Local governance and participation in agricultural Development Process in Nigeria

Professor Famoriyo obtained a second class honours degree in Agricultural Economics at King's College, Newcastle-On-Tyne (then) of the University of Durham, England in 1966. He did graduate work at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 1968, and received at Ph. D. in Land Economics at Wye College, Wye of the University of London. He is currently Professor of Agricultural Economics and Head of the Department of Farm Management and Extension at The Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria. Professor Famoriyo is widely published in his field.     

Once and future farming: Some meditations on the historical and cultural roots of sustainable agriculture in the United States

American agricultural history, literature, and thought reveal historical circumstances that have often been unfavorable to the development of a sustainable agriculture in the United States. Further critical examination of these historical and cultural roots reveals that sustainable agriculture is an evolving concept that can be traced to the tradition of agrarian idealism, scientific and organic agriculture, and the recent history of ecological ideas, beginning with the Dust Bowl and extending to the present.Carl D. Esbjornson received his Ph. D. in English, with an emphasis in American literature and culture, from the University of Iowa. He taught at the University of Iowa, Oklahoma State University, the University of South Dakota, and, for the last four years, as an assistant professor in the Department of American Thought and Language at Michigan State University. He has published articles on Wendell Berry and on recent American poetry. He is now engaged in a more extended interdisciplinary study of sustainable agriculture. He now lives in Minnesota, working as an independent scholar, free-lance writer, and an advocate for sustainable agriculture.     

Emerson and the agricultural midworld

The metaphor of the midworld refers to Emerson's conception of the realm between the human process and nature. In his earlier writings, poetry served as a linguistic midworld that made it possible for the self to relate to the innumerable orders of nature. By the 1840's Emerson's thought had taken a much more skeptical turn and had moved decisively away from his earlier linguistic idealism. As a consequence, his conception of the nature of the midworld changed. The more humble work of the farmer came to represent more clearly the actual development of the midworld. In agricultural production, the basic features of nature became more directly available to the self. By the 1870's Emerson recognized that the farmer and the poet were both representatives of the midworld that made nature actual to the human process.Robert S. Corrington has taught at The Pennsylvania State University and The College of William and Mary. In the Fall of 1990 he will become Visiting Associate Professor of Philosophical Theology in the Theological and Graduate Schools of Drew University. He has published over 25 articles in such areas as American Philosophy, theology, semiotics, and Continental Philosophy. He is co-editor of:Pragmatism Considers Phenomenology (1987), Justus Buchler'sMetaphysics of Natural Complexes, Second Expanded Edition (1989), andNature's Perspectives: Prospects for Ordinal Metaphysics (1990). He is author ofThe Community of Interpreters (1987). He has just completed his second book,Nature and Spirit: An Essay in Ordinal Phenomenology. He is the recipient of the Church Divinity, Greenlee and John William Miller Prizes.     

Quantum statistics and liquid helium-3--helium-4 mixtures

I have argued, following Einstein and London, that Bose-Einstein statistics is important for understanding the behavior of superfluid (4)He, while Fermi-Dirac statistics is important for understanding that of (3)He. In order to understand qualitatively the general behavior of (3)He-(4)He mixtures at constant pressure, the interaction between the helium atoms cannot be neglected. A very simple model of (3)He-(4)He mixtures is then a binary mixture of two kinds of hard spheres that follow Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics, respectively. This model correctly predicts the most striking features of the phase diagrams of helium mixtures in the temperature-concentration plane. In particular, the Bose-Einstein statistics of (4)He is responsible for the occurrence of a phase separation of the mixture at low temperatures that starts at an unusual type of critical point, while the Fermi-Dirac statistics of (3)He leads to an incomplete phase separation near the absolute zero of temperature, which makes possible the successful operation of a powerful cooling device, the helium dilution refrigerator.     

Growth fundamentalism in dying rural towns:Implications for rural development practitioners

In our paper we will try to connect the dynamics of community decline to individual responses. We will operate on two levels of reality. At the first level we will discuss the circumstances surrounding the recent decline of small communities in North Dakota. At the second level we will discuss how this decline affects small town residents' attitudes toward economic development. In the first level analysis we examine the thesis that the natural environment of community growth is economic exploitation; therefore, the decline of resource-based communities is natural and inevitable. We discuss the circumstances surrounding the recent decline of small communities in North Dakota. At the second level analysis, we operate at the level at which life circumstances and environments are shaped by political-economic institutions that in turn shape the behavior and mentality of communities, families, and individuals. We hypothesize that residents of declining small towns deny their powerlessness and adapt to their situation through intense dedication to economic growth. We develop a series of hypotheses to test this thesis using data from the North Dakota Rural Life Poll. In our conclusion, we discuss implications for rural development practitioners working in declining small towns where this intense dedication to economic development in prevalent.Dr. Stofferahn is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and director of the Social Science Research Institute at the University of North Dakota. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in rural sociology from Iowa State University. Prior to coming to the University of North Dakota, Dr. Stofferahn was employed by the North Dakota Economic Development Commission. Mr. Fontaine received his M.S. in sociology from the University of North Dakota and is presently employed as the assistant director of the Social Science Research Institute. Douglas McDonald, Mike Spletto and Holly Jeanotte are graduate students in the Department of Sociology at the University of North Dakota. This paper originally was written as a class project in a graduate seminar in rural development.     

从营养、医学及社会发展的角度看大豆的价值

王绶先生是我国著名的大豆专家、教授,毕生从事农业教育事业。早年曾育成大豆优良品种金大332,并率先倡导生物统计学方法在田间试验中的应用。王绶教授治学严谨,生活朴素,谦虚好学,诲人不倦,为人耿直,待人诚恳,深受广大师生的爱戴。王绶教授1958年任山西农学院院长,并主持大豆科研工作。在他的指导和带动下,大豆科研组的同志坚持科学为生产服务,理论与实践相结合的原则,发扬求实、苦干精神,在大豆育种和大豆生物学理论探讨方面均取得了优异成绩。其中培育的晋豆一号、二号、三号新品种和大豆生物学若干理论问题的研究论文,曾分别获1978年全国科学大会奖,1979年山西省科学技术成果二等奖。但是由于客观条件所限,王绶教授未能为我们留下更多的亲笔遗作。近日(2008年10月19日),苗果园教授翻阅旧资料时,发现一篇王绶院长的论文打印稿,虽不是手写,但亦很珍贵。委托山西农业大学农学院遗传育种教研室主任李贵全教授撰写按语,交山西农业大学学报发表。谨以此文纪念山西农业大学大豆育种五十周年!对农业界老前辈王绶先生表示深切的怀念!     

Correction

In the briefing "Now even mummies go digital" (Science, 7 December 1990, p. 1334), the reconstruction of the mummy's head should have been attributed to Raymond Evenhouse of the University of Illinois at Chicago.     

Biochemistry. Ligand chip helps manipulate cells

Scientists at the University of Chicago have found an electrochemical way to control interactions between cells and a chip. It's an improvement over existing methods of influencing cell behavior, none of which allows control over cell-surface activities with chip-bound molecules. Researchers say the achievement could be a key step toward a wide variety of applications--everything from new drug assays to prosthetic aids that replace damaged neurons.     

Erratum

Leo Kadanoff, a 1980 winner of the Wolf prize in physics (News and Comment, 17 Oct., p. 294), is on the faculty of the University of Chicago, not Brown University.     

System theory and physiological processes. An engineer looks at physiology

Engineers and physiologists working together in experimental and theoretical studies predict that the application of system analysis to biological processes will increase understanding of these processes and broaden the base of system theory. Richard W. Jones, professor of electrical engineering at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, and John S. Gray, professor of physiology at Northwestern's Medical School, discuss these developments. Their articles are adapted from addresses delivered in Chicago in November 1962 at the 15th Annual Conference on Engineering in Medicine and Biology.     

