This study examines the influence of the wage economy on food security in Paulatuk, NT, and aims to illustrate: a) how individuals are participating in the wage economy and traditional economy in Paulatuk, and in turn how this influences their ability to procure food from the land, as illustrated in Chapter 2; and b) the impact of income on the ability of residents to procure food from the store and through the Food Mail program, as shown in Chapter 3. The thesis aims to answer the question: how does the wage economy affect the ability of individuals to procure food from the land and the store in Paulatuk, NT? The influence of the wage economy on the traditional economy must be considered holistically, and store-bought and country foods must be considered as two equal parts of the food security equation in Paulatuk. / Rural Sociology

This research focuses on the work of the Urban Aboriginal Community Kitchen Garden Project (the Garden Project). The Garden Project aims to be a culturally appropriate health promotion project with urban Aboriginal people, drawing on traditional Indigenous approaches to health and healing, and rooted in community food work. The project is situated within the context of colonialism, the destruction of traditional foodways, and subsequent increased need for Indigenous people to rely on a dominant food system that is seen as destructive to human and ecological health. The purpose of my research is to describe the Garden Project’s main goals and achievements from the perspective of project leaders, project participants as well as through my own observations and experiences. The research methodology was guided by participatory and community based approaches to research and qualitative methods were employed, focusing primarily on semi-structured interviews with project participants and project leaders. I also participated in and observed the project for two years, from September 2006-September 2008. Data collection and analysis happened through an iterative process of action and reflection. Based on my time with the Garden Project, I suggest that it can be seen simultaneously as a community food security, health promotion, and Indigenous health project. It connects participants with food as a natural product, builds skills around cooking and growing food, and increases knowledge about food system issues. Drawing on the health promotion discourse, it can be seen building community and social support networks, treating the whole person, and empowering participants to take actions around their own health needs. It is rooted in Indigenous approaches to health and healing in the way it promotes individuals’ physical, mental/emotional and spiritual health, the health of the community through cultural revitalization, and the health of the Universe through the opportunity it provides for awareness about ecosystem health. This research project was very site specific. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that food work with urban Indigenous people, carried out in a culturally sensitive manner, may be a powerful leverage point for promoting health with this population. These types of projects can also be vehicles for social change.

Abstract This research is concerned with exploring, describing and interpreting the potential of community participation in improving food security in rural households in the Kolonna area. It explores the importance and value of the ancient village tank system as a vehicle for enhancing both community participation and food security. In Sri Lanka there still exists a network of large and small irrigation tanks and associated distribution and drainage channels that was originally established 1000-2000 years ago. This system apparently formed the basis of an effective cooperative social system that endured for centuries. More recently, several centuries of colonial rule caused the abolition of this participatory system by the British and the social structure and tank system of the village collapsed. Since independence in 1948, several government departments and international institutions have been trying to rebuild this social structure around the village tank, but with only limited success. This thesis describes efforts to document the potential for incorporating historical knowledge and farmers’ perceptions into sustainable community participatory programs in agricultural activities based on village tanks, with the aim of improving food security in a rural area of Sri Lanka. A mixed methods approach was employed to address the research questions identified for the study. It involved predominantly qualitative methodology including focus groups and individual interviews with a range of stakeholders including government and spiritual authorities allowed the exploration of the realities of village life and issues affecting food security. Significant findings not evident in typical governmental statistical reports include the following: (1) Household food security in rural areas is still a major problem. Agricultural production rather than purchased food is the main source for caloric intake of rural households and many farmers experience food insecurity due to unexpected seasonal crop failures. Furthermore, almost 10% of the residents of Kolonna area experience acute food insecurity, which occurs due to poverty. These people typically do not have secure access to land for growing their own crops but rely on casual wages work. (2) The major constraint to food security identified by respondents was lack of consistently available and equitably distributed irrigation water, although in contrast occasional flood damages to land and crops s due to flood was also a significant problem. Some farmers also believed that marketing and distribution channel constraints limited their commercial returns and income, and capacity to enjoy year-round food security. v (3) Despite the existence of several community participatory programs in the Kolonna area, they are not perceived to be successful. Only one third of the villagers are involved in these programs and more than 40% were unaware of their existence. Major criticisms included the perception of political interference and favoritism in the process governing their operations, which favored relatively few recipients. . (4) There appears to be strong support amongst villagers for revision of cooperative approaches such that management is by representatively elected independent committee that allow involvement of the most suitable farmers. This perception was linked to beliefs that a renewed focus on the village tank would be ultimately more beneficial than focusing solely on improving food security, because of the capacity to incorporate traditional community participatory approaches. Valuable features of the traditional system include sharing rather than hiring labor, dividing communal tasks among community members, and rules and regulations imposed by a recognized and accepted governing body. The implications of these findings for further research, policy and practice are discussed.

Thesis (MScFor (Forest and Wood Science))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / This study sought to examine the effects of soil fertility replenishment (SFR) adoption on household security and poverty reduction in smallholder farming households of central and southern Malawi by assessing food security, asset status, and household income generating activities in Kasungu and Machinga Districts during 2007. The results showed that households had been able to significantly increase maize production by an extra 382 kg per year in Kasungu and 242 kg per year in Machinga Districts, which constitutes approximately 35% and 22% of average household maize requirements for the year for each district, respectively. This reduced the critical annual hunger periods from 3.46 months to 2.80 months per year in Kasungu and from 4.31 months to 3.75 months in Machinga. Respondents also reported a significant increase in assets and an increase in income. Despite these positive changes, households were found to still be living in extreme poverty. Selling physical assets was the most common response to shocks and any increase in income was allocated to the purchase of food, household supplies, and other items necessary to immediate survival. This study revealed that while food security is paramount to the sustainable livelihoods of smallholder farmers, livelihood security and poverty reduction depend on more than increased food production. SFR technologies are fulfilling their primary role as a means to food security, but their adoption does not lead to significant livelihood improvements. Achieving lasting impacts requires that initiatives take an integrated approach and address not only household food production, but the multifaceted dynamics of social institutions, markets/economy, and policy. The long-term impacts of the current agroforestry programs in the study areas will emerge only with time. Livelihood improvements will depend on several factors. First, market inefficiencies must be remedied and economic barriers must be broken down. Second, the challenges identified by the respondents, especially access to resources and training, need to be addressed in a participatory way that promotes education and empowerment. As these two issues are tackled, households will become better equipped to manage the complexities that arise from SFR adoption and livelihood diversification. It is recommended that future research and initiatives should focus on identifying and removing economic barriers to markets, addressing farmeridentified challenges such as access to seed, water, and education and training, supporting households in managing multiple livelihood strategies, and continuing research to identify appropriate agroforestry species and technologies.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-13T14:50:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-11-23Bitstream added on 2014-08-13T18:01:06Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000739393_20141230.pdf: 533966 bytes, checksum: 2e4551d8954ae58282aa1e52194afef8 (MD5) Bitstreams deleted on 2015-01-05T11:00:47Z: 000739393_20141230.pdf,Bitstream added on 2015-01-05T11:01:46Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000739393.pdf: 1900480 bytes, checksum: d7fef0999aa6aaf550389b65baa8b114 (MD5) / A criação de animais de produção vem se modificando gradualmente devido a diversas alterações socioculturais em todo o mundo. Cada vez mais se tem observado a demanda por alimentos produzidos considerando-se o bem estar animal. Neste contexto também encontra-se a avicultura de postura. Novos sistemas vêm sendo propostos para melhorar as condições de vida das galinhas poedeiras, destacando-se entre eles o free range (FR). São poucos os trabalhos que avaliaram a qualidade e segurança dos ovos produzidos nesses novos ambientes. Assim foi proposta neste estudo a avaliação de ovos e ambiente de produção de três granjas de postura comercial (duas no sistema convencional de criação e uma no sistema FR), sendo duas delas (FR e Convencional 1) localizadas em uma mesma propriedade, o que diminuiu a chance de introdução de viés de macroclima e linhagem. Foi pesquisada Salmonella no ambiente de produção, água de bebida e ração, além das cascas dos ovos, onde também foram enumeradas enterobactérias. Avaliou-se também a qualidade física dos ovos e procedeu-se à validação de um método para análise de multiresíduos de antimicrobianos e defensivos agrícolas, utilizado para sua quantificação no conteúdo dos ovos das três granjas. No sistema FR foi foram verificadas as maiores contagens de enterobactérias (p < 0,001) e detectada Salmonella em três cascas de ovos e em um comedouro (S. Senftenberg), o patógeno não foi detectado nas outras amostras ambientais, ou de ração e água. Os ovos do sistema FR apresentaram menor peso total, maior espessura de casca e concentração de albúmen. O método multiresíduo se mostrou eficaz na recuperação de todos os compostos, possibilitando a validação da técnica proposta. Foram detectados resíduos de Enrofloxacina em cinco de trinta amostras provenientes do sistema FR, todos eles extrapolaram o LMR de 10μgL-1 estabelecido pelo Ministério da Agricultura Pecuária e ... / The livestock production has been modified gradually due to several socio-cultural changes worldwide. Increasing the demand for food produced considering animal welfare. In this context also is laying hen raising. New systems are being proposed to improve the living conditions of laying hens, foremost among them the free range (FR). There are few studies which evaluated the quality and safety of eggs produced in these new environments. Thus was proposed in this study the evaluation of eggs and production environment from three laying hens farms (two under the conventional system of creation and one system in FR), two of them (FR and Conventional 1) located on the same property, which decreased the chances of introducing macroclimate and breeder lines bias. Salmonella was surveyed in the production environment, drinking water and food, and the shells of the eggs, which were also enumerated enterobacteria. It was also evaluated the physical quality of the eggs and proceeded to the validation of a multiresidue method for analysis of pesticides and antibiotics, used for quantifying the content of the eggs of the three farms. In FR the largest system Enterobacteriaceae counts (p <0.001) was detected and Salmonella were found in three eggshells and at one feeder (S. Senftenberg), the pathogen was not detected in other environmental samples, or food and water. The eggs of the FR system had lower weight, greater shell thickness and concentration of albumen. The multiresidue method is effective in the recovery of all compounds, enabling the validation of the proposed technique. Enrofloxacin residues were detected in five out of thirty samples from the RF system, they all have extrapolated the MRL of 10μgL-1 established by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply. The FR system showed greater vulnerability and sanitary conditions regarding the presence of antimicrobial residues. As regards physical characteristics, they do not confer to ...

