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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
41

Troubled grounds : small-scale organic coffee production in Oaxaca, Mexico

Freeman, Julia January 2003 (has links)
No description available.
42

Criação e apropriação de valor no sistema agroindustrial do vinho do Vale dos Vinhedos / Value creation and appropriation in the wine agribusiness system of Vale dos Vinhedos

Schmidt, Carla Maria 25 November 2010 (has links)
O que motivou a realização desse trabalho foi estudar estruturas organizacionais complexas, uma vez que tais formas - pouco exploradas empiricamente - têm sido muito atuantes no atual cenário econômico. Além disso, investigações nesse campo são importantes porque a literatura da área não apresenta consenso sobre o impacto e o desempenho desses modelos organizacionais. Assim, esta pesquisa colabora com um maior entendimento sobre as estruturas complexas, investigando uma rede inserida no sistema agroindustrial do vinho, no Vale dos Vinhedos - RS. Esta é uma região rural formada por vinícolas, produtores de uva, hotéis, pousadas, restaurantes e artesanatos. Dentro desse sistema complexo ocorrem várias ações coletivas, destacando-se a obtenção do Selo de Indicação de Procedência dos vinhos finos da região, em 2002. Essa certificação afeta vários atores, sendo que se desconhecia o impacto da ação para os diferentes agentes envolvidos. Assim, este estudo identificou como a rede do Vale dos Vinhedos possibilita a criação de valor para os atores coletivos nela inseridos, além de analisar como ocorre a apropriação do valor gerado na rede entre os agentes. Os dados empíricos foram obtidos por meio de entrevistas e questionários realizados com produtores e vinícolas. Para a análise dos dados, utilizaram-se os métodos econométrico e descritivo. Em relação ao primeiro, realizaram-se regressões e os dados foram organizados em modelo painel. Os principais resultados apontam para um cenário de criação de valor na rede vitivinícola. O selