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 January 20, 2010). Thesis advisor: Dr. Georgeanne Artz. Includes bibliographical references.

This diploma thesis inquires into organic box distribution analysis. The main purpose of this thesis is to look more closely at organic box schemes and consumer behaviour related to organic boxes. First part focuses on organic farming and particular types of distribution channels used in organic farming. Second part identifies chosen organic box schemes and their members, such as farmers and co-operatives. These members as well as consumers were interviewed on a specific questionnaire-basis. All gathered data were later evaluated and synthesized. According to those, working hypotheses were assessed. At the end of this thesis, it was established that the supply of organic box schemes (farmers, co-operatives) meets its particular demand (consumers of organic food).

The aim of this dissertation is to summarize the current ecological situation in the Czechia. A very important aspect of this alternative agriculture is its regional differentiation. Czechia has a lot of organic farms, the mian aim of this thesis is to map their location and determine the location is correct or not. NUTS 4 units will be used in mapping the distribution of ecological farms as they are the suitable units for making comparisons. The source of data on which this research is based is the Ministry of Agriculture and Control organization KEZ, o.p.s. The results of this research are displayed in the form of tables and pictures. Cartograms and cart-diagrams are used to display the geographical distribution of the organic subjects. The commentaries on the cartograms and cart-diagrams are the key part of this research. This dissertation also briefly looks comparison Czechia with other member states of the EU member states in organic farming and own research which aims to offer organic products in stores. C lick to buy N O W ! PDF-XCHANGE w w w .docu-track.c o m C lick to buy N O W ! PDF-XCHANGE w w w .docu-track.c o m

Denna studie syftar till att identifiera vad det är som driver eller hindrar lantbrukare i Östergötland att ställa om sitt lantbruk till ekologisk produktion och huruvida de identifierade påverkningsfaktorerna skiljer sig åt mellan konventionella och ekologiska lantbrukare. Semistrukturerade intervjuer med tre konventionella samt fyra ekologiska lantbrukare genomfördes för att undersöka deras erfarenheter. Respondenternas erfarenheter redovisas i sex identifierade teman; Gårdsspecifika förutsättningar, Ekonomi, Politik, Administration och regelverk, Miljö och hälsa samt Produktionsteknik. En jämförelse mellan de båda grupperna genomförs och det empiriska materialet ställs mot tidigare forskning. Resultatet av studien visar att skillnader mellan ekologiska och konventionella lantbrukares uppfattningar kring hinder och drivkrafter förekommer, men inte inom alla teman. Det är tydligt att lönsamhet är viktigt för att lantbrukare skall ställa om sin produktion men även andra faktorer påverkar valet och behöver beaktas om en ökad konvertering är önskvärd. / This study aims to identify motivations and barriers for farmers in Östergötland regarding conversion to organic farming and if the identified factors of influence differ between the conventional and the organic farmers. We used semi-structured interviews with three conventional farmers and four organic farmers to examine their personal experience regarding organic farming. The experiences from the respondents are presented in six identified themes: Farm specific conditions, Economy, Politics, Administration and regulations, Environment and health and Production techniques. This is followed by a comparison between the groups, and the empirical material is linked to scientific sources on the subject. The result of the study indicates that differences between identified motivations and barriers exists between the two groups, but not within every theme. It is clear that profitability is an important factor for farmers to convert their production, but other factors may influence the choice as well. It is necessary to consider these factors if an additional increase in organic farming is desired.

This research seeks to address the gap in the literature on women, health, and environments by exploring the factors that motivate Jamaican women farmers to practice organic agriculture and how these might relate to their understandings of environment and health. The experiences and decisions of women farmers are also positioned within wider historical contexts of colonialism and agricultural change. Integrating a variety of theoretical frameworks, including public issues anthropology, ethnoecology, rural sociology, and feminist political ecology, my own scholarly analysis is merged with the perspectives of the women farmers interviewed in this qualitative study. This research found that women organic farmers in Jamaica were motivated by various factors related to environment and health and impacted by the island’s legacy of slavery and industrialization. The findings of this thesis can be used to encourage the practice of organic agriculture and to improve human health and environmental wellbeing in Jamaica and beyond. / Richard and Sophia Hungerford Travel Scholarship, Yeandle Family Graduate Scholarship, Richard and Sophia Hungerford Graduate Scholarship, Registrar’s Research Grant for Graduate Students, Registrar’s Research Travel Grant