Orientador: Ana Elisa Bressan Smith Lourenzani / Resumo: O Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE) é um programa governamental na área da alimentação e nutrição que representa um importante eixo de promoção da segurança alimentar. O objetivo do PNAE é prover as necessidades básicas nutricionais dos estudantes e promover o desenvolvimento inclusivo e a capacidade de oferta da agricultura familiar. No entanto, a operacionalização do programa nos municípios ainda é um desafio. Nesse sentido, o objetivo desse trabalho é identificar e descrever os atores e fatores envolvidos no processo de operacionalização do PNAE no município de Presidente Prudente, analisando o desenvolvimento do programa e cumprimento da legislação. Acredita-se que essa pesquisa pode efetivamente dar subsídios e informações para possíveis melhorias na participação dos agricultores familiares no PNAE e auxiliar o município a melhor desenvolver a operacionalização do programa. Esta é uma pesquisa aplicada que utilizou a pesquisa descritiva, com abordagem qualitativa. A pesquisa utilizou a técnica do estudo pesquisa documental e de estudo de caso. A delimitação geográfica foi definida pela importância que o município tem no contexto regional. A Secretaria Municipal de Educação - SEDUC do município de Presidente Prudente, possui a maior rede pública de ensino do Pontal do Paranapanema, com 61 escolas. As entrevistas foram realizadas com diversos agentes que estão ligados diretamente ao programa como: Associações, Cooperativa, Produtores rurais ligados às associa... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Mestre

This project “Growing with Care” deals with the complex issues of food security, climate change, and building communities. Food is one of the most important aspects of life, it sustains us, it can bring us together and tears us apart.  This project is addressing the problem of the industrialisation of the agriculture system and the impact it’s had on our environment and society. It’s resulted in a society that’s almost completely disconnected from the food being eaten.  Metadesign will be used throughout the process of this project. Metadesign methods will be used to provide guidance, tools and support for participants to create their own change in the way they interact with their local food systems. It will be used to help participants form food communities in different cities. The solution suggested in this project, is to rebuild care relationships to soil and the natural elements in our food systems. For participants to grow more food in their local areas with embedded care methods and a conscious understanding that we are living in an interconnected world.  The outcome in this project is a toolkit in the form of a blog and booklet. It uses metadesign methods to provide participants with tools to deal with the problems that arose from the industrialisation of agriculture. It encourages the participants to create local change as a community, for a more secure food future.

This thesis examines the everyday realisation of rights in India’s school-feeding programme, the Midday Meal Scheme. The commitment to realising the right to food in India is well-established. In 2001, a petition to the Supreme Court and subsequent orders made existing food-based schemes (including the Midday Meal Scheme) a legal entitlement under a right to food. These schemes then became the core components of the National Food Security Act in 2013. In consequence, eligible children in India have a right to a MDM that adheres to specific guidelines and have a broader right to food. Despite these commitments to rights, the extent to which India’s food-based social protection schemes reflect a rights-based approach has not, hitherto, been explored. Indeed, although the importance of state-led, rights-based social protection schemes to address food insecurity is now widely recognised, the relationship between these means and ends has been insufficiently explored. In this context, drawing on nearly one year of mixed-methods research in the Indian state of Rajasthan, I examine the extent to which India’s Midday Meal Scheme adheres to a rights-based approach to realising food security. To do so, I examine three components of a rights-based system in the context of the scheme: rights-holders and their entitlements; duty-bearers and their duties; and the mechanisms through which duty-bearers can be held to account for the non-fulfilment of their obligations. I draw on detailed field research in two districts to show that, in its present form, the scheme is limited from the perspective of rights. Not all those in need are necessarily included in the scheme; the food that rights- holders receive often does not meet their needs, duty-bearers fail to adequately fulfil their duties; and accountability mechanisms fail to hold them accountable. Consequently, rights-holders often do not receive their entitlements and the right to food remains unfulfilled. Overall, I show that the realisation of rights to depends on the capabilities of rights-holders to realise their rights and on the capacity and motivation of duty-bearers to fulfil their duties.

This thesis presents research undertaken to understand and enhance resilience in the UK Food and Drink Manufacturing Sector. It focuses on the development of a conceptual framework which establishes how specific vulnerabilities link to individual mitigation strategies available to the sector and the impact of such strategies on wider sustainability. The research in this thesis is divided into four main parts. The first part consists of three complementary review chapters exploring resilience as a theoretical concept, resilience in the UK Food and Drink Manufacturing sector and existing methods used to study and/or enhance resilience. The second part of the thesis begins by describing how the pragmatic philosophy and abductive stance underpinning the research, in combination with review findings, helped to determine the research techniques used in this work, which included the systematic review process and the mixed methods case study. Next, the research facilitating a novel conceptual framework describing how real-time vulnerabilities can be identified and mitigated in a way that is complimentary to the wider sustainability of the organisation is discussed. The third part of the thesis describes the practical set of tools, presented in the form of a workbook, which enable a Food and Drink Manufacturer to utilise the conceptual framework teachings to enhance their own resilience. The final section details key conclusions regarding the conceptual nature and practical enhancement of resilience for Food and Drink Manufacturers and the wider food system, as well as opportunities for future work. The conceptual integrity and practical usefulness of the conceptual framework and its derivative workbook toolset have been demonstrated through case studies with two UK Food and Drink Manufacturers. Results suggest two major benefits of the framework are the ability to identify an organisation's vulnerabilities based on actual mapping of their supply network and the ability to evaluate mitigating resilience strategies based on their broader impacts elsewhere within the organisation. In summary, the research reported in this thesis has concluded that resilience cannot be seen as a one-off solution for returning to how things were before disruption, but instead is a constant process of learning and adaptation in response to a company's ever-changing operating environments. The framework and workbook presented provide a novel and practical method for UK Food and Drink Manufacturers, of all sizes and production ranges, to identify and respond to their evolving vulnerabilities, as well as providing much needed synthesis and directions for future work at an academic level.

Across the United States, organic gardens are being used to improve community development and develop civic agriculture programs for minority populations, including Latinos. Huerto de la Familia (Family Garden), a community agriculture organization based in Eugene, Oregon, aims to improve the food security and well-being of urban Latino immigrants. This study asks the question: how effective is the organization's Organic Gardening program at improving the mental, physical, and nutritional health of urban Latinos? I analyze how participation in the community gardening program empowers the families involved and provides them access to fresh and culturally appropriate foods. Through active participatory research, semi-structured interviews, and the use of photo journals and receipt collections, this study finds that Huerto de la Familia is beneficial in terms of food justice and improving community integration.