando más oportunidades de acuerdos de producción agrícola y alimentaria. "Es una propuesta a escala, sin duda", dijo Rich Hammill, director general de Black River , que maneja unos 6,000 millones de dólares en activos a nivel mundial. Carlos Aguiar, director del Macquarie Crop Fund, indicó en la conferencia que hay un mercado activo en la compra y venta de tierras brasileñas. "Hay una escasez de alimentos y una escasez de tierras y Brasil es uno de los poco lugares donde es posible una expansión drástica y existe una estructura tecnología establecida para ello", dijo. IMPUESTOS A LA EXPORTACIÓN Sudamérica representa el 59% de las exportaciones globales de oleaginosas, el 11% de las de granos y el 37% de las de carne, dijo Gonzalo Fernandez Castro de Lumix Capital , que invierte en agricultura en Brasil, Paraguay, Argentina y Paraguay. Con los precios de las materias primas en máximos de muchos años, la compra

THE GLOBAL CRISIS: RETHINKING ECONOMY AND SOCIETY December 3-5 2010 Part of 3CT's Economy and Society Series * Friday, December 3, 2010 * 8:45-9:30 Breakfast & Introductory Remarks * 9:30-12:30Panel No. 1: Understanding the Crisis Historically * Chair: William Sewell * David Harvey * Duncan Foley * Beverly Silver * Immanuel Wallerstein * Discussant: Moishe Postone * 12:30-1:30 Lunch * 1:30-4:00 Panel No. 2: The Crisis and the Global South * Chair: Lisa Wedeen * Vivek Chibber * Ho-fung Hung * Claudio Lomnitz * Achille Mbembe * Discussant: John Comaroff * Saturday, December 4, 2010 * 9:00-9:30 Breakfast & Introductory Remarks * 9:30-11:45 Panel No. 3: The Financialization of Economic Life * Chair: Paul Cheney * James Galbraith * Benjamin Lee/Edward LiPuma * Greta Krippner * Discussant: Gary Herrigel * 11:45-12:45 Lunch * 12:45-3:00 Panel No. 4: Neo-liberalism as Ideology and as Policy * Chair: Jean Comaroff * Neil Brenner/Jamie Peck/Nik Theodore * Peter Evans/Bill Sewell * Saskia Sassen * Discussant: James Sparrow * 3:00-3:15 Coffee Break * 3:15-5:30 Panel No. 5: Unsettled Practices: Work and Expert Knowledge * Chair: TBA * Michael Hardt * Richard Sennett * Kaushik Sunder Rajan * Discussant: Andreas Glaeser * Sunday, December 5, 2010 * 10:00-12:30 Roundtable: Paths to the Future This conference has been co-sponsored by the Franke Institute for the Humanities, the Norman Wait Harris Fund, the History Department, the Anthropology Department, the Nicholson Center, the Social Sciences Division and the Political Science Department. For further information, please contact Anwen Tormey (amtormey@uchicago.edu)

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.

Freedom to Innovate: Biotechnology in Africa's Development Report of the High-Level African Panel on Modern Biotechnology Report, African Union and New Partnership for Africa's Development August 2007 Authors: Calestous Juma, Professor of the Practice of International Development; Director, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project; Principal Investigator, Agricultural Innovation in Africa, Ismail Serageldin Belfer Center Programs or Projects: Science, Technology, and Globalization; Science, Technology, and Public Policy; Agricultural Innovation in Africa   This report is about the role of biotechnology in the transformation of African economies. The implications of its recommendations, however, need to be seen beyond the confines of biological innovations. They address critical issues related to Africa's place in a globalizing economy. Undertaken at the request of heads of state and government this report demonstrates what is needed to build the required capacity to harness and apply biotechnologies to improve agricultural productivity, public health, industrial development, economic competitiveness, and environmental sustainability (including biodiversity conservation) in Africa. It also shows that the measures needed to address biotechnology will strengthen Africa's capacity to adapt other technologies to economic development. In fact, previous inabilities to build capacity in fields such as information technology hamper the continent's efforts in biotechnology. This report has placed these systemic considerations in the context of the role of innovation in economic transformation. It challenges Africa's heads of state and government to take seriously the importance of a coordinated approach in promoting technological innovation in development. African governments have recognized the importance of regional cooperation to address possibilities and the range of issues associated with biotechnology. Within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa's De

The Gene Revolution: GM Crops and Unequal Development Book, Earthscan December 2006 Editor: Sakiko Fukuda-Parr, Former Research Fellow, Science, Technology, and Globalization Project/Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program, 2005-2006 Ordering Information for this publication Belfer Center Programs or Projects: Science, Technology, and Globalization; Science, Technology, and Public Policy   OVERVIEW The high-yield selective breeding of "the Green Revolution" of the 1960s and '70s is now being overtaken by "the Gene Revolution" - the development and spread of GM crops across the world. With over 90 million hectares already under cultivation and 60 countries conducting research, GM is reviled by some as a vast Pandora's Box and corporate sell-out, while hailed by others as the necessary technological solution to stagnating agricultural output, ballooning populations, climate change and drought. Sandwiched in between are developing and transitional countries where the need to feed vast populations and to compete against the US in international markets are compelling reasons to get on the GM bandwagon. This is the first book to bridge the gap between the "naysayers" and "cheerleaders", and to provide a penetrating examination of the realities, complexities, benefits and pitfalls of GM adoption in developing countries that are desperately fighting poverty while trying to stay afloat in the hyper-competitive global economy. Sakiko Fukuda-Parr is a Visiting Professor at the New School University in New York. She was a Research Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. She was Director and chief author of UNDP's Human Development Report from 1995 to 2004 and a member of the UN Millennium Project Task Force on Technology. Chapters Introduction: Genetically Modified Crops and National Development Priorities Emergence and Global Spread of GM Crops: Explaining the Role of Institutional Change Institutional Changes in Argentina, Brazil,

Bem-vindo ao Portal ReCiMe! Você está acessando o Portal Recime. A partir dele, todos os participantes da Rede de Pesquisadores sobre Cidades Médias podem ter acesso aos inúmeros instrumentos associados ao Datacime - Ferramentas de Gerenciamento de Informações e Análise de Dados, com destaque para a Plataforma de Gerenciamento de Informações e o Servidor de Mapas. Além disso, os demais interessados podem acompanhar as principais atividades que estão sendo desenvolvidas pela rede e, ainda, acessar o conteúdo que está sendo produzido e disponibilizado publicamente. Sobre a ReCiMe A ReCiMe (Rede de Pesquisadores sobre Cidades Médias) vem realizando, há cerca de dez anos, um intercâmbio de idéias, por meio de diferentes atividades acadêmicas, especialmente da área de Geografia. Apesar das iniciativas de trocas de experiências e do interesse em realizar um trabalho conjunto mais sistemático, a ReCiMe só agora está podendo se articular como tal, em torno de um projeto de pesquisa conjunto. As cidades médias brasileiras Ao lado da metropolização, principal característica da urbanização brasileira nas décadas de 1960 e 1970, o Brasil passou por uma verdadeira transformação urbana, a partir dos anos de 1980, quando crescem também as cidades médias e locais. Tudo isto promove a quebra de paradigmas, fazendo com que os antigos esquemas utilizados para classificar a rede urbana brasileira, as divisões regionais e as regiões metropolitanas, até hoje amplamente empregados, encontrem-se, em parte, ultrapassados, necessitando de uma revisão que dê conta da complexidade da realidade atual. Uma das vias de reconhecimento das mudanças é a compreensão de como se processa a produção dos espaços urbanos não metropolitanos, aqui incluídas as cidades médias. Com a generalização do fenômeno da urbanização da sociedade e do território, que o Brasil atinge no final do século XX, os trabalhos de investigação científica sobre estas cid

Against the grain: biotechnology and the corporate takeover of your food Marc Lappé, Britt Bailey 5 Resenhas Common Courage Press, 1998 - 163 páginas Current Events. Science. Do genetically engineered food crops really offer the "risk-free" breadbasket for the world promised by biotechnology companies like Monsanto? Or are there serious risks to human health and the ecosphere hidden in this silent revolution? Against The Grain slashes through biotechnology's propaganda, revealing the science and politics behind "transgenic" foods to show how biotech companies increasingly engineer what you eat to be compatible with their chemicals -but not necessarily good for human health. Marc Lappe holds a doctorate in Experimental Pathology from the University of Pennsylvania and currently directs the Center for Ethics and Toxics in northern California. Britt Bailiey holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Policy and is a research associate at CETOS

Engineering the farm: ethical and social aspects of agricultural biotechnology Britt Bailey, Marc Lappé 3 Resenhas Island Press, 2002 - 202 páginas Engineering the Farm offers a wide-ranging examination of the social and ethical issues surrounding the production and consumption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), with leading thinkers and activists taking a broad theoretical approach to the subject. Topics covered include: the historical roots of the anti-biotechnology movement ethical issues involved in introducing genetically altered crops questions of patenting and labeling the "precautionary principle" and its role in the regulation of GMOs effects of genetic modification on the world's food supply ecological concerns and impacts on traditional varieties of domesticated crops potential health effects of GMOsContributors argue that the scope, scale, and size of the present venture in crop modification is so vast and intensive that a thoroughgoing review of agricultural biotechnology must consider its global, moral, cultural, and ecological impacts as well as its effects on individual consumers. Throughout, they argue that more research is needed on genetically modified food and that consumers are entitled to specific information about how food products have been developed.Despite its increasing role in worldwide food production, little has been written about the broader social and ethical implications of GMOs. Engineering the Farm offers a unique approach to the subject for academics, activists, and policymakers involved with questions of environmental policy, ethics, agriculture, environmental health, and related fields.

Genetically modified pest-protected plants: science and regulation National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Genetically Modified Pest-Protected Plants 1 Resenha National Academies Press, 2000 - 263 páginas Farmers praise them, European consumers fear them, and Americans are growing uneasy about them -- transgenic crops have emerged as a contentious issue at the crossroads of health, agriculture, environment, and international trade. This timely book explores the risks and benefits of crops that are genetically modified for pest resistance, the urgency of establishing an appropriate regulatory framework for these products, and the importance of public understanding of the issues. The committee critically reviews federal policies toward transgenic products, the 1986 coordinated framework among the key federal agencies in the field, and rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency for regulation of plant pesticides. Case studies explore the commercial production and oversight of transgenic crops, including "Bt" crops, the most widely used transgenic pest-protected plants. Clearing up misconceptions and offering clear guidance, this book will be immediately important to anyone concerned about the transgenic issue.

The ecological risks of engineered crops Jane Rissler, Margaret G. Mellon 3 Resenhas MIT Press, 1996 - 168 páginas What will it mean to have a steady stream of animal and microbial genes entering the gene pools of plants in wild ecosystems? Private companies and the federal government are pouring significant resources into biotechnology, and the major application of genetic engineering to agriculture is transgenic crops. This carefully reasoned science and policy assessment shows that the commercialization and release of transgenic crops on millions of acres of farmland can pose serious-and costly-environmental risks. The authors propose a practical, feasible method of conducting precommercialization evaluations that will balance the needs of ecological safety with those of agriculture and business, and that will assist governments seeking to identify and protect against two of the most significant risks. Rissler and Mellon first define transgenic plants and review research currently under way in the field of crop biotechnology. They then identify and categorize the environmental risks presented by commercial uses of transgenic crops. These include the potential of transgenic crops to become weeds or to produce weeds with transgene properties such as herbicide resistance that may require costly control programs. Plants engineered to contain virus particles may facilitate the creation of new viruses that can affect economically important crops. Looking at global seed trade, the authors discuss the relationship between commercial approval in the United States and environmental risks abroad. Of particular concern is the flow of novel genes into the centers of crop biodiversity, primarily in the developing world, that could threaten the genetic base of the world's future food supply. The authors conclude by reviewing the current status of U.S. regulations governing transgenic crops. They discuss the difficulties that this new terrain presents to regulators, a

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

Agricultural biotechnology A. Altman, Rita R. Colwell 0 Resenhas Marcel Dekker, 1998 - 770 páginas Integrates available basic biotechnological methodologies with current agricultural practices, providing solutions to specific agricultural needs & problems from plant & crop yield to animal husbandry. Presents & evaluates the limitations of "classical" methodologies & the potential of novel & emergent agriculturally related biotechnologies

Agricultural biotechnology and the environment: science, policy, and social issues Sheldon Krimsky, Roger Paul Wrubel 3 Resenhas University of Illinois Press, 1996 - 294 páginas Modern agriculture is being transformed by the genetic alteration of seeds, animals, and microorganisms, a process that has produced such products as Flavr Savr tomatoes and crops resistant to specific insects or herbicides. Agricultural Biotechnology and the Environment is the first comprehensive overview of the ongoing transformation of agriculture, exploring the impact of genetic engineering from scientific, social, ethical, and ecological perspectives. Sheldon Krimsky and Roger Wrubel detail the impact the new generation of products is expected to have on agricultural practice and the environment and assess the degree to which current trends in biotechnology match earlier expectations. They also analyze the social and political response to innovations resulting from genetic technology.

Genetic engineering in agriculture: the myths, environmental risks, and alternatives Miguel A. Altieri 0 Resenhas Food First Books, 2004 - 110 páginas Looks at the costs and benefits of genetically engineered crops.