Submitted by Mariana Dornelles Vargas (marianadv) on 2015-05-08T16:31:36Z No. of bitstreams: 1 uma_analise.pdf: 1521320 bytes, checksum: 826ae498769acda69af8efe004a11afb (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-08T16:31:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 uma_analise.pdf: 1521320 bytes, checksum: 826ae498769acda69af8efe004a11afb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-07-21 / Nenhuma / Este trabalho apresenta uma análise das relações comprador-fornecedor na cadeia de suprimentos de produtos orgânicos no Brasil, por meio de um estudo de caso sobre como se caracterizam os relacionamentos entre o Grupo Pão de Açúcar e os seus fornecedores de frutas, legumes e verduras (FLV) envolvidos na cadeia de suprimentos da marca própria Taeq para sua linha de produtos Taeq Orgânico. O referencial teórico alia conceitos sobre varejo, estratégia das operações, cadeia de valor e rede de operações, gestão da cadeia de suprimentos e relações comprador-fornecedor. As relações comprador-fornecedor são apresentadas de acordo com o referencial de análise proposto em duas perspectivas: episódios de interação e relacionamentos que juntas definem o ambiente operacional no qual compradores e fornecedores interagem, compreendendo a redução na base de fornecedores, o relacionamento de longo prazo, o envolvimento do fornecedor no desenvolvimento de produto e a qualidade como critério prioritário para seleção e avaliação de fornecedores; bem como as dimensões dos relacionamentos criados neste contexto que contemplam a comunicação, as equipes multifuncionais, o compromisso, a cooperação, e as operações conjuntas. São observadas diferenças na caracterização dos relacionamentos a partir do varejo em todas as características observadas em relação aos constituídos entre intermediário atacadista, produtor-coordenador e produtor. Percebe-se que os relacionamentos entre comprador e fornecedores na cadeia de suprimentos de produtos orgânicos a partir de uma grande rede varejista se caracterizam por uma assimetria refletida na capacidade do varejo em exercer poder, influência ou controle sobre a cadeia de suprimentos em função de seu poder de compra e proximidade com o consumidor final; e pela busca da eficiência, em função da necessidade do varejo melhorar a relação custo/benefício de seus processos o que, em alguns momentos, impacta na confiança entre as partes, além da dependência do varejo em relação aos fornecedores em função da indisponibilidade de produtos que atendam a demanda atual. Porém, as práticas de relacionamento entre o comprador e seus fornecedores estão em constante mudança, devido às grandes alterações nos ambientes e à crescente necessidade de responder cada vez mais rápido às necessidades dos clientes, o que implica em uma dinâmica que permite a identificação de estruturas diversas e singulares. Adicionalmente, se percebe que a busca de diferenciação do varejista por meio da introdução de uma dimensão social na sua proposta de valor, na associação com marcas próprias de produtos orgânicos não assegura a extensão a toda a cadeia de suprimentos de orgânicos, mas gera benefícios à sociedade ao estimular a inclusão de pequenos produtores em cadeias produtivas mais elaboradas, promover a melhoria da saúde dos produtores ao adotarem a produção orgânica, sem o uso de agrotóxicos. / This paper presents an analysis of buyer-supplier relationships in the supply chain for organic products in Brazil through a case study on how to characterize the relationships between the Pão de Açúcar and their suppliers of fruit and vegetables ( FLV) involved in the supply chain to its own brand Taeq Taeq Organic product line. The theoretical framework combines concepts of retail, operations strategy, value chain and network operations, supply chain management and buyer-supplier relationships. The buyer-supplier relationships are presented in accordance with benchmark analysis discussed from two perspectives episodes of interaction and relationships that together define the operating environment in which buyers and suppliers interact, including the reduction in the supplier base, the long-term relationship the supplier involvement in product development and quality as a priority criterion for selecting and evaluating suppliers, as well as the dimensions of the relationships created in this context that include communication, cross-functional teams, commitment, cooperation, and joint operations. Differences are observed in the characterization of relationships from the retail on all observed characteristics in relation to established between intermediate wholesaler, producer-engineer and producer. It is perceived that relationships between buyers and suppliers in the supply chain for organic products from a large retail chain is characterized by an asymmetry reflected in the ability of retailers to exercise power, influence or control over the supply chain due to its purchasing power and proximity to the final consumer, and the search for efficiency, depending on the need for retail to improve the cost / benefit analysis of its processes which, at times, impacting on confidence between the parties, besides the dependence of retail against suppliers depending on availability of products that meet current demand. However, the practical relationship between the buyer and its suppliers are constantly changing due to major changes in the environments and the increasing need to respond more quickly to customer needs, which implies a dynamic that allows the identification of structures diverse and unique. Additionally, one realizes that the quest for differentiation of the retailer through the introduction of a social dimension in its value proposition, in association with their own brands of organic products does not ensure the extension to the entire supply chain for organic products, the benefits to society to encourage the inclusion of small producers into supply chains more elaborate, promote improved health of farmers to adopt organic farming without using pesticides.

