Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains x, 182 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 152-162).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 327-334). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1998. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 327-334). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D., Natural Resources)--University of Idaho, May 2007. / Major professor: Jay O'Laughlin. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-83). Also available online (PDF file) by subscription or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M Arch)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2010. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: John Brittingham. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-67).

Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. "This dissertation studies the effects of national economic restructuring programs, implemented under the administration of multilateral development institutions, on the fertilizer intensity, energy intensity, and value efficiency of national commodity agriculture for the period 1980 to 2002"--P. iv. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-182). Also available online in Scholars' Bank; and in ProQuest, free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph.D)--University of Guelph, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 331-346).

This study is part of the 'Sustainable Estates for the 21st Century' project, designed to understand how best to manage the relationships between people, place and the economy in the Scottish uplands. Large areas of these uplands are owned by private landowners who make significant decisions on land-use. However, past research has provided little insight into landowner decision-making: it is out-dated, inconsistent and offers limited explanation of underlying motives and priorities. In order to address this, a large-scale structured survey was combined with Q methodology and case study interviews on 11 estates. The results indicate that most private landowners have strong economic priorities, but they are not striving solely for instrumental goals of income or financial security. Those on purchased estates are also motivated by personal ambitions: expressive goals. On inherited estates, landowners are motivated by intrinsic motives: a strong sense of duty and attachment to place. Time and money clearly impact significantly on private landowners' motives and priorities for estate management: • The fundamental priority underpinning estate management is economic; only when the estate is financially secure are other issues considered to any significant extent. • Environmental priorities are most evident on purchased estates without economic constraints. • Lengthy family ownership creates strong ties. An increased sense of duty and commitment to social priorities comes with longevity of tenure. Despite the strength of the underlying economic motivation, most landowners are 'satisficers' trying to balance multiple objectives in order to address the various challenges to sustainability. This was particularly evident on large inherited estates where landowners take a paternalistic role. Consequently, retaining such landowners appears to be an important factor in building resilient communities. Although grants still incentivise many landowners to provide public goods, their contributions to all aspects of sustainability could be better rewarded. Government policy should improve the alignment of landowners' and public goals to achieve long-term sustainability in the uplands.

Agricultural development is back on the development agenda. Even though the smallholder farmers are in the majority and at the forefront in terms of food production and agriculture being the backbone of the economy of Zimbabwe, there is no clearly defined policy on smallholder agriculture in Zimbabwe. The food insecurity has remained a continuous challenge for the rural poor in Zimbabwe. This study investigated the contribution of smallholder agriculture to food security with particular reference to the Masvingo province. The study employed qualitative method of research entailing extensive review of literature as a method of data collection. The study utilized the modernisation theory and sustainable livelihoods framework to illustrate smallholder agriculture and food security nexus. The study revealed that smallholder agriculture is the best option for addressing food security since agriculture is considered the main livelihood strategy for small scale farmers in Zimbabwe. There is general scholarly consensus that the main cause of food insecurity in Zimbabwe is a decrease in smallholder agriculture productivity. The study revealed that poor infrastructure , limited access to credit, limited access to inputs, poor investment in human development, limited access to markets and harsh climatic conditions weaken the capacity of small scale farmers to improve food security. Key recommendations are that supportive institutions need to be put in place to strengthen the smallholder farmer’s capacity to improve food security in Zimbabwe.

Submitted by FLAVIANA CAVALCANTI DA SILVA null (flaviana_cavalcanti@hotmail.com) on 2016-10-26T01:42:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE ENVIADA À BIBLIOTECA - REPOSITÓRIO.pdf: 2558383 bytes, checksum: c43608105c98dc393cda79f906d5581b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Felipe Augusto Arakaki (arakaki@reitoria.unesp.br) on 2016-11-03T15:46:34Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_fc_dr_ilha.pdf: 2558383 bytes, checksum: c43608105c98dc393cda79f906d5581b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-11-03T15:46:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_fc_dr_ilha.pdf: 2558383 bytes, checksum: c43608105c98dc393cda79f906d5581b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A busca de alternativas que contribuam para avanços no sentido da produção sustentável tem levado diferentes atores sociais a aderirem à Tecnologia Social PAIS (Produção Agroecológica Integrada e Sustentável), especialmente, com vistas à produção de alimentos saudáveis, que esta apregoa. Em função desta expectativa, as experiências vinculadas a Tecnologia Social PAIS se multiplicaram no país, com o marcante incentivo governamental. Em resposta à demanda apresentada por trabalhadoras assentadas do Território Rural Prof. Cory/Andradina (SP), que reivindicavam a viabilização de condições para a produção de alimentos saudáveis, a Fundação ITESP lançou mão de um Projeto destinado à implantação da Tecnologia Social PAIS, em dez assentamentos rurais deste Território. Esta pesquisa visou avaliar os impactos do referido Projeto na vida de famílias assentadas do Território e nos respectivos agroecossistemas, como alternativa tecnológica para promover avanços concernentes à perspectiva agroecológica. Adotou-se a hipótese central de que a Tecnologia Social PAIS apresenta-se como um instrumento frágil para promover avanços dentro da perspectiva da Agroecologia, uma vez que se baseia em um modelo pré-definido e não em proposta construída a partir de processos participativos, alicerçados no potencial endógeno das comunidades envolvidas. Neste estudo, privilegia-se a abordagem qualitativa, com base em uma pesquisa de caráter exploratório e descritivo. Foram utilizados questionários, entrevistas semiestruturadas e observação simples não participante para pesquisar 28 famílias que integraram o projeto relativo à implantação da Tecnologia Social PAIS no referido Território e também todos os integrantes da equipe técnica da Fundação Itesp responsável pela intervenção. Na maioria das situações analisadas, a implantação e manutenção das áreas instaladas por meio do Projeto alinharam-se às experiências, conhecimentos e possibilidades dos produtores, o que implicou na não adoção de parte das orientações da Tecnologia Social relativas à infraestrutura das áreas. Quando o Projeto foi finalizado (2015), nenhuma das áreas apresentava a configuração original preconizada pela PAIS. A não instalação das áreas de acordo com o conjunto de orientações iniciais ou a não manutenção destas segundo o modelo original (o que prevaleceu), entre outras questões, se deve a não identificação dessa opção tecnológica com o contexto socioprodutivo e cultural das famílias pesquisadas, considerando-se que a PAIS não foi concebida para se ajustar às suas particularidades e desenvolvida com a sua participação. Os resultados verificados corroboram a hipótese formulada, entretanto, observaram-se implicações positivas da intervenção, mesmo com marcantes fragilidades relacionadas à temática agroecológica. Foram identificados efeitos coerentes com processos de transição agroecológica, resultantes, principalmente, do estímulo da intervenção à produção de alimentos sem o emprego de agroquímicos e com o melhor aproveitamento dos recursos endógenos. Contudo, ainda há muito a ser feito para que sejam observados avanços que efetivamente viabilizem a produção de alimentos saudáveis, demandada pelas trabalhadoras assentadas do Território, compreendendo-se que para isso são necessários esforços, de fato, norteados pelo Enfoque Agroecológico; com o desenvolvimento de ações que tenham uma abordagem flexível de construção dos processos e envolvam as múltiplas dimensões que compõem a perspectiva agroecológica. Sugere-se que novos esforços sejam empenhados nesse sentido, com a devida consideração às experiências, conhecimentos e expectativas dos principais sujeitos desse processo de mudança: os agricultores familiares. / The search for alternatives that contribute to progress towards the sustainable production has led different social actors to join the Social Technology Agroecology and Sustainable Integrated Production (PAIS), especially for the production of healthy foods that touts. Because of this expectation, the experiences linked to Social Technology PAIS have mushroomed in the country, with striking government incentives. In response to the demand by workers settled Rural Prof. Territory Cory / Andradina (SP) who claimed the enabling conditions for the production of healthy food, the Foundation launched ITESP hand a project for the implementation of the Social Technology PAIS in ten rural settlements of this territory. This research aimed to understand the impacts of that project in the life of the Territory settled families and their agro-ecosystems, as alternative technology to promote advances concerning the agroecological transition. Adopted the central hypothesis that the Social Technology PAIS appears as a fragile instrument to promote food production in the agro-ecological perspective, since it is based on a predefined template and not a proposal built on processes participatory, building on the endogenous potential of the territories. This study focuses on a qualitative approach based on an exploratory and descriptive research. Questionnaires were used, semi-structured interviews and simple non-participant observation, to find 28 families that have integrated on Social Technology PAIS project in that territory and also all the members of the technical team Itesp Foundation responsible for intervention. In most of the analyzed situations, deployment and maintenance of areas installed through the lined up to design experiences, knowledge and possibilities of producers, which resulted in the non-adoption of the Social Technology guidelines for infrastructure areas. When the project was completed (2015), none of the areas had the original configuration recommended by the PAIS. Failure to install the areas according to the initial set of guidelines or not maintaining these according to the original model (which prevailed), among other issues, whether the non-identification of this technological option with the socio-productive and cultural context of the families surveyed, considering that the PAIS is not designed to fit the local characteristics and developed with the participation of those involved. The verified results support the hypothesis formulated, however, there was positive implications of the intervention, even with notable weaknesses related to agro-ecological theme. effects were identified consistent with agroecological transition processes, resulting from stimulation of intervention to food production without the use of agrochemicals and the best use of the use of endogenous resources. However, much remains to be done to be seen advances that effectively enable the production of healthy food, sued by workers settled Territory, including that for this are necessary actions that have a flexible approach to building processes and involve the multiple dimensions that make up the agro-ecological perspective. It is suggested that further efforts are committed to this end, with due regard to the experience, knowledge and expectations of the main subjects of this process of change: family farmers.