The principal analytical objective of this dissertation is the assessment of changes in the political economy of food production during the transition from socialism to capitalism in Russia and China. The dissertation is equally interested in the consequences of this transition for human welfare resulting from changes in the availability of food. As a conditio sine qua non for human survival, food serves as an objective yardstick for human welfare. By studying changes in the political economy of food production it is therefore possible to draw general inferences regarding the welfare implications of the transition to capitalism in Russia and China. This dissertation uses a combination of classical political economy and comparative institutional analysis: The three empirical chapters show how changes in state objectives result in the formulation of economic policies that in turn shape the organization of food production - with momentous consequences for the Russian and Chinese people. Both countries achieved a significant increase in the output and variety of food, yet new problems concerning the availability, quality, and safety of food products have resulted from the introduction of markets. These problems are not externalities, but rather constitute a necessary consequence of the establishment of a market economy in which profit-oriented actors engage in competitive exchange without regard for human welfare. As a result, both countries are compelled to balance their desire for economic growth with the provision of sufficient and adequate food to their populations. An in-depth comparison of the development trajectories of two agro-industrial sectors (wheat and pig production) moreover reveals a convergence in government policy and economic institutions, indicating that Russia and China no longer represent alternative transition models. Following the reassertion of state authority during the first Putin presidency, the Russian government adopted an extensive agricultural modernization program, which strongly resembled China's existing state-guided reform strategy. Recently, both governments have taken active steps towards increasing the global competitiveness of their food economies, while intervening in markets as needed to ensure domestic food security. This demonstrates the centrality of the state in establishing and administering a capitalist economy. / Sociology

In order to build community and provide additional amenities at their properties, several affordable housing developers in Austin, Texas have begun integrating on-site food production into their developments. This project explored the experiences of staff and tenants at two agencies that have connected food production and housing. Based on analysis of these narrative data, I identified current opportunities to further integrate and expand on-site food production into affordable housing. I proposed solutions to overcome challenges and recommended policies and incentives that could support the integration. / text

Sweetwater Organic Community Farm is an organic farm and environmental education center located in Tampa, Florida. The farm employs the community supported agriculture (CSA) model, in which members pay a single fee before the growing season begins and receive a weekly or biweekly share of the ongoing harvest in return. Using multiple ethnographic methods, this research aimed to understand the daily operations at Sweetwater as well as the perceptions of staff and CSA members. Findings indicated that there were myriad perceived advantages of organic agriculture but also imposing challenges that needed to be overcome. Moreover, staff members acknowledged the challenges associated with the CSA model such as pleasing and educating members and, for members, having to pick up at designated times and locations. Still, staff members also noted countless benefits, including the opportunity to connect to your food, farmers, environment, and community. In surveys, CSA members indicated that they were overwhelmingly satisfied the CSA model and Sweetwater. Complexities were uncovered that are often overlooked in the literature and merit further exploration. Among these were the pressure on farmers that resulted from receiving payments upfront and the willingness of individuals to become members without understanding the CSA model. There is a need for more studies to longitudinally examine changes in social support, food system knowledge, and eating habits that may occur over the course of the growing season.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Univ., 2003. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Alnarp : Sveriges lantbruksuniv. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Climate change will impact food systems around the world by creating new ecological threats to crops and challenging the massive energy inputs required by modern industrial agriculture. The severity of these threats suggests that British Columbia's food system is unprepared for the adverse effects of climate change. The province currently produces 48% of its food requirements, much of which is allocated to export markets, and expansion of this system will be difficult as only 1% of provincial land is considered “prime” farmland. One way to prepare a food system for climate threats is to enhance the system’s resilience. A resilient system can quickly adapt to new external problems while maintaining its structure and productivity. A resilient food system is built on three important attributes: internal strength, diversity and flexibility. While there are numerous policy options to enhance resilience, this thesis focuses on role of small-scale agriculture and local food systems. This thesis will argue that provincial and local governments in British Columbia should pursue policies designed to expand small-scale food production and strengthen local food economies, as these scales of agriculture offer the most practical and politically feasible way to create a more resilient food system. To gather policy options that can achieve this goal, this thesis relies on ideas and insights gathered from sixteen interviews with a diverse group of small-scale farmers throughout B.C. These on-farm perspectives are then evaluated within the complex policy environment that impacts agriculture policy. Agriculture policy in B.C. is influenced by multiple variables, including established policies and financial investments that support large-scale and international agriculture, limited government budgets, challenging relations between provincial and local governments, and bureaucratic challenges with implementing and operating agriculture programs. Despite these challenges, there are numerous policy opportunities and partners that can help policies to support small-scale production succeed. This thesis analyses these obstacles and opportunities, and puts forward a comprehensive list of policy options organized by their political practicality. / Graduate / w.mattdell@gmail.com

A eletrificação rural é um desafio caracterizado pela população rarefeita, baixo consumo per capita, longas distâncias para atender aos consumidores e vias de difícil acesso para manutenção das redes. No Rio Grande do Sul, as primeiras iniciativas de eletrificação rural foram viabilizadas por meio de Cooperativas de Eletrificação Rural (CERs) que, com o passar do tempo, começaram a enfrentar problemas provocados pela privatização do setor elétrico brasileiro. Para sobreviverem, as CERs desenvolveram iniciativas de mútua cooperação, implementaram novos negócios, se articularam com e pelas estruturas de representação. Deste contexto emerge o questionamento: Como se desenvolvem a intercooperação e o empreendedorismo cooperativo no Cooperativismo de Eletrificação Rural Gaúcho e qual a contribuição destes para a produção de energia elétrica e de alimentos sob a lógica da sustentabilidade? Para se construir a resposta à questão, definiu-se como objetivo: Investigar se e como o empreendedorismo cooperativo e a intercooperação fomentam o Cooperativismo de Eletrificação Rural Gaúcho e a produção de energia elétrica e de alimentos sob a lógica da sustentabilidade. A teoria que embasa o estudo faz alusão ao displacement of concepts para se averiguar a apropriação do conceito de organização pela Teoria Organizacional e, também, como o conceito de cooperação é apropriado pelos Estudos Organizacionais. Trata-se a temática da cooperação sob as perspectivas da Biologia, da Sociologia e da Teoria Organizacional. Aborda-se o surgimento, as principais teorias e os princípios do cooperativismo. Discute-se o que é a organização cooperativa com ênfase naquelas abordagens que destacam o processo de os sujeitos, por meio deste tipo de organização, promoverem soluções a problemas comuns. A intercooperação é discutida enquanto um dos princípios do cooperativismo e também como lógica competitiva. É tratado, ainda, o fenômeno do empreendedorismo sob as abordagens de negócios, coletivo, social e cooperativo, com foco nesta última perspectiva. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas em profundidade com gestores de 13 das 15 CERs, sendo 17 gestores de CERs entrevistados, 11 experts do cooperativismo, 5 associados de CERs, 3 gestores de estruturas de representação de organizações cooperativas e 1 líder de classe de trabalhadores. Os resultados apontam que as CERs nasceram em um ambiente de intercooperação e que algumas têm conseguido desenvolver a capacidade de promover arranjos intercooperativos, inclusive em nível internacional. As iniciativas de intercooperação, entretanto, ainda não avançaram para ações como a de compras conjuntas. Sobre o empreendedorismo cooperativo, as iniciativas se dão no sentido da criação das CERs, geração de energia elétrica de forma individual e compartilhada, e o reforço de redes de distribuição. Já, no que tange à contribuição para a produção de energia elétrica e de alimentos sob a lógica da sustentabilidade, as CERs viabilizaram a permanência das famílias em suas propriedades ao disponibilizarem a energia elétrica, assim como favoreceram o uso de tecnologias para o aumento da produção e produtividade, aspectos que contemplam as dimensões social e econômica. Na geração de energia elétrica, são identificadas as dimensões social, ambiental e econômica. Emergem, ainda as dimensões territorial, política e tecnológica da sustentabilidade. / Rural electrification is a challenge characterized by sparse population, low per capita consumption, long distances to meet the consumer and the process of difficult access to network maintenance. In Rio Grande do Sul, the first initiatives of rural electrification were made possible through Rural Rlectrification Cooperatives (RECs) which, over time, began to face problems arising from the the privatization of the Brazilian electricity sector. To survive, the RECs have developed mutual cooperation initiatives, implemented new business, and were articulated with and by its representation structures. From this context arises the question: How to develop the inter-cooperation and cooperative entrepreneurship in the Cooperative Rural Electrification Gaucho and what their contribution to the electricity and food production under the sustainability logic? To build the answer to this question, it was defined as objective: To investigate whether and how the cooperative entrepreneurship and inter-cooperation hold up Rural Electrification Cooperativism gaucho and the production of food and electricity, under the logic of sustainability. The theory that underlies the study alludes to the displacement of concepts to determine the appropriation of organization concept by the Organizational Theory and also how the cooperation concept ois appropriated by Organizational Studies. Discusses the cooperation issues from the Biology, Sociology and Organizational Theory perspectives. It is argued what is the cooperative organization with an emphasis on those approaches that highlight the process of the subject, through this type of organization, promote solutions to common problems. The inter-cooperation is discussed as one of the principles of the cooperative as well as competitive logic. It is treated also the entrepreneurship phenomenon in business, collective, social and cooperative approaches, focusing on the latter perspective. In conducting the survey, data was collected by in-depth interviews with managers of 13 of the 15 RECs, totaling 17 RECs managers interviewed, 11 cooperativism experts, 5 families of members of RECs, three structures representation of cooperative organizations managers and one working class leadership.The results demonstrate that RECs are born in a intercooperation environment and that, throughout its history, some have been able to develop the ability to promote intercooperatives arrangements, including at the international level. The inter-cooperation initiatives, however, have not come forward to actions such as joint purchasing. Regarding the co-operative entrepreneurship, the main initiatives are given towards the creation of RECs, the RECs capitalization for creating enterprises, individual and shared electric power generation, and strengthening distribution networks. Already, regarding the contribution to food and electricity production under the logic of sustainability, RECs possible the permanence of families in their ownership by delivering electrical energy, as well as promoted the use of technology to increase production and productivity, all of which include the social and economic dimensions of sustainability. In power generation, the social, environmental and economic dimensions are identified. Emerge, although the territorial, political and technological sustainability dimensions.

This thesis investigates the experiences of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the agricultural sector of the Russian Federation. The focus is on the form of FDI, and how each investor responds, and adapts, to the Russian operational environment. This is achieved through extensive qualitative, and multiple methods research on three manifestations of FDI: corporate, privately-funded investment; corporate, publically-funded investment; and smaller, individual private investment. Of interest are the Russia-specific constraints that may be largely underprepared for by foreign investors, and unexpected events that occur in the Russian space that hamper the efforts of investors. This thesis, thus, informs the reader of the variable nature of the Russian agricultural sphere, and the problems that exist within its boundaries, and presents the stories of some of the foreign investors that have tried to penetrate its market, mostly since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The thesis consists of four papers that have either been published, or submitted for publication, in academic journals, and utilises fieldwork that was conducted between 2013 and 2014. This thesis finds that all of the foreign investors studied have experienced - in certain aspects - failure on the Russian frontier, though there have also been certain successes. It seems that financial success is dictated by the business model of each investor; those who are afforded longer time horizons, more time to adapt on the frontier, and a source of funds that does not place short-term pressure on the business, are more likely to succeed. The Russian operating environment is unique, peculiar, and unpredictable, with a tendency to produce substantial obstacles that, for investors, are difficult to overcome; for agricultural FDI to avoid these struggles, these environmental conditions need to be anticipated and prepared for, with clear strategies painstakingly thought through before any venture physically begins on Russian soil.

