Dairy farmers suffered substantially increased energy bills during the 1970's, at a time of herd expansion and modernisation of equipment to allow bulk milk refrigeration and storage on the farm. Little was known of the levels of electricity use in the dairy farming sector, but extrapolations had suggested a figure of 300 to over 400 kWh/cow/annum. Farmers were requesting quantitative estimates for the potential of conservation equipment, particularly plate heat exchangers and heat recovery units. An energy audit of dairy farms in South Devon is described. Over a period of two years, data were collected relating to energy use by each of the major components of a milking parlour and dairy, for a range of parlour sizes, levels of production and the ambient conditions. Analysis revealed the factors most influencing variations in energy use. An equation was developed to describe the energy use by a bulk milk tank, given the level of production and the ambient temperature. The bulk tank accounted for some 40% of the total energy used. The bulk tank has been studied in detail. The stages of heat transfer from the milk to the chilled water and the resulting effects upon the ice bank have been modelled. Laboratory investigations were carried out to determine some parameters empirically. The model's limits, sensitivity and validation are reported. Typical levels and ranges of energy use are suggested. A mean of approximately 250 kWh/cow/annum resulted from the audit, but 200 kWh/cow/annum was achieved by the most economical of farms without resort to conservation equipment, and this level is proposed as a target for the conscientious farmer. The factors affecting energy use in the farm dairy are identified as political, environmental, technical and managerial and these are discussed. The farmer's influence has to be directed mainly at the last of these categories. Investment in energy conservation equipment should not be considered until consumption is down to the proposed target level.

This thesis outlines the theoretical factors impacting dairy profitability. The theoretical portion includes: a general review of production and profit maximization theory, a review of related studies, and an outline of the variables impacting dairy profitability. An empirical study follows using data gathered from three applied technology centers in Utah in conjunction with dairy herd improvement production records for the farms where these data were available. The empirical section includes a synopsis of the methods and procedures used to collect and analyze the data. Regression analysis was used to determine the significant production and financial factors influencing returns per cow; returns to labor, capital, and management; and return on assets. The results indicate that both revenue and cost variables are significant factors of dairy profitability as are various financial measures. The overall most significant variables were dollars of milk sold, price of milk, labor costs, feed cost per cow, and herd size.

Three studies applicable to organic management and cultivation of birdsfoot trefoil (BFT, Lotus corniculatus L.) are presented here. The first is a histological analysis of lignification in BFT stems that supports recommendations to harvest BFT at approximately 6 weeks of regrowth, or early bloom. Lignification decreases digestibility and is correlated with high shear force required to break BFT stems. The sixth internodes from the base of 10 BFT and two alfalfa plants were sampled during 15 weeks of midsummer regrowth. The lignified xylary ring reached its maximum radial width by 7.5 weeks of regrowth, and full bloom was reached by 6.5 weeks of regrowth. The second study evaluated establishment of BFT, which competes poorly with weeds and produces low yields during establishment. At an organic, irrigated site in northern Utah the effects of autumn vs. spring seeding, seeding rates of 3, 7 20, and 34 kg pure live seed (PLS) ha-1 and use of a companion crop on 3 years of annual yields and foliar cover of mature stands were determined. First year yields increased linearly with seeding rate (P≤0.05). Use of a companion crop reduced first year yields, and did not reduce weed cover. Autumn seeding of BFT alone, following harvest of a summer crop, is recommended for irrigated production. The final study evaluated BFT establishment on five organic dairy farms in souther Idaho and northern Utah. Participating producers broadcast seeded 4-ha BFT pastures in the fall at a rate of 25 kg PLS ha-1. All farms achieved high BFT density, but only two farms had higher BFT than weed density. These two farms also had high BFT cover the spring following autumn seeding, and their pastures produced 6000 to 7600 kg of dry matter ha-1 by 20 June 2012 and supported grazing for the remainder of the summer. Establishment was enhanced by crop rotation and sprinkler irrigation.