Traditional Mexican Agricultural Systems and the Potential Impacts of Transgenic Varieties on Maize Diversity

The discovery of transgenes in maize landraces in Mexico, a center of diversity for this crop, raises questions about the potential impact of transgene diffusion on maize diversity. The concept of diversity and farmers’ role in maintaining diversity is quite complex. Farmers’ behavior is expected to have a significant influence on causing transgenes to diffuse, to be expressed differently, and to accumulate within landraces. Farmers’ or consumers’ perceptions that transgenes are “contaminants” and that landraces containing transgenes are “contaminated” could cause these landraces to be rejected and trigger a direct loss of diversity. Mauricio R. Bellon is a human ecologist working in the Economics Program of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Texcoco, Mexico. He received his MSc and PhD in ecology at the University of California, Davis. His current research includes projects that deal with on-farm conservation of maize, gene flow in traditional farming systems, and the impact of improved germplasm in the livelihoods of poor farmers. Julien Berthaud is a population geneticist working for the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD). He received his PhD in plant science at the University of Paris 11. His current research includes projects related with the dynamics of genetic diversity, especially in traditional maize farming systems.     

试论莎士比亚笔下的哈姆雷特

本文以十六世纪前后英国历史转变的情况入手,从经济、政治和文艺的关系,说明了文艺复兴的时代背景及人文主义的产生。莎士比亚在这一时代背景和人文主义的影响下,写出了他的不朽名著《哈姆雷特》一剧。哈姆雷特这一人文主义的典型人物,在莎氏的笔下,把复仇和实现理想结合起来,从受到一系列严重打击而“垮”了的情况下,最后报了杀父之仇。本文分析指出了《哈姆雷特》之所以是个悲剧的主要点是在于主人翁没有完成他最高的理想:重整脱了节的时代,建立起他理想的社会。其原因是时代和哈姆雷特思想和地位的局限。他没有也不可能与人民群众一起,铲除邪恶,实现他人文主义的理想。     

Taking agricultural ethics to the forefront: A practical guide to the organizational and philosophical issues

If the field of agricultural ethics is to realize its potential and if the agricultural and philosophical communities are to address the impending changes in world food production, there is a need for education in public, governmental, and academic arenas. The development of a symposium on agriculural ethics is an effective method for raising awareness of the imminent need for a consolidation of philosophical and agricultural expertise. Based on experience, a series of organizational guidelines and their associated philosophical issues are presented. The initial step is a determination of the purposes of the symposium, which leads to the consideration of the choice of speakers and topics. The best series of speakers will ultimately prove to be ineffectual if the logistics of the symposium are not carefully planned. The scheduling, format, timing and location of the talks are critical. Related to these practical aspects is the organization of promotional efforts. Since one of the goals is, presumably, to enlighten a target audience, effective promotion should be a central concern. Underlying all of these considerations is the budget. How the agricultural ethics symposium at the University of Wyoming addressed these issues is presented, with a critical review of our efforts based on external evaluations.Jeffrey A. Lockwood is an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Wyoming. The impetus for his organization of the symposium on Agricultural Ethics came from his participation in the 1986 workshop on the Ethical Aspects of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Policy conducted by the National Agricultural and Natural Resources Curriculum Project. He has team-taught courses and led seminars on agricultural ethics, assessment of values systems in pest management, understanding world hunger, and issues in sustainable agriculture. His research centers on insect ecology, with an emphasis on rangeland grasshoppers. He received a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in entomology in 1985 and a B.S. in biology from New Mexico Tech in 1982.     

Sustainability and multifunctionality in French farms: Analysis of the implementation of Territorial Farming Contracts

