Typescript. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-149). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1999. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-149). Also available on the Internet.

Ce projet s'intéresse à l'innovation dans le secteur des semences de grandes cultures, dans un contexte où il est souhaitable de diversifier la production agricole. Il est aujourd'hui bien reconnu que la diversification des cultures est un levier important pour réussir à désintensifier l'agriculture (i.e. limiter l'usage d'engrais et de pesticides) tout en maintenant un niveau de productivité suffisant. Le succès de cette stratégie dépend, entre autres, de l'effort de recherche réalisé sur chaque espèce. Or, l'agronomie moderne constate sur ce point que le progrès génétique sur les cultures de diversification (ex : pois protéagineux, lupin) est inférieur à celui observé sur les cultures majeures, ce qui constitue un frein important à la diversification.Cette thèse en économie a pour objectif de comprendre les déterminants des investissements en R&D du secteur des semences, et plus particulièrement l'arbitrage entre les investissements réalisés sur les différentes cultures. La littérature en économie industrielle considère quatre déterminants incitant les firmes à investir en R&D : la taille de marché, la concurrence, la capacité d'appropriation et les opportunités technologiques. Nous analysons ici comment ces quatre déterminants sont susceptibles de mener à la création de "marchés orphelins", avec une vue particulière sur le comportement des firmes multi-produits et des coopératives.Cette thèse s'articule autour de 4 chapitres : le chapitre 1 étudie les stratégies en gamme de produits des firmes à travers une analyse empirique du marché français sur les trois années 2001, 2006 et 2011, le chapitre 2 est une modélisation micro-économique du comportement d'une firme, celle-ci pouvant décider d'investir ou non sur deux produits différents, le chapitre 3 se veut une présentation de certains systèmes alternatifs au financement de la R&D, constatés dans différents pays et connues pour leur succès, enfin, le chapitre 4 compare les incitations à l'innovation dans les marchés orphelins lorsque l'offreur est soit une firme maximisant son profit soit une coopérative. / This project focuses on innovation in the seed industry, in a context where it is desirable to diversify agricultural production. It is now well recognized that crop diversification is an important leverage for successfully deintensifying agriculture (i.e. limiting the use of fertilizers and pesticides) while maintaining a sufficient level of productivity. The success of this strategy depends, among other things, on the research effort carried out on each species. However, modern agronomy notes on this point that genetic progress on diversification crops (e.g. protein peas, lupins) is lower than that observed on major crops, which constitutes a major brake on diversification.The aim of this thesis in economics is to understand the drivers of R&D investments in the seed sector, and more particularly the arbitrage between investments made on different crops. The literature in industrial organization considers four determinants that encourage firms to invest in R&D: market size, competition, ownership capacity and technological opportunities. We analyse here how these four determinants are likely to lead to the creation of "orphan markets", with a particular focus on the behaviour of multi-product firms and cooperatives.This thesis is structured around 4 chapters: Chapter 1 examines strategiesin product range of firms through an empirical analysis of the French marketover the three years 2001, 2006 and 2011. Chapter 2 is a modelization ofthe economic behaviour of a firm, which may decide to invest or not on two different products. Chapter 3 presents some of the alternative systems to R&D funding that have been found in different countries and are known to be successful. Finally, Chapter 4 compares incentives for innovation in orphan markets when the supplier is either a profit maximizing firm or a cooperative.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study (Seed politics: An exploration of power narratives in the South African seed industry) attempts to unravel the contradictory power relations shaping South Africa’s seed system and to explore spaces of system intervention that could allow alternate seed systems to emerge. As a base for the agricultural sector, the seed system plays an important role in determining the type, quality and cost of seed supplied to the country’s farmers. By extension then, it also partly determines the type, quality and, to some extent, the cost of food sold to the country’s citizens. Ownership of seed germplasm, protected through plant breeders’ and intellectual property rights, is a contentious, current issue. Debate on international and national levels focuses on possible health issues related to consumption of genetically modified food, ethical considerations around ownership of plant life, monopolisation of seed markets, and the implications of biodiversity loss for food security and climate change adaptation. The first article (Contesting the credibility of consolidation of the South African seed industry) examines how historic and current power relations (on a global and local level) have shaped the ‘modernistic’ direction of South Africa’s seed system, which is now dominated by two US-based multinational companies. The contradictions between this direction and state policy are highlighted, focusing particularly on issues of food security, biodiversity and climate change. Article 2 (Imagining a sustainable South Africa seed system) unpacks the assumptions on which the current system is based, in order to provide space for a new ‘narrative’ around seeds to emerge, motivating for a collaborative ‘imagining’ of a sustainable seed industry, based on a social learning approach. Points of system intervention are suggested and expanded on. In both articles, the complexity of seed systems is outlined providing a framework for understanding the interconnectedness of system elements, intervention points and potential for non-linearity. The study weaves together theory drawn from a diversity of themes to expose how the ‘hidden’ faces of power (entrenched in economic hierarchies and institutions) predetermine the path of the system and whom it benefits and whom it excludes. These themes include economics of consolidation, innovation theories, patenting issues, South African policy documents, international treaties and agreements, systems theory and complexity thinking, social learning, industrial and agro-ecological farming methods, agricultural productivity, and climate change. The study promotes social learning as a tool that could unlock the potential of the seed system to contribute to the urgent issues South Africa faces around biodiversity loss, food insecurity and climate change. Keywords: seed system, genetically modified and hybrid seed, seed patents, seed innovation, social learning, systems theory, complexity thinking, consolidation of seed industry. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie (Saadpolitiek: ʼn ondersoek van magsnarratiewe in die Suid-Afrikaanse saadbedryf) poog om die teenstrydige magsverhoudinge wat vorm aan die Suid-Afrikaanse saadstelsel gee, uit te pluis en ruimtes van stelsel-intervensie wat die opkoms van afwisselende saadstelsels moontlik kan maak, te ondersoek. As grondslag van die landbousektor speel die saadstelsel ʼn belangrike rol in die bepaling van die soort, gehalte en koste van die saad wat aan die land se boere verskaf word. Dus bepaal dit ook deels die soort, gehalte en, in ʼn sekere mate, die koste van die voedsel wat aan die land se burgers verkoop word. Eienaarskap van saadkiemplasma, wat deur planttelersregte en regte op intellektuele eiendom beskerm word, is ʼn omstrede en aktuele kwessie. Debatvoering op sowel internasionale as nasionale vlak fokus op moontlike gesondheidskwessies wat verband hou met die inname van geneties gemodifiseerde voedsel, etiese oorwegings ten opsigte van eienaarskap van plantlewe, monopolisering van saadmarkte, en die implikasies van die verlies aan biodiversiteit op voedselsekerheid en aanpassing by klimaatsverandering. Die eerste artikel (Betwisting van die geloofwaardigheid van die konsolidering van die Suid-Afrikaanse saadbedryf) ondersoek hoe historiese en huidige magsverhoudinge (op sowel globale as plaaslike vlak) die ‘modernistiese’ rigting van die Suid-Afrikaanse saadstelsel, wat nou deur twee multinasionale maatskappye in VSA-besit oorheers word, gevorm het. Die teenstrydighede tussen hierdie rigting en regeringsbeleid word uitgelig, en daar word in die besonder gefokus op die potensiële invloed op voedselsekerheid, biodiversiteit en die kapasiteit om by klimaatsverandering aan te pas. Artikel 2 (‘n Veronderstelling van ʼn volhoubare Suid-Afrikaanse saadstelsel) ondersoek die aannames waarop die huidige stelsel gegrond is, ten einde plek te maak vir ʼn nuwe ‘narratief’ oor saad, motivering vir ʼn medewerkende ‘veronderstelling’ van ʼn volhoubare saadbedryf, gegrond op ʼn benadering van sosiale leer. Punte van stelsel-intervensie word voorgestel en op uitgebrei. In albei artikels word die kompleksiteit van saadstelsels uitgestippel ten einde ʼn raamwerk te bied waarvolgens die onderlinge verband van