A eletrificação rural é um desafio caracterizado pela população rarefeita, baixo consumo per capita, longas distâncias para atender aos consumidores e vias de difícil acesso para manutenção das redes. No Rio Grande do Sul, as primeiras iniciativas de eletrificação rural foram viabilizadas por meio de Cooperativas de Eletrificação Rural (CERs) que, com o passar do tempo, começaram a enfrentar problemas provocados pela privatização do setor elétrico brasileiro. Para sobreviverem, as CERs desenvolveram iniciativas de mútua cooperação, implementaram novos negócios, se articularam com e pelas estruturas de representação. Deste contexto emerge o questionamento: Como se desenvolvem a intercooperação e o empreendedorismo cooperativo no Cooperativismo de Eletrificação Rural Gaúcho e qual a contribuição destes para a produção de energia elétrica e de alimentos sob a lógica da sustentabilidade? Para se construir a resposta à questão, definiu-se como objetivo: Investigar se e como o empreendedorismo cooperativo e a intercooperação fomentam o Cooperativismo de Eletrificação Rural Gaúcho e a produção de energia elétrica e de alimentos sob a lógica da sustentabilidade. A teoria que embasa o estudo faz alusão ao displacement of concepts para se averiguar a apropriação do conceito de organização pela Teoria Organizacional e, também, como o conceito de cooperação é apropriado pelos Estudos Organizacionais. Trata-se a temática da cooperação sob as perspectivas da Biologia, da Sociologia e da Teoria Organizacional. Aborda-se o surgimento, as principais teorias e os princípios do cooperativismo. Discute-se o que é a organização cooperativa com ênfase naquelas abordagens que destacam o processo de os sujeitos, por meio deste tipo de organização, promoverem soluções a problemas comuns. A intercooperação é discutida enquanto um dos princípios do cooperativismo e também como lógica competitiva. É tratado, ainda, o fenômeno do empreendedorismo sob as abordagens de negócios, coletivo, social e cooperativo, com foco nesta última perspectiva. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas em profundidade com gestores de 13 das 15 CERs, sendo 17 gestores de CERs entrevistados, 11 experts do cooperativismo, 5 associados de CERs, 3 gestores de estruturas de representação de organizações cooperativas e 1 líder de classe de trabalhadores. Os resultados apontam que as CERs nasceram em um ambiente de intercooperação e que algumas têm conseguido desenvolver a capacidade de promover arranjos intercooperativos, inclusive em nível internacional. As iniciativas de intercooperação, entretanto, ainda não avançaram para ações como a de compras conjuntas. Sobre o empreendedorismo cooperativo, as iniciativas se dão no sentido da criação das CERs, geração de energia elétrica de forma individual e compartilhada, e o reforço de redes de distribuição. Já, no que tange à contribuição para a produção de energia elétrica e de alimentos sob a lógica da sustentabilidade, as CERs viabilizaram a permanência das famílias em suas propriedades ao disponibilizarem a energia elétrica, assim como favoreceram o uso de tecnologias para o aumento da produção e produtividade, aspectos que contemplam as dimensões social e econômica. Na geração de energia elétrica, são identificadas as dimensões social, ambiental e econômica. Emergem, ainda as dimensões territorial, política e tecnológica da sustentabilidade. / Rural electrification is a challenge characterized by sparse population, low per capita consumption, long distances to meet the consumer and the process of difficult access to network maintenance. In Rio Grande do Sul, the first initiatives of rural electrification were made possible through Rural Rlectrification Cooperatives (RECs) which, over time, began to face problems arising from the the privatization of the Brazilian electricity sector. To survive, the RECs have developed mutual cooperation initiatives, implemented new business, and were articulated with and by its representation structures. From this context arises the question: How to develop the inter-cooperation and cooperative entrepreneurship in the Cooperative Rural Electrification Gaucho and what their contribution to the electricity and food production under the sustainability logic? To build the answer to this question, it was defined as objective: To investigate whether and how the cooperative entrepreneurship and inter-cooperation hold up Rural Electrification Cooperativism gaucho and the production of food and electricity, under the logic of sustainability. The theory that underlies the study alludes to the displacement of concepts to determine the appropriation of organization concept by the Organizational Theory and also how the cooperation concept ois appropriated by Organizational Studies. Discusses the cooperation issues from the Biology, Sociology and Organizational Theory perspectives. It is argued what is the cooperative organization with an emphasis on those approaches that highlight the process of the subject, through this type of organization, promote solutions to common problems. The inter-cooperation is discussed as one of the principles of the cooperative as well as competitive logic. It is treated also the entrepreneurship phenomenon in business, collective, social and cooperative approaches, focusing on the latter perspective. In conducting the survey, data was collected by in-depth interviews with managers of 13 of the 15 RECs, totaling 17 RECs managers interviewed, 11 cooperativism experts, 5 families of members of RECs, three structures representation of cooperative organizations managers and one working class leadership.The results demonstrate that RECs are born in a intercooperation environment and that, throughout its history, some have been able to develop the ability to promote intercooperatives arrangements, including at the international level. The inter-cooperation initiatives, however, have not come forward to actions such as joint purchasing. Regarding the co-operative entrepreneurship, the main initiatives are given towards the creation of RECs, the RECs capitalization for creating enterprises, individual and shared electric power generation, and strengthening distribution networks. Already, regarding the contribution to food and electricity production under the logic of sustainability, RECs possible the permanence of families in their ownership by delivering electrical energy, as well as promoted the use of technology to increase production and productivity, all of which include the social and economic dimensions of sustainability. In power generation, the social, environmental and economic dimensions are identified. Emerge, although the territorial, political and technological sustainability dimensions.