Organic agriculture is an important and growing sector of U.S. and world food production. Consumers are increasingly aware of and interested in the production practices and impacts associated with agriculture and as such, are showing a preference for sustainably produced, raised, and harvested foods. In order to continue to meet the growing demand for organic produce, organic growers need cultivars that are optimally adapted to organic and low input conditions. Quality seed is the foundation of any functional and stable farming system. Unfortunately the lack of organically bred and produced seed is hindering the continued growth and success of organic farming. Meeting the needs of the organic sector has been a challenge for the seed industry; it is an industry that often doesn't understand the specific and unique requirements associated with the diversity of environmental and market demands of organic systems. However, organic farmers and the organic food systems they supply, require a robust organic seed system that is appropriately adapted to regional agronomic challenges and market needs, meets standards and regulations, and encompasses the social and ecological values of organic agriculture. One plausible approach to meeting the cultivar and seed needs of organic and low input production systems is through the use of participatory plant breeding (PPB). PPB is a collaborative approach for identifying and developing genetically diverse plant material and varieties involving partnerships among formal sector breeders and researchers, farmers, extension agents, educators, and end users. Participatory plant breeding fundamentally changes the way that formal breeding programs and farmers manage germplasm and plant genetic resources. Typically, formal breeding programs restrict access to germplasm and breeding materials and only supply farmers with finished varieties. In PPB, farmers are involved in the early stages of creation and evaluation of germplasm and breeding material, and stay engaged with the breeding process until new varieties are created. PPB is an excellent model for breeding specifically for organic systems because organic systems in developed countries have many similarities to low-input agricultural systems in the developing world. Some of these parallels include heterogeneous growing environments, a wide range of end uses and marketing strategies, lack of suitably adapted and/or derived varieties, lack of attention from the formal seed sector, and a reduced reliance on synthetic inputs (compared to conventional systems). Breeding for organic systems is a relatively young field and breeders in the formal sector do not have a good handle on what traits are important for robust production under organic conditions. Thus the opportunity to meld farmers' experience and knowledge with breeders' expertise is an effective way to breed for organic production systems. The purpose of this project was to investigate and explore the opportunities and challenges of organic plant breeding using participatory research methods. This research had three goals: 1) to develop an open pollinated broccoli with contemporary quality traits for organic production systems using participatory strategies; 2) to compare broccoli selections made by formally trained plant breeders and farmer breeders; and 3) to capture the stories and experiences of the formal breeders and farmer breeders involved with this broccoli material in order to contribute to the growing wealth of knowledge on collaborative and organic breeding work. The Oregon State University Vegetable Breeding Program made significant progress towards decreasing the variability of the broccoli project material through three successive years of modified half-sibling selections. Evaluations and selections were based more strongly on quality traits rather than soley on production traits such as yield. Although progress was incremental and statistically verified in only three out of the fifteen quality traits, we observed trends in the data indicating progress towards an increasingly uniform, stable, and reliable open pollinated broccoli with specific adaptation for organic production systems. There were very few differences between broccoli materials developed by formally trained plant breeders and farmer breeders. This was especially true for the three cultivars developed in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) (one in Washington and two in Oregon). The 'East Coast' population, which had been collaboratively selected by formal and farmer breeders in New York, expressed significantly distinct differences from the PNW materials. When the farmer breeder and formal breeder materials were pooled together and compared to pooled check cultivars they expressed significant differences for nearly all traits across all years. This demonstrated that all of the collaboratively developed open pollinated materials are distinctly different from the F1 hybrids currently available. Our work has demonstrated a few of the myriad of positive outcomes achievable with the use of participatory plant breeding for organic production systems. The participatory nature of this project resulted in increased confidence and feelings of empowerment for all involved. Both farmers and breeders felt their involvement was socially beneficial and widened their networking and seed community circles. The farmer-bred cultivar 'Solstice' is now available as a result of Jonathan Spero's work, and a cultivar tentatively named 'Benton' is about to be released for sale through Oregon State University. Our results agree with previous study findings that formal and farmer breeder selections are often not distinctly different; thus providing evidence for continuing to support the involvement and education of farmers in plant breeding, especially in reference to organic production systems. This study demonstrates the potential of collaboratively developed and farmer-bred cultivars to become viable and vibrant open pollinated alternatives to the current open pollinated cultivars on the market today. / Graduation date: 2013

Tyrimo objektas – ekologinio ūkininkavimo vystymasis Lietuvoje. Darbo tikslas – išanalizuoti ekologinio ūkininkavimo vystymąsi Lietuvoje ir identifikuoti ekologinį ūkininkavimą skatinančius veiksnius. Darbo tikslas suponavo šiuos uždavinius: 1) identifikuoti ekologinio ūkininkavimo vietą darnaus žemės ūkio vystymosi kontekste; 2) nustatyti ekologinio ūkininkavimo atsiradimo prielaidas, vystymosi motyvus; 3) išanalizuoti ekologinio ūkininkavimo mastą ir jo pokyčius Lietuvoje; 4) identifikuoti ir įvertinti ekologinį ūkininkavimą skatinančius veiksnius šalyje. Tyrimo metodai: • analizuojant ekologinio ūkininkavimo vystymosi Lietuvoje teorinius pagrindus, naudoti bendramoksliniai tyrimo metodai – loginė mokslinės literatūros ir teisinių dokumentų analizė ir sintezė; • įvertinant ekologinės gamybos ūkių skaičiaus, jų ploto bei specializacijos pokyčius, naudoti statistinių duomenų rinkimo, analizės bei sintezės metodai; • įvertinant veiksnius, turinčius įtakos ekologiškai ūkininkaujančių ūkininkų pajamoms bei ekologinio ūkininkavimo vystymuisi Lietuvoje, naudotas statistinis – matematinis duomenų analizės metodas; • statistinei informacijai apdoroti ir sisteminti panaudoti grupavimo, palyginimo ir grafinio vaizdavimo būdai. Tyrimo rezultatai: • pirmoje darbo dalyje išnagrinėtos ekologinio ūkininkavimo atsiradimo prielaidos, motyvai. Apibendrinama mokslininkų nuomonė apie ekologinio ūkininkavimo vystymosi veiksnius ir problemas; • antroje darbo dalyje išanalizuoti ekologinės... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Research object: the development of organic farming in Lithuania. Research aim: to analyze the development of organic farming in Lithuania and to identify the factors stimulating organic farming. The research object supposes those objectives: 1) to identify the positive territory for organic farming; 2) to determine the rise (origin) presumptions of organic farming, the motives of the development; 3) to analyses the extent of organic farming and its changes in Lithuania; 4) to analyses and evaluate the factors stimulating the organic farming in the country. Research methods: • common scientific methods such as analysis and synthesis of the scientific references and juristically documents were used while analyzing the theoretical reasons of the organic farming’s development; • to evaluate the number of organic farms, their territory and problem - oriented changes, the methods of search for statistical data, analysis and synthesis were practiced; • statistical – mathematical ways of analysis were used to evaluate the factors influencing the income and development of the organic farms • the ways of blocking, comparisons and graphic representations were taken to process and structure statistical information. Research results: • In the first part of the work coming (origin) presumptions and motives are presented as well as generalized scientific opinion about the developing factors and problems of organic industrial farming. • The second part analyses the number of organic... [to full text]

Cette thèse se propose d'explorer ce que signifie "être agriculteur bio" aujourd'hui en Wallonie. Après une analyse socio-historique du développement de l'agriculture biologique dans cette région d'Europe, la première partie s'attache à comprendre en finesse les parcours de vie des agriculteurs bio wallons, leurs pratiques ainsi que la construction de leurs identités professionnelles. La deuxième partie se penche quant à elle sur les aspects institutionnels de l'agriculture bio :sur la structuration du secteur syndical et associatif ainsi que sur les interactions entre les pratiques des agriculteurs et la législation encadrant l'agriculture biologique. / Doctorat en Sciences politiques et sociales / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished