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O setor fumageiro no Brasil vem contribuindo expressivamente para o crescimento da economia nacional, em especial para o desenvolvimento da região do Vale do Rio Pardo, no estado do Rio Grande do sul. No entanto, os pequenos fumicultores desta região carecem de mais atenção no que se refere a sua saúde. Para atingir o nível de qualidade exigido, o trabalho desenvolvido nestas lavouras expõe estes trabalhadores a intempéries climáticas, a adoção de posturas desfavoráveis, exigindo também o emprego de grande esforço físico. A associação destes fatores de risco podem favorecer o surgimento de problemas de saúde, além de alterações no desempenho funcional, que em curto ou longo prazo podem levar ao afastamento do trabalho. Este estudo buscou levantar dados a respeito da situação atual de saúde dos fumicultores, bem como mapear o processo produtivo de fumo nestas pequenas propriedades e realizar uma análise ergonômica deste. Através da comparação dos dados coletados com os encontrados na literatura, foi possível verificar que as condições de trabalho podem estar influenciando nas condições de saúde e segurança desta população. A partir de então, foram formuladas propostas de ações que visam melhorar estas condições laborais, assim como diminuir sua influência na saúde e segurança destes trabalhadores. / The tobacco sector in Brazil has grown in recent years, contributing significantly to the growth of national economy, specially the development of Vale do Rio Pardo, in state of Rio Grande do Sul. However, the small tobacco growers in this region require further attention regarding to their health, because to achieve the required quality, the work developed in these crops exposes these workers to bad weather, the adoption of awkward postures and required the use of excessive physical efforts. The association of these risk factors can favor the appearance of health problems, changes in performance, that in short or long term can lead to a great absenteeism. This study aimed to collect data about the current health state of local tobacco growers, map the production process of tobacco in these smaller properties and perform an ergonomic analysis. By comparing the data collected with the data found in the literature it was concluded that working conditions can be influencing the health and safety of this population. From then, there were formulated proposals of actions that aim to improve the work conditions, as well as to reduce his influence in the health and security of these workers.

Raspberry production in Utah is concentrated to a large extent in Utah county. According to the 1940 census, Utah county contains 62 percent of the state acreage of 611 acres. Average raspberry acreage in Utah is only about one-half acre per farm on farms reported as growing raspberries. With such small acreage the average producer cannot afford to devote very much time and effort to the production and marketing of raspberries. In the majority of cases raspberry production is carried on by the farmer's wife, as a means of gaining “pin” money for use in the household. Proceeds from raspberries are one of the first cash incomes of the year received from fruit production. The harvesting of raspberries begins about the 25th of June and lasts until the end of July in Utah county. Because of the small acreage per grower, short production season, and high perishability of raspberries, a problem of marketing arises. Previous to 1939, the Salt Lake Public Market was over-supplied with raspberries during peaks of production. This resulted in low prices. Peddlers and truckers dictated the price received by producers. Thus, low prices often resulted and caused the berries to be left on the vines as the prices would not pay the cost of picking and packing. In order to provide better market outlets, establish satisfactory grades and standards, and provide for more orderly marketing, the producers in Utah county organized a Cooperative Marketing Association in 1939. This association was organized for the purpose of marketing raspberries grown by producers in Utah county from Mapleton to Pleasant Grove. The purpose of this study is: (1) to show the problems relating to the marketing of raspberries in Utah, (2) to analyze data made available by the Utah Berry Growers' Association order to show market areas, methods of marketing, price received by method of sale, marketing expenses and to determine sales and prices received on week days and holidays, (3) to analyze the possibility of extending the markets for Utah raspberries.

This thesis is primarily concerned with the characteristics and effectiveness of extension and adult learning within a community of Maltese vegetable growers in western Sydney. Extension was practised according to principles of experiential learning theory, action research and andragogy. The recommendation is made that extension agents should concentrate upon experiences that are within the target group's spheres of activity and interest. Kolb's experiential learning theory was found to be applicable to extension in this context. This theory, and similar principles, involve interpretivism, reflection and interaction, all of which were found to be beneficial. It was found to be sufficient for the author to inspire growers with broad concepts, which were then applied by growers to their situations. It is suggested that extension agents concern themselves less with attempts to change clients' attitudes and instead encourage them to trial innovations and draw their own conclusions. Future research should consider characteristics of the internalisation of knowledge and the role of clients' emotional well-being. Guidelines for extension with Maltese vegetable growers of the Sydney region are listed, and many of these are generalisable to other circumstances of extension. / Master of Science (Hons) (Systems Agriculture)

GlobalGAP (previously EurepGAP) is a voluntary business-to-business standard for food audit that has recently achieved the greatest acceptance worldwide (Campbell, Lawrence & Smith 2006) boasting implementation numbers of over 80,000 farms in 80 countries. Compliance with the standard is verified by means of the third party certification (TPC) audit, and is designed to (GlobalGAP 2008) assure European retailers that exporting producers have met their criteria for safe and sustainable agriculture (GlobalGAP 2007b). In 2004, cherry growers in the Southern Interior of British Columbia became the first GlobalGAP certified producers in Canada. This novelty afforded a unique opportunity to observe the introduction of the standard in an industrialized country with well-established regulations and where the capacity of producers to undertake the process was relatively high. A qualitative methodology was used in case studies of two communities to inductively study the implementation of ‘safe and sustainable agriculture’ certification and generate relevant research questions for deeper examination. Sensitizing concepts emerging from observations of the TPC audits (n = 20) evolved into two primary research objectives; 1) to understand the practical application and diffusion of a TPC standard and 2) to explore the efficacy of the TPC standard as a mechanism to promote sustainable agriculture within certain pre-existing contexts. Forty-four follow up interviews were conducted with growers that chose to certify (n = 24), those that did not (n = 14), and other key actors (n = 3). This thesis examines the research objectives over three chapters. The introduction provides the local and global context along with a review of GlobalGAP, agri-food governance and the role of private certification and retailer power. Chapter two presents the technological and sociological factors that influenced the stages of the diffusion of GlobalGAP TPC and compares these factors and outcomes to the technological and sociological components of sustainable agriculture. In the conclusion, policy strategies are offered to maximize the potential for this tool to promote sustainable agriculture along with suggestions for future research on the topic.

GlobalGAP (previously EurepGAP) is a voluntary business-to-business standard for food audit that has recently achieved the greatest acceptance worldwide (Campbell, Lawrence & Smith 2006) boasting implementation numbers of over 80,000 farms in 80 countries. Compliance with the standard is verified by means of the third party certification (TPC) audit, and is designed to (GlobalGAP 2008) assure European retailers that exporting producers have met their criteria for safe and sustainable agriculture (GlobalGAP 2007b). In 2004, cherry growers in the Southern Interior of British Columbia became the first GlobalGAP certified producers in Canada. This novelty afforded a unique opportunity to observe the introduction of the standard in an industrialized country with well-established regulations and where the capacity of producers to undertake the process was relatively high. A qualitative methodology was used in case studies of two communities to inductively study the implementation of ‘safe and sustainable agriculture’ certification and generate relevant research questions for deeper examination. Sensitizing concepts emerging from observations of the TPC audits (n = 20) evolved into two primary research objectives; 1) to understand the practical application and diffusion of a TPC standard and 2) to explore the efficacy of the TPC standard as a mechanism to promote sustainable agriculture within certain pre-existing contexts. Forty-four follow up interviews were conducted with growers that chose to certify (n = 24), those that did not (n = 14), and other key actors (n = 3). This thesis examines the research objectives over three chapters. The introduction provides the local and global context along with a review of GlobalGAP, agri-food governance and the role of private certification and retailer power. Chapter two presents the technological and sociological factors that influenced the stages of the diffusion of GlobalGAP TPC and compares these factors and outcomes to the technological and sociological components of sustainable agriculture. In the conclusion, policy strategies are offered to maximize the potential for this tool to promote sustainable agriculture along with suggestions for future research on the topic.

Coffee production in Costa Rica has brought prosperity to many small farmers, but conflicts of interest with the companies which process and market coffee are still a problem. In addition, producers and processors are plagued by the periodic market cycles of agricultural commodities. Various agencies have promoted cooperatives to help small farmers deal with these problems, but they often fail due to poor management and lack of participation. / This thesis, a multi-layered study of coffee production, processing, and marketing, examines how household producers manage the constraints and opportunities posed by the international market, the Costa Rican state, and the coffee tree itself. A comparative analysis between cooperative and private coffee processors; between two rural communities; and among households in these communities provides the ethnographic context in which the effectiveness of cooperatives as mediating institutions between producers and the world market is analyzed.