Sustainable agriculture and ways to achieve it are important issues for agricultural policy. However, the concept of sustainability has yet to be made operational in many agricultural situations, and only a few studies so far have addressed the implementation process of sustainable agriculture. This paper provides an assessment of the Territorial Farming Contracts (TFC) – the French model for implementing sustainable agriculture – and aims to give some insights into the ways to facilitate the development of sustainable farming. Using a systems approach, the founding concept of the TFC model, an analysis has been made of the TFCs signed in the Midi-Pyrenees Region in south-western France. The results show that the first aspect of sustainability apparent in farmers’ projects referred to economic objectives. The environmental and social aspects were not foremost in the farming changes undertaken. In addition, the territorial dimension of the TFC was under-addressed. The majority of TFCs reveal a moderate or even low convergence with territorial priorities. These results are explained partly by the dominance of professional farming organizations in the implementation of TFC, and they imply that the organizational social dimensions of sustainability must not be neglected. Mohamed Gafsi is an assistant professor of farm management at the National School of Agronomic Training. He received his PhD in management science at the University of Bourgogne. His research interests include farm management and protection of natural resources, corporate environmental management, sustainable agriculture, and African family farms. Geneviève Nguyen is assistant professor in rural economics at the National Polytechnique Institute – National Superior School of Agronomy, in Toulouse. Her research interests include the dynamics of agrarian institutions in uncertain economies, the supply and organization of services in remote rural areas. Her research has been carried out in Europe, Africa, and Asia. She received her MA in Economics and her PhD in Agricultural Economics from the Ohio State University. Bruno Legagneux is assistant professor of farm management at the National Polytechnique Institute – National Superior School of Agronomy, in Toulouse. His research interests include farm management and the entry of young farmers into farming. Patrice Robin is an engineer agronomist. He received his diploma from the National Superior School of Agronomy, in Montpellier. He is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Toulouse. His research interests include agriculture and rural development, environmental issues, and food quality.     

Does certified organic farming reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production? Comment on the McGee study

A recent study by McGee (Agriculture and Human Values, 32, 255–263, 2015) from the University of Oregon has led to discussions in international media and on the web. This study addresses an interesting question and applies advanced statistics for its analysis. However, we identify several methodological flaws that invalidate the results. First, McGee tests a hypothesis that does not correspond to his main question and which does not allow McGee to derive the conclusions that are drawn in his paper and reported in the media coverage. Second, the data used are not adequate for the analysis because: i) the dependent variable does not reflect the greenhouse gas emissions characteristics of organic agriculture (e.g. different emission factors in organic and conventional agriculture or avoidance of emissions from fertilizer production), ii) the explanatory variables neglect the livestock sector, and iii) trade aspects are missing. Third, McGee fails to discuss his findings in the light of quite a substantial body of experimental, bio-physical research from the US and elsewhere.     

Engagement for transformation: Value webs for local food system development

Engagement happens when academics and non-academics form partnerships to create mutual understanding, and then take action together. An example is the “value web” work associated with W. K. Kellogg Foundation’s Food Systems Higher Education–Community Partnership. Partners nationally work on local food systems development by building value webs. “Value chains,” a concept with considerable currency in the private sector, involves creating non-hierarchical relationships among otherwise disparate actors and entities to achieve collective common goals. The value web concept is extended herein by separating the values of the web itself, such as the value of collaboration, from values “in” the web, such as credence values associated with a product or service. By sharing and discussing case examples of work underway around the United States, the authors make a case for employing the value webs concept to represent a strategy for local food systems development, specifically, and for higher education–community partnerships, generally.

Resilience in the US red meat industry: the roles of food safety policy

We use the case of red meat food safety to illustrate the need to problematize policy. Overtime, there have been numerous red meat scandals and scares. We show that the statutes and regulations that arose out of these events provided the industry with a means of demonstrating safety, facilitating large-scale trade, legitimizing conventional production, and limiting interference into its practices. They also created systemic fragility, as evidenced by many recent events, and hindered the development of an alternative, small-scale sector. Thus, the accumulated rules help to structure the sector, create superficial resilience, and are used in place of an actual policy governing safety. We call for rigorous attention to not only food safety, but also the role and effect of agrifood statutes and regulations in general, and engagement in policy more broadly.

ECONOMICS NOBEL: Dealing With Biases and Discrete Choices

This year's Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences, given in honor of Alfred Nobel, goes to two researchers who gave the field of microeconomics--the study of individuals' economic behavior--new tools to help draw conclusions from imperfect data. James Heckman of the University of Chicago wins half of this year's prize for coming up with ways to deal with selection biases. Daniel McFadden of the University of California, Berkeley, tackled a different conundrum: how to quantify discrete choices rather than continuous ones.     

Corrections and clarifications

The News & Comment article "NSF eyes new South Pole station" by Jeffrey Mervis (24 June, p. 1836) mentioned the principal investigators of three of the four teams making up the Center for Astrophysical Research in Antartica. The fourth is Mark Hereld, senior research associate at the University of Chicago, who is responsible for the South Pole Infrared Explorer telescope.