Although agri-environmental policies represent only a small part of the agricultural support system, they symbolise a major change in the direction of government policy. Consequently, the move from supporting farmers for food production to supporting them for looking after the environment, involves a significant change in the culture of farming. In this thesis, the way farmers gave meaning to the changes occurring in agriculture, and to the growing importance of conservation issues, was considered. An actor-oriented approach was used to theorise farmers' interpretations of the situation in agriculture. This approach acknowledged individuals as knowing, active subjects directing their lives, but the importance of external conditions in facilitating and constraining farmers' choices and interpretations was recognised. The research was carried out in southern Scotland, where farmers' perceptions of changing agriculture, in the light of the designation of the Southern Uplands Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) scheme, were examined. In-depth, qualitative interviews with farmers were the main source of data. Major themes in farmers' interpretations of the situation in agriculture were the uncertainty and growing bureaucracy in farming. Additionally, many farmers felt they were increasingly dependent on, and controlled by, the government. The changing role of farmers in society was of interest; many felt that the status of farmers had declined. Whereas previously the public depended on them for food production, now farmers were reliant on public support. Farmers' construction of conservation, their views of Nature, and the meanings they attached to conservation activities, were examined. Their perceptions of conservationists were found to influence interpretations of conservation.

Literature on sustainable agriculture was examined using qualitative research methods to identify institutional barriers to the transition to sustainable agriculture, and solutions to overcome them. Information was also collected from different participants in the food and agriculture system by conducting interviews and workshops, and by soliciting comments on discussion papers of preliminary findings. / An explanatory scheme (or general theory) was developed to organize strategies for overcoming institutional barriers using an efficiency--substitution--redesign framework. Efficiency strategies involve minor changes to existing activities, resulting in more efficient resource use. Substitution strategies involve replacing one product, technique or activity with another. Redesign strategies require solutions and institutional activities that mimic ecological processes. Solutions consistent with each category are analyzed and discussed in the areas of research, education, technology transfer, government programs and regulations, taxation, safety nets, consumer activism, marketing and advertising, corporate legal status, and organizational design and management.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF file.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of California, Santa Cruz, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available online. Restricted to UC campuses.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [228]-244). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [228]-244). Also available on the Internet.

The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on March 23, 2010). Thesis advisor: Dr. Craig Palmer. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Kentucky, 1993. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-149).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Iowa State University, 2007. / Adviser: Charles R. Hurburgh. Includes bibliographical references.

A gestão da qualidade é um fator determinante no sucesso de qualquer empresa, principalmente, do setor alimentício, onde a qualidade está diretamente relacionada à saúde e segurança alimentar. Além disso, uma eficiente gestão da qualidade impacta diretamente nos custos e, consequentemente, na rentabilidade das empresas. Considerando isso, o objetivo deste estudo é investigar o uso de ferramentas e sistema de custos aplicados à gestão da qualidade em laticínios no Sudoeste do Paraná, através da caracterização dos laticínios pesquisados e avaliação da implantação de ferramentas de gestão da qualidade e de sistema de custos da qualidade. Para sua realização os dados foram coletados através de questionário semi estruturado com questões abertas e fechadas aplicado a nove laticínios sob o Serviço de Inspeção Paranaense (SIP) da região Sudoeste do Paraná. Os resultados foram analisados através da estatística descritiva. Através da análise dos dados constatou-se que os laticínios avaliados classificam-se como de micro e pequeno porte, concentrando seus esforços para a implantação das ferramentas e metodologias da gestão da qualidade da “Era” da garantia da qualidade, contudo, ainda há o que melhorar nas “Eras” da verificação e do controle estatístico da qualidade. Com relação aos Sistemas de Custos da Qualidade (SCQ) foi constatado que nenhum laticínio possui a ferramenta totalmente implantada e um percentual de 33,33% encontram-se em processo de implantação. Dos laticínios avaliados, 11% não possuem SCQ implantado e não têm planos de implantação, os demais planejam implantar a médio prazo e indicam que as principais dificuldades de implantação relacionam-se com o desconhecimento da metodologia e na crença da necessidade de altos investimentos. / Quality management is a key factor in the success of any company especially to food industry where quality is directly related to health and food security. Moreover, an efficient quality management impacts directly in the costs and, profitability, in the hence of companies. Based on these, this study aims to investigate the usage of tools and system costs applied to the quality management in dairies of Paraná’s southwest, through the characterization of the researched dairies with focus on the evaluation of the quality management tools implementation and quality expenses systems. To its realization the data that support this research were collected using semi-structured questionnaire with opened and closed questions, applied to nine dairies under the supervision of the Paranaense Inspection Service (SIP) from Paraná’s southwest region. The results were analyzed based on descriptive statistics. From the data analysis it was found that dairies products evaluated are classified as micro and small, focusing their efforts for the implementation of the tools and methodologies of quality management "Era" quality assurance, however, there is still room to the improvement of "Eras" verification and statistical quality control. Regarding the Quality expenses systems (SCQ) it was revealed that no dairy has fully implemented the tool and a percentage of 33.33% lies in the implementation process. From evaluated dairies, 11% have deployed SCQ and have no plans to implement, the others plan to deploy medium term indicating that the main difficulties of implementation are related to the lack of methodology and believes on the need for high investments.