Saskatchewan’s lentil producers are positively impacted when their temporary competitive advantage in the industry, which in part is derived from high yielding Saskatchewan-bred lentil varieties, is eroded though ineffective intellectual property (IP) protection. The ineffective IP protection occurs due to the inconsistency in the enforcement of policies and laws across countries, making it difficult to protect IP when exporting products. Additionally, intellectual property protection of lentils is inefficient is when viable seeds are obtained by other countries through the export of whole seeds. This is because lentils are an open pollinated crop and intellectual property cannot be protected through hybrid seed technology. This is an issue because the Canadian red lentil (CRL) varieties have been bred for the Saskatchewan climate, but are well suited to grow in countries that have similar climates, and therefore are well adapted to large regions of Russia and Kazakhstan. The similarity in growing conditions, coupled with the lack of IP protection for the CRL varieties makes it possible for Russia and Kazakhstan to use imported Saskatchewan bred lentil varieties to grow in their lentil industry. When Russia and Kazakhstan grow the CRL varieties it directly competes with Saskatchewan’s production in the world market, eroding the producer surplus of Saskatchewan producers. This thesis estimates the economic benefit to Canadian growers of restricting access to Canadian varieties through a value chain that genetically protects the CRL varieties by exporting only de-hulled red lentils. A dynamic, multi-country, partial equilibrium model is used to estimate the effects de-hulling CRL varieties before export will have on the Canadian lentil industry. This model determines the effects that de-hulling CRL's will have on Canadian lentil producer's welfare by comparing the results from when there is genetic protection (GP) for the CRL varieties before they are export and then there is no genetic protection (noGP) for the CRL varieties. In my thesis, I examine four potential scenarios for the future lentil production in Russia and Kazakhstan over the next twenty years. The four growth scenarios that are examined for Russia and Kazakhstan’s lentil industries range from no convergence to full convergence. No convergence is when Russia and Kazakhstan continue producing lentils with their 2011 lentil hectares until 2034. Full convergence is when both countries converge to the Canadian lentil industry’s ratio of lentil hectares to spring wheat hectares. The empirical model results show that producer surplus gained by Canadian lentil producers are increased when Canadian firms use GP to protect the intellectual property rights (IPR) of new CRL varieties. My results show that lentil prices in the global market will be modestly higher when there is GP for lentils versus when there is noGP for lentils over the next twenty years. The difference in the prices of the noGP case and the GP case gets larger as Russia and Kazakhstan go from no convergence to full convergence. The price impacts of GP in 2034 range from a $0.52 per tonne increase with no convergence to a $5.92 per tonne increase with full convergence. If the net processing margin is not increased, GP will produce a 2012 discounted price of $2.41 billion over the 2014-2034 period, suggesting only modest returns from GP. When all four convergence scenarios are evaluated and weighted by expected probabilities of occurrence, the estimated overall economic impact for Canadian lentil producers from 2014 to 2034 will be $47.12 million in additional producer surplus (PS), which is equal to an increased price of $3.41 per tonne. For this to be feasible the cost of de-hulling the lentils must be profitable to the processors at $3.41 per tonne or less.

The global coffee industry is in a state of crisis. Small-scale producers are those most seriously impacted by the crisis, facing the challenges of a precarious and changing market, despite limited resources. In Oaxaca, Mexico, a prominent response among indigenous small-scale farmers has been to join independent coffee producer unions. Within theses unions there is currently a move to encourage organic coffee cultivation among campesinos, so that these groups might niche market their coffee. This niche, or "conscience", market is shaped by the "organic coffee discourse" which emphasizes the themes of environmental protection, social justice and indigenity. By examining the relationship between organic coffee production (as an economic strategy for marginal producers) and its discourse (which mobilizes consumers in wealthy countries) we will see the impetus behind organic coffee production as it ranges from Oaxaca's indigenous farmers, their producer unions, and consumers.