With an ever increasing concern for the environment, different methods of managing organic waste on dairy farms have been explored and analyzed. Anaerobic digestion has long been a popular method of managing organic waste. Its popularity stems from the potential to decrease greenhouse gases, improve air quality and provide a source of additional revenue for the farm. Problems with implementing anaerobic digestion arise from high failure rates, high start-up costs and continuous maintenance and equipment replacement. Subsidies for the initial investment and improved technology have increased the possibility of large-scale dairy farms to adopt anaerobic digestion. Due to economies of scale large-scale dairy farms are more able to adopt anaerobic digestion, but small-scale dairies struggle to finance the investment, maintain the digester system and provide sufficient organic waste to continuously feed the microorganisms inside the digester system. The increasing impact of urbanization greatly impacts the demand for anaerobic digestion on small-scale farms to mitigate the negative effects of organic waste produced by dairy farms. Dr. Conly Hansen at Utah State University suggested we use an IBR digester model to analyze the feasibility of adopting anaerobic digestion on small-scale farms. The IBR digester system is more conducive to small-scale dairies located in regions with varying temperature (i.e., Utah), and may be the solution to mitigate the negative effects of organic farm waste. Dr. Donald McMahon also suggested we analyze the potential of implementing a digester on a dairy farm that produces artisan cheese. We predicted that this would improve the feasibility due to the need to dispose of whey from the cheese production. To determine the feasibility of implementing a digester system on a small-scale dairy farm the net present value and the internal rate of return were calculated to estimate the success of the investment. These financial measures were calculated from equipment price quotes, estimations from the literature review and from using estimated annual receipts and costs for a dairy farm, artisan cheese plant and anaerobic digester system. The feasibility also depends on the success of marketing the products produced from the digester system and the farmer’s participation in incentive programs for digester systems. The products produced vary from electricity to waste disposal services, and marketing an array of diverse products and services is important to the success of the digester system. The feasibility determined by this study was estimated using generalized assumptions from various sources and should be analyzed by individual operations to determine specific farm feasibility.

Thesis (M.Ed. )--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 2004. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2761. Typescript. Abstract precedes thesis as 2 preliminary leaves ( iii-iv). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-41).

Ένα από τα μεγαλύτερα περιβαλλοντικά προβλήματα που αντιμετωπίζει όχι μόνο ο Νομός Αχαΐας, αλλά και πολλές άλλες περιοχές της χώρας μας, είναι η υποβάθμιση του περιβάλλοντος από μια σειρά αποβλήτων αγροτοβιομηχανιών που υπάρχουν στην ελληνική ύπαιθρο. Μεταξύ των αγροτοβιομηχανιών σημαντική θέση κατέχουν οι μονάδες επεξεργασίας γάλακτος και παραγωγής τυριού. Παρά το ότι η παραγωγή γάλακτος και γαλακτοκομικών προϊόντων είναι σχετικά περιορισμένη στο Νομό Αχαΐας, ωστόσο η διάσπαρτη κατανομή τους σε συνδυασμό με τις κρατούσες συνθήκες λειτουργίας τους συμβάλλει σημαντικά στη ρύπανση του περιβάλλοντος της περιοχής. Είναι γεγονός ότι οι περισσότερες αγροτοβιομηχανίες, όπως τα τυροκομεία, λειτουργούν σε περιοδική βάση αφού τα προϊόντα τους είναι εποχικά, τα εργοστάσια είναι διασκορπισμένα σε μεγάλες αποστάσεις και οι μονάδες είναι σχετικά μικρές. Τα απόβλητα που παράγονται από τις τυροκομικές μονάδες έχουν υψηλό οργανικό φορτίο και από προηγούμενη έρευνα έχει προσδιοριστεί ότι είναι τοξικά και αποτελούν αιτία υποβάθμισης των υδάτινων οικοσυστημάτων. Η παρούσα μελέτη έχει ως βασικό σκοπό την εκτίμηση της τοξικότητας των αποβλήτων που προέρχονται από τυροκομεία μετά από την επεξεργασία τους για παραγωγή βιαερίου (υδρογόνου και μεθανίου) σε αντιδραστήρες αναερόβιας χώνευσης (Η2-CSTR και CH4-CSTR αντίστοιχα), με σκοπό την συνολική εκτίμηση των επιπτώσεών τους στο υδάτινο οικοσύστημα. Αρχικά εκτιμήθηκε ο οικολογικός κίνδυνος από την απόρριψη των αποβλήτων μιας τυροκομικής μονάδας στο ποτάμι του Βουραϊκού. Τα δεδομένα που συγκεντρώθηκαν δίνουν ετήσια πρόβλεψη για κρίσιμα επίπεδα οικολογικού κινδύνου σε εποχές όπως είναι το καλοκαίρι όπου η ροή νερού στο ποτάμι είναι μικρή, και για μικρότερο, αλλά και πάλι αξιοσημείωτο επίπεδο κινδύνου κατά το φθινόπωρο. Οι βροχοπτώσεις είναι λογικό να δημιουργούν μεγαλύτερη αραίωση του αποβλήτου στο νερό γεγονός που προκαλέι μείωση των επιπέδων κινδύνου. Η συνδυασμένη ανάλυση των δεδομένων απέδειξε ότι εξαιρετικά μικρή συγκέντρωση του αποβλήτου, μικρότερη του 0,064%, είναι προϋπόθεση για να αποφευχθεί ο οικολογικός κίνδυνος για την υδρόβια πανίδα. Όμως, η παρούσα οικολογική κατάσταση του οικοσυστήματος απέχει πολύ από το να χαρακτηριστεί ως βέλτιστη, μιας και η απόρριψη ανεπεξέργαστων αποβλήτων στο νερό προκαλεί συγκεντρώσεις 5 φορές μεγαλύτερες από το ανωτέρω όριο, πλησιάζοντας το 0,32% κατά τη διάρκεια του καλοκαιριού. Ο έλεγχος τοξικότητας επιτεύχθηκε με τη χρήση βιοδεικτών από δύο τροφικά επίπεδα (ασπόνδυλα και ψάρια του γλυκού νερού). Συγκεκριμένα, στην πρώτη περίπτωση χρησιμοποιήθηκαν δύο μακροασπόνδυλα (Daphnia magna και Thamnocephalus platyurus) με τη μορφή των μικροβιοτέστ Thamnotoxkit F και Daphtoxkit FTM magna, τα οποία επελέγησαν λόγω της αξιοπιστίας τους, της σχετικής ευκολίας τους στη χρήση, του χαμηλού κόστους και της προοπτικής τους να χρησιμοποιηθούν από μη εξειδικευμένο προσωπικό για την παρακολούθηση των επιπτώσεων των συγκεκριμένων αποβλήτων. Στη δεύτερη περίπτωση έγινε ο έλεγχος της τοξικότητας με έμβρυα zebrafish (Danio rerio) με βάση τα πρωτόκολλα των σχετικών ISO και της EPA. Λήφθηκαν συνολικά 109 δείγματα (4 διπλά δείγματα τυρόγαλου, 55 διπλά δείγματα από τον αντιδραστήρα παραγωγής υδρογόνου και 50 διπλά δείγματα από τον αντιδραστήρα παραγωγής μεθανίου). Στα τεστ τοξικότητας που εφαρμόστηκαν (Thamnotoxkit F, Daphtoxkit FTM magna και zebrafish), υπολογίσθηκαν τα L(Ε)C50 24h και 48h σύμφωνα με τα πρωτόκολλα εργασίας. Ευρέθη ότι το μεν Thamnocephalus platyurus είχε μέση τιμή LC50 ίση με 0,76 για τα δείγματα από τον αντιδραστήρα Η2-CSTR και 1,33 για τα δείγματα από τον αντιδραστήρα CH4-CSTR, οι αντίστοιχες τιμές για την Daphnia magna στις 48 ώρες ήταν 1,82 και 2,26 ενώ για το zebrafish 0,88 και 0,95 στο ίδιο διάστημα. Οι τιμές που προέκυψαν από τους τρεις ελέγχους κατατάσσουν τα απόβλητα από «πολύ τοξικά» έως «εξαιρετικά τοξικά». Από τη συσχέτιση των φυσικοχημικών παραμέτρων με τα L(Ε)C50 προκύπτει ότι για τα δείγματα του Η2-CSTR υπάρχει θετική συσχέτιση των αμμωνιακών, νιτρικών και νιτρωδών ιόντων με το Thamnocephalus platyurus (R= 0,368, R=0,442 και R=0,362 αντίστοιχα) και για τα δείγματα του CH4-CSTR συσχέτιση υπάρχει μόνο με τα ολικά διαλυμένα στερεά (R=0,860). Για το zebrafish, υπάρχει συσχέτιση με τα φωσφορικά (R= 0.542) και με τα αμμωνιακά ιόντα (R=0,562) για τα δείγματα του Η2-CSTR, ενώ για τα δείγματα του CH4-CSTR με τα φωσφορικά (R=0,963) και τα νιτρώδη ιόντα (R= 0,960). Η Daphnia magna δε δείχνει καμία σημαντική συσχέτιση, με τη μεγαλύτερη εξ αυτών να παρατηρείται με τα αμμωνιακά ιόντα (R= 0,316) μόνο για τα δείγματα του Η2-CSTR. Σύμφωνα με τα ανωτέρω αποτελέσματα τεκμηριώνεται ότι το Thamnocephalus platyurus και το zebrafish είναι οι πιο ευαίσθητοι και επομένως οι πλέον κατάλληλοι οργανισμοί για την εκτίμηση της τοξικότητας των συγκεκριμένων αποβλήτων. Η παρατήρηση σκελετικών δυσμορφιών έστω και σε μικρό ποσοστό δειγμάτων του zebrafish, οδήγησε στην ανίχνευση βαρέων μετάλλων σε όλα τα επεξεργασμένα δείγματα δεδομένου ότι και αυτά έχουν ενοχοποιηθεί για την πρόκληση αυτών. Συγκεκριμένα ανιχνεύθηκαν χρώμιο, μαγγάνιο, ψευδάργυρος και μόλυβδος, όμως ο ρόλος καθενός από αυτά ή και συνεργιστικά όλων αυτών στις παρατηρηθείσες δυσμορφίες δε μπορεί να διερευνηθεί πλήρως στα πλάισια αυτής της μελέτης και για τούτο θα απαιτηθεί περαιτέρω έρευνα. Συνοπτικά αποδεικνύεται ότι όλα τα επεξεργασμένα δείγματα και με τις δύο μεθόδους ήσαν τοξικά και όχι περιβαλλοντικά ασφαλή για άμεση διάθεση σε υδάτινο αποδέκτη χωρίς περαιτέρω επεξεργασία για την απομάκρυνση των υπόλοιπων επιβαρυντικών παραγόντων όπως ο φώσφορος και οι ενώσεις του αζώτου. Τέλος, θα πρέπει να σημειωθεί ότι η παρούσα μελέτη είναι η πρώτη μελέτη εκτίμησης της τοξικότητας των αποβλήτων των τυροκομικών μονάδων μετά από την επεξεργασία του για παραγωγή βιοαερίου που γίνεται στη χώρα μας, αλλά και γενικότερα δεν υπάρχει ανάλογη αναφορά στη διεθνή βιβλιογραφία. Δεδομένου ότι η προαναφερθείσα επεξεργασία αποτελεί μια καινοτομία συνδυασμένης μεθοδολογίας που αποβλέπει αφενός στην εξυγίασνη του αποβλήτου και αφετέρου στην παραγωγή ωφέλιμου παραπροϊόντος όπως είναι το βιοαέριο, τα αποτελέσματα αυτής της έρευνας θα μπορούσαν να αποτελέσουν ένα αξαιρετικά χρήσιμο εργαλείο, αφενός στους επιστήμονες που ασχολούνται με την επεξεργασία των αποβλήτων ώστε να αναζητήσουν τρόπους περαιτέρω αποφόρτισης αυτών από τους εναπομείναντες τοξικούς παράγοντες και αφετέρου στην πολιτεία για τη συστηματική παρακολούθηση και τον έλεγχο των συγκεκριμένων μονάδων στα πλαίσια εφαρμογής ορθής περιβαλλοντικής πολιτικής. / One of the major environmental hazard not only for the Achaia Prefecture, but also for many other regions of the Greek area has to deal with agro-industrial effluents which outfall to the countryside. Among the agro-industries, the units of milk treatment and cheese production are concerned as such of great environmental interest. Despite that the production of milk and dairy products is relatively limited in Achaia Prefecture, their scattered installation and their unlegal operation contribute considerably in the environmental pollution of the area. The most dairy units operate in periodical base, they are scattered in the countryside while they are relatively assessed as small units. Their effluents that have been considered as toxic. The basic aim of the present study is to estimate the toxicity of cheese whey effluents from dairy unit after their treatment for biogas production (hydrogen and methane) in anaerobic digestion reactors (H2-CSTR and CH4-CSTR respectively), aiming at the total estimation of their repercussions in the aquatic ecosystem. Initially, the ecological risk from the rejection of cheese-whey effluents in the river of Vouraikos has been estimated. The data drived to an annual forecast which gives critical levels of ecological risk during summertime, and remarkable level of risk during autumn. Integrated analysis proved that effluents concentration of the river smaller than 0,064% is prerequired in order to avoid the ecological risk of the aquatic fauna, while the present ecological situation of ecosystem is far from optimal, as the rejection of the untreated effluents into the water leads to concentrations 5 times higher than the above limit, approaching 0,32% during summertime. The toxicity estimation was achieved with the use of bioindicators from two trophic levels (freshwater invertebrates and fish): Daphnia magna and Thamnocephalus platyurus in the form of mikrobiotests Thamnotoxkit F and Daphtoxkit FTM magna, and the embryos of zebrafish (Danio rerio) according to the protocols of ISO and EPA. In total there have been taken 109 samples (4 duplicate samples of cheese whey, 55 duplicate samples from the reactor of hydrogen production and 50 duplicate samples from the reactor of methane production). In the toxicity tests applied (Thamnotoxkit F, Daphtoxkit FTM magna and zebrafish), L(E)C50 in 24h and 48h were calculated according to the tests protocols. It was found that mean LC50 values for the Thamnocephalus platyurus was 0.76 for the samples from H2-CSTR reactor and 1.33 for the samples from CH4-CSTR reactor. The corresponding values for Daphnia magna in the 48 hours was 1.82 and 2.26 while for the zebrafish 0.88 and 0.95 for the same period. The values resulted from the three tests classify the effluents from “very toxic” to “extremely toxic”. From the cross-correlation of physicochemical parameters with L(E)C50 results of Thamnocephalus platyurus, the samples of H2-CSTR reactor have positive correlation with the ammonium, nitrites and nitrates ions (R= 0.368, R=0.442 and R=0.362 respectively) and the samples of CH4-CSTR reactor have positive correlation only with TDS (R=0.860). Zebrafish correlates with phosphates (R= 0.542) and ammonium ions (R=0.562) for the samples of H2-CSTR, while for the samples of CH4-CSTR correlate with phosphates (R=0.963) and nitrites ions (R= 0.960). Daphnia magna does not show significant correlation. The highest values observed was for the samples of H2-CSTR with the ammonium ions (R= 0.316). According to the above results it is proved that Thamnocephalus platyurus and zebrafish are the most sensitive and suitable organisms for the toxicity estimation of the particular effluents. The observation of spinal malformations in a small percentage of zebrafish, led to the detection of heavy metals to all treated samples. Chromium, manganese, zinc and lead were detected, however the role of each one of them in the observed malformations could not be investigated in the frames of this study and further research is required. In ferentially, all the treated samples with both methods were toxic. They are not environmentally safe for direct disposal in the aquatic receiver and further treatment for the removal of the toxic factors as phosphates and the ions of nitrogen is needed. Finally, it must be noted that the present study is the first toxicity evaluation study of the dairy wastewaters after their treatment for biogas not only in the Greek area but worldwide. Since such a treatment constitutes an innovative and combined methodology that aims to the remediation of the wastewaters and the production of a beneficial by-product as biogas, the results of this study could constitute a useful tool, in one hand for the scientists concerning wastewater treatment provoking them to search methods for further remediation of these effluents from the remaining toxic factors and on the other hand for the officials in order to achieve monitoring and controlling of these particular units.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Vincent Amanor-Boadu / As the dairy industry faces the future, consumers’ demand for better milk quality and safety is increasing. Milk quality is of major interest to both consumers and dairy farmers alike. However, scientific data on milk quality in terms of somatic cell count (SCC) in Uganda and most developing countries has been lacking. This study used SCC to compare Southwestern Uganda’s milk quality against international standards. The study also sought to assess dairy farmers’ perceptions about milk quality. Milk samples were obtained from 100 farms in Mbarara and Kiruhura districts, the major cattle corridor in Uganda. The milk’s SCC was analyzed using a DeLaval DCC. A structured questionnaire surveyed farmers on milking procedures and milk-quality perception. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis was used to characterize and compare milk quality against the international benchmark. The study found that the 100 farms had an average SCC of 507,000 cells/ml. About 34% of farms in the study had SCC under 200,000 cells/ml, an indication of high-quality milk. Excluding 7% of the farms with SCC over 1,000,000 cells/ml, the remaining 93% had an average SCC of 276,000 cells/ml, a level comparable to international standards, well below the EU threshold of 400,000. The study also revealed that 98% of farmers considered milk quality as important or very important both to them and to the milk buyers. However, all farmers reported that they currently do not receive a milk-quality premium and are not penalized for poor quality. Seventy-nine percent of farmers reported the cooperative they belong to as their main source of information on management practices. An improved perception of milk quality both domestically and internationally will benefit Uganda’s dairy farmers and its dairy industry at large. Consumers must be assured that Uganda’s dairy industry, its government, industry stakeholders such as the Dairy Development Authority, the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, and the private sector place the utmost importance on the quality and safety of milk and other dairy products. New technologies to measure for SCC and strict food safety regulations will help improve the country’s milk-quality image, allowing Uganda’s dairy industry to tap into major milk export markets. Most developed countries have seen increased raw-milk quality or reduced SCC as a result of strong regulatory pressure.

The thesis deals with interfirm comparison of twelfe selected Czech dairies between 2005-2009. The firms are ranked by various multicriterial methods with financial analysis ratios used as criteria. Companies are divided into groups by using the classification method and selected dairies are also evaluated by the spider analysis. The differences between applied methods are evaluated, as well the strengths and weaknesses of individual dairies.

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / In 2018, the Ministry of Health of Peru reported that more than 50% of the Peruvian population suffers from obesity. In total, 40% of the people affected by this disease are in the metropolitan area of Lima. Moreover, a report by the newspaper Gestión states that, on average, each Peruvian citizen consumes 52 kg of ultra-processed food per year. These alarming figures show that a change in the lifestyle of the citizens of Lima is necessary. It is imperative to increase peoples’ awareness of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle, which in turn means improving eating habits and exercising. Given the increase of people with health problems caused by poor nutrition, the manufacture of health products, such as nut butter, must be natural, without added sugar, hydrogenated oils, added chemicals, or preservatives. Nuts belong to the group of energy foods and eating them provides great health benefits and helps fight obesity. They are a source rich in proteins and healthy fat, provide energy, and contain vitamins and antioxidants, among other benefits. They are also suitable for vegetarians, vegan, celiac, and diabetic people. Therefore, the manufacture and sale of handmade nut butter is a business opportunity in Lima. To prove this, the lean startup methodology was used, and through the development of viable minimum products, the viability of the project was evidenced. The project management bases of the Project Management Institute (PMI) are used as guidelines to develop the project, and digital marketing tools are applied to make the products known to the target market. / Revisión por pares

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: As a historical document, The Genadendal Diaries should be read against the background of the eighteenth-century scramble by the West to conquer South Africa, among other territories. These conquering ventures gave rise to great political instability as well as the disruption and displacement of indigenous groups in the country. Between 1792 and 1796 – the period represented in The Genadendal Diaries – the authors of this diary, Hendrik Marsveld (from Gouda), Johann Christian Kühnel (from Oberseifersdorf) and Johann Daniel Schwinn (from Odenwald), tried, through their missionary endeavours, to negotiate ways for the inhabitants of Baviaanskloof in the Overberg to deal with these traumatic events. In addition, the three Moravian missionaries embodied a spiritual mindset as a way of life, thereby setting an example to the inhabitants of the Baviaanskloof settlement and trying to empower them at both an individual and collective level. As missionary action it was an endeavour to internalise the norms and values of the eighteenth-century Herrnhut model. As a church historical document, The Genadendal Diaries also serves as testimony. In this context a discussion of the relationship between gender, health and religion, as is evident from the unique nature of this diary in a predominantly colonial discourse, is of particular value for both current as well as for future theological reflection on related themes. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: As historiese dokument moet The Genadendal Diaries gelees word teen die agtergrond van die Westerse wedywering van die agtiende eeu om onder meer Suid-Afrika te verower. Hierdie pogings tot verowering het gelei tot groot politieke onstabiliteit, asook tot die ontwrigting en ontworteling van die inheemse groepe in die land. In hul missie-poging het die outeurs van dié dagboek, Hendrik Marsveld (van Gouda), Johann Christian Kühnel (van Oberseifersdorf) en Johann Daniel Schwinn (van Odenwald), aan die inwoners van Baviaanskloof in die Overberg gedurende die periode vanaf 1792 tot 1796 – die tydperk wat in The Genadendal Diaries ter sprake kom – maniere probeer bemiddel waarop hulle dié traumatiese ervarings kon hanteer. Daarby het die drie Morawiese sendelinge ʼn geestesinstelling as ʼn wyse van wees beliggaam vir die inwoners van die nedersetting te Baviaanskloof. Daardeur het die sendelinge die inwoners op sowel individuele as kollektiewe vlak probeer bemagtig. As missionêre aksie was dit dus ʼn poging tot die internalisering van die norme en waardes van die agtiende-eeuse Herrnhut-model. As kerkhistoriese dokument dien The Genadendal Diaries daarby as getuienis. In hierdie konteks blyk ʼn bespreking van die verband tussen gender, gesondheid en godsdiens, soos dit uit die unieke aard van dié dagboek binne ʼn oorheersend koloniale diskoers blyk, van besondere waarde te wees vir teologiese besinning oor verbandhoudende temas vandag, asook vir die toekoms. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za