Greece, like many other countries, has experienced great changes in food supply, consumption patterns and health outcomes. Famous for its Mediterranean diet, it has actually undergone a modem nutrition transition, and now has high rates of overweight and obesity and increased incidence of non-communicable nutrition-related diseases. This study begins with that reality and the current failure of food policy and nutrition-related initiatives to tackle problems. The study explores whether and how social marketing could remedy this policy deficit and contribute to changing Greek food behaviour. The thesis describes a contextual review of the state of nutritional health, the food system and food policy in Greece and outlines social marketing theory and experience. Two studies were conducted to answer the research questions. The first was a case study conducted on a sample of undergraduate students through nine focus groups with fifty-nine Greek undergraduate students from eight Athenian education institutes to explore the influencers of eating behaviour, the impact of current initiatives and the potential of social marketing. A second study of thirty-two key stakeholders in significant positions in the Greek food system explored through semi-structured interviews the reactions of education institutes, civil society, government and food supply chain representatives to the Greek food situation and the potential of social marketing. The fieldwork studies found that social marketing was not likely to be a panacea but has potential for Greece. The first study found that eating decisions are complex, based on individual as well as environmental factors. Both studies highlighted policy failings in government, while the second study specified the problematic structure of the public sector and a reluctance to confront existing food culture. Both studies found potential for social marketing to help change Greek food culture but its utility depends on factors beyond the realm of food policy alone. Political will, suitably qualified people and changes in the food system are all necessary. The thesis concludes that social marketing would be enhanced by an integrated food policy framework and from a broader understanding of behaviour change in general and of the dynamics of eating behaviour in particular. A new model of this integrated approach is proposed. Greek food policy would be enriched by the citizen-centric approach of social marketing but only if the full 5 Ps that will include "Policy" are applied as the policy element is too easily marginalised. The thesis proposes that food policy be integrated around three dimensions of action: food safety and hygiene, nutrition and environment.

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The study concerns the effects on the course of agricultural land-use change of the local domination of land occupancy by sub-full-time farms; in particular the effect of non-agricultural occupations on the land-use of individual farm operators is central. Land-use <i>changes</i> in the West Highlands of Scotland (1947-79) were charted for 66 Parishes, which were subjected to a hierarchical fusion of 'similar experience' of change. Resultant clusters were compared in terms of structural attributes. Differentiation was found at two levels: between areas of high viz low percentages of part-time holdings and within the sub-full-time fractions, related to relative proportions of holdings of 40-135, and 135-270 Standard Man Days. 'Insignificant' holdings (<40 SMDs) were found not to be of a characteristic land-use 'type' but instead operated enterprises of similar form to larger units. In three areas of crofting townships land-use and enterprise characteristics were found not to be a sole function of size of holdings or labour availability, (estimated from household demographic and employment criteria). Non-farm occupational characteristics (full-time; part-time; seasonal etc) related to the scale of enterprise but less so to the type of enterprise. Occupants with off-farm work did not specialise <i>per se</i> in low-labour demanding activities. Linear programming was used to estimate optimal land-use intensity from land capability and labour data. Occupational factors related to sub-optimal land-use intensity as did occupants' age. A method derived from Point Score Analysis of decision-making factors showed that certain factors serve as 'constraints' on choices of specific groups of individuals. Off-farm work was found to be the most important such constraint.

Tornadoes pose a significant threat to residents of Indiana due to a large relative frequency of events that is comparable to most states within classic Tornado Alley. Because of this threat weather forecasters must be very aware of atmospheric environments that lead to tornadogenesis. In some cases these environments are obvious; in others mesoscale variability conducive to tornadogenesis may not be easy to identify. As a result the purpose of this study is to determine if mesoscale variability along primary land-cover boundaries plays a significant role in the climatology of tornadogenesis in Indiana. This is accomplished by developing a set of spatial and temporal climatologies for all significant (F2 and greater damage) Indiana tornadoes from 1955 - 2001. These climatologies are used to determine if spatial distributions of tomadogenesis events are influenced over space and time by significant land-cover boundaries. Results of this research seem to suggest that land-cover boundaries play a role in the tornado climatology of Indiana, with large tornadogenesis frequencies in Lake County, Marion County, and along a corridor extending from central into southern Indiana. Urban heat island circulations seem to play a role in the Lake and Marion counties' frequency maxima, while non-classical mesoscale circulations (NCMCs) appear to contribute to the frequency maxima in southern Indiana. / Department of Geography

This study determines and predicts multi-temporal Land-Use-Land-Cover Change (LULC) in a peripheral urban landscape over a 22 year period in relation to the study area‘s greenery. A change detection analysis using post classification Maximum Likelihood algorithm on three multispectral SPOT-4 images was used to determine land-cover transformation. To predict future land coverage, a Land-Cover Change Modeler (LCM) and a Markov Chain were used. Results show that between the year 2000-2006, 2006-2011 and 2000-2011 the study area experienced varied changes in the different LULCs. Built-up areas increased by 10.08%, 3.15% and 13.23% in 2000-2006, 2006-2011, and 2000-2011 respectively. Areas covered by thicket decreased by 0.59% in 2000-2006 but increased by 0.56%, 0.07% in 2006-2011 and 2000-2011 respectively. Forest land-cover increased by 2.59% in 2000-2006, 2.82% in 2006-2011, and 5.41% in 2000-2011. Grassland declined by 8.46% and 2.64% in 2000-2006 and 2000-2011 respectively while degraded grassland declined by 3.62%, 12.45% and 16.07% in 2000-2006, 2006-2011, and 2000-2011 respectively. Projection results indicate a consistent pattern of growth or decline to those experienced between 2000-2011. This study provides insight into LULC patterns within the eThekwini metro area and offers invaluable understanding of the transformation of the urban green spaces. Key words: Land-Use-Land-Cover Change, Change detection, Land-Cover Change Modeler, Markov Chain Process, Land-Cover Change Prediction. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.