stelselelemente, intervensiepunte en die potensiaal vir nie-lineariteit begryp kan word. Die studie verweef teorie vanuit diverse temas ten einde bloot te lê hoe die roete van die stelsel, asook wie daaruit voordeel trek en wie daardeur uitgesluit word, vooraf deur die ‘versteekte’ aangesigte van mag (verskans in ‘stelselgeheue’ en bekragtig deur instansies) bepaal word. Hierdie temas sluit in die ekonomie van konsolidasie, innoveringsteorieë, patentkwessies, Suid-Afrikaanse beleidsdokumente, internasionale verdragte en ooreenkomste, stelselteorie en kompleksiteitsdenke, sosiale leer, industriële en agro-ekologiese boerderymetodes, landbouproduktiwiteit en klimaatsverandering. Die studie bevorder sosiale leer as ʼn hulpmiddel wat die potensiaal vir die saadstelsel om tot die dringende uitdagings vir Suid-Afrika ten opsigte van die verlies aan biodiversiteit, voedselonsekerheid en klimaatsverandering by te dra, kan ontsluit. Sleutelwoorde: saadstelsel, geneties gemodifiseerde saad, hibriede saad, saadpatente, saad-innovering, sosiale leer, stelselteorie, kompleksiteitsdenke, konsolidasie van saadbedryf.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:52:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissCF.pdf: 986822 bytes, checksum: 7e1891ff1faa87863fec5d7e227d8f6f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-02-22 / The coexistence of different mechanisms of governance for similar transactions is a major feature of the seed sector, particularly in the branches of soybeans and hybrid corn. Also, the procurement of different inputs is governed by similar governance structures. Both seed sectors are characterized by high investments in research and development and are subjected to several hazards and uncertainty. One of the main determinants of competitiveness in this industry is the quality of the inputs that will be launched in the market. As a consequence, the activities of research, development and reproduction of seeds are crucial in the competition, requiring need high level of control. In spite of this, the firms that develop high technology seeds present different arrangements in the organization of the production of inputs. The reproduction of seeds requires some mechanisms in order to fully appropriate of the benefits of innovation. This fact constitutes an important determinant of choice for these different arrangements. This dissertation aims to analyze the determinants of the boundaries of the firms, and how the selected governance structures interact with the firm s strategies. This dissertation also aims to explore the different appropriability mechanisms that are available to this sector, in each of its main segments hybrid and varieties. The dissertation uses Transaction Cost Economics, and Dynamic Capabilities as its main theoretical background. Also, the governance inseparability concept gave support to the questions associated to contractual relations. The empirical research, focused on large firms that undertake R&D activities, concludes the factors that influence in the decisions about the reproduction of seeds are related to transaction cost reasoning, but to dynamic capabilities and governance inseparability arguments as well. / Há no setor sementeiro, nos segmentos de milho híbrido e soja, a coexistência de diferentes mecanismos de transação para um mesmo tipo de insumo e a existência de mecanismos semelhantes para insumos diferentes. Os setores que se caracterizam por altos investimentos em pesquisa e desenvolvimento, notavelmente, o objeto deste estudo, o de sementes, estão cercados de riscos e incertezas. Para esta indústria, a qualidade dos insumos que serão lançados no mercado é um dos principais fatores de determinação da competitividade da empresa. Assim, as atividades de pesquisa, desenvolvimento, e reprodução das sementes são vitais no processo de seleção do mercado. São atividades que, conseqüentemente, exigem elevado nível de controle por parte dos agentes que venham a desenvolver e comercializar estes insumos. Apesar destas particularidades, as empresas que desenvolvem sementes de alta tecnologia apresentam arranjos diferentes na organização da produção de insumos. As sementes carregam alto conteúdo tecnológico e necessitam de vários artifícios que visem minimizar as perdas derivadas da reprodução do esforço inovativo, empregado no desenvolvimento de novos produtos, o que constitui um importante determinante da escolha por esses diferentes arranjos. A partir destas constatações, este trabalho objetiva analisar os determinantes das fronteiras das firmas e, a forma com que as estruturas de governança escolhidas interagem com suas estratégias, pretende também explorar os diferentes mecanismos de apropriabilidade disponíveis para o setor e a eficácia destes para os dois segmentos dentro desta indústria híbridos e variedades. A literatura contemporânea oferece arcabouço amplo para compreender a escolha das relações de transação, porém pouca atenção é dada à explicação da existência de mecanismos de troca diferentes para um mesmo tipo de transação. Com o intuito de analisar as relações de troca entre os agentes da cadeia de sementes serão utilizadas duas abordagens teóricas, a Economia dos Custos de Transação, e a linha de Competências Dinâmicas. Além destas duas linhas, a noção de inseparabilidade de governança deu suporte a questões associadas às relações contratuais. A pesquisa de campo, que privilegiou empresas de significativa participação na agricultura brasileira e que desenvolvem atividades de pesquisa e desenvolvimento, permitiu concluir que os fatores que influenciam as decisões sobre a gestão da atividade de multiplicação de sementes são diversos e apresentam elementos das duas abordagens estudadas.

New technology may have negative, as well as positive, effects on a sociocultural system. Biodiesel is growing in popularity as a fuel alternative that addresses global warming and reduces dependency on petroleum. The biodiesel innovation fits well into the existing behavioral infrastructure of Linn and Benton Counties, Oregon. The introduction of this technology fuels two community-based biodiesel initiatives: the Corvallis Biodiesel Cooperative (CBC) and the OSU Biodiesel Initiative (OBI). However, the increasing demands for biodiesel increases the demand for vegetable oil. Canola is the most efficient oil producing crop suggested for the southern Willamette Valley of Oregon. Canola cropping fits into the behavioral infrastructure of local grass seed growers' tradition. However, canola cropping presents outcrossing risks to neighboring specialty seed and organic growers. This calls into question the resilience and sustainability of canola cropping. The decisions made about biodiesel production and oilseed cropping will impact the future environment, culture, political autonomy, and sustainability of this local community. The dominant values that serve this community will determine the resilience of culture and identity that is maintained or emerges in the face of social-ecological challenges and technological innovations. The research methodology includes interviews, participant observation, and informational media to triangulate data. These methods serve to inform an integrated framework of holistic, values analysis, social-ecological, and cultural materialism theoretical approaches. The holistic approach provides the behavioral components and the values analysis approach provides the mental components that are integrated into a cultural materialism framework. These components are evaluated by the social-ecological approach. Evaluation of the CBC and OBI suggests that values play a greater role in cultural materialism than previously believed. A new theoretical perspective emerges to explain resilience and causal effects. The social-ecological approach, illustrated by panarchy theory, is also integrated into the cultural materialism approach. The integration of the four theoretical approaches, and the emergence of a new theoretical perspective, provides a means to explain resilience and sustainability for the CBC and OBI. This integrated approach also examines three potential paths of resilience and sustainability for the grass seed, specialty seed, and organic growing traditions. Path A predicts long-term resilience and sustainability for grass seed growers and canola cropping, but collapse for the specialty seed and organic growing traditions. Path B predicts that a proposed regulated canola cropping compromise will only prolong the inevitable collapse of the specialty seed and organic growing traditions. Along both Paths A and B, diversity is lost from the sociocultural system as specialty seed and organic growing traditions decline. Canola cropping increases the potential for energy security, but food security is reduced. Path C suggests how to maintain the current sociocultural system of grass seed, specialty seed, and organic growing traditions and promote long-term resilience and sustainability. / Graduation date: 2006

Orientador: Reginaldo Carmelo Corrêa de Moraes / Banca: Luis Fernado Ayerbe / Banca: Sebastião Velasco e Cruz / O Programa de Pós-Graduação em Relações Internacionais é instituído em parceria com a Unesp/Unicamp/PUC-SP, em projeto subsidiado pela CAPES, intitulado "Programa San Tiago Dantas" / Resumo: Com a Revolução Científica e Tecnológica (1970), a informação e o conhecimento transformam-se em fontes de maior produtividade e de desenvolvimento socioeconômico. No mundo agrário, os Organismos Geneticamente Modificados, também denominados transgênicos, representam a conformação dessa nova dinâmica tecnológica internacional. Em uma economia diretamente enraizada na produção e uso de conhecimentos, este trabalho prima pela investigação da existência de uma monopolização das técnicas transgênicas por determinadas empresas e países restringindo as possibilidades de concorrência no setor de sementes geneticamente modificadas, o que prejudicaria países menos avançados em biotecnologia agrícola. Em que medida conhecimentos e tecnologias de ponta estão organizados em fluxos globais ou estão inseridos em uma estrutura assimétrica, estabelecendo uma divisão entre os países capazes de participar dos processos de geração de novas tecnologias agrícolas e aqueles que passivamente absorvem conhecimentos advindos do exterior? Como a polarização de conhecimentos e informações estratégicos acarretaria e perpetuaria desigualdades na economia global e quais são os mecanismos jurídicos e políticos que corroborariam essa concentração? / Abstract: In the Scientific-Technical Revolution (1970), information and knowledge are transformed in sources of higher productivity and socioeconomic development. In agriculture, the genetically modified organisms represent the conformation of that new international technological dynamic. In an economy directly rooted in the production and use of knowledge, this research primarily investigates the existence of a monopoly in the field of genetically modified seeds by certain companies and countries, which would undermine less advanced countries in agricultural biotechnology. To what extent are technology and information organized into global flows or in an asymmetric structure establishing a division between countries able to participate in the process of generating new agricultural technologies and those who passively absorb knowledge coming from outside? How the polarization of strategic knowledge and information would result and perpetuate inequalities in the global economy and what legal and political mechanisms support this concentration? / Mestre

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-04-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:36:35Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 martins_ara_me_mar.pdf: 1727865 bytes, checksum: 41a6e57b4b578aaa8907c747ef4fe13c (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Com a Revolução Científica e Tecnológica (1970), a informação e o conhecimento transformam-se em fontes de maior produtividade e de desenvolvimento socioeconômico. No mundo agrário, os Organismos Geneticamente Modificados, também denominados transgênicos, representam a conformação dessa nova dinâmica tecnológica internacional. Em uma economia diretamente enraizada na produção e uso de conhecimentos, este trabalho prima pela investigação da existência de uma monopolização das técnicas transgênicas por determinadas empresas e países restringindo as possibilidades de concorrência no setor de sementes geneticamente modificadas, o que prejudicaria países menos avançados em biotecnologia agrícola. Em que medida conhecimentos e tecnologias de ponta estão organizados em fluxos globais ou estão inseridos em uma estrutura assimétrica, estabelecendo uma divisão entre os países capazes de participar dos processos de geração de novas tecnologias agrícolas e aqueles que passivamente absorvem conhecimentos advindos do exterior? Como a polarização de conhecimentos e informações estratégicos acarretaria e perpetuaria desigualdades na economia global e quais são os mecanismos jurídicos e políticos que corroborariam essa concentração? / In the Scientific-Technical Revolution (1970), information and knowledge are transformed in sources of higher productivity and socioeconomic development. In agriculture, the genetically modified organisms represent the conformation of that new international technological dynamic. In an economy directly rooted in the production and use of knowledge, this research primarily investigates the existence of a monopoly in the field of genetically modified seeds by certain companies and countries, which would undermine less advanced countries in agricultural biotechnology. To what extent are technology and information organized into global flows or in an asymmetric structure establishing a division between countries able to participate in the process of generating new agricultural technologies and those who passively absorb knowledge coming from outside? How the polarization of strategic knowledge and information would result and perpetuate inequalities in the global economy and what legal and political mechanisms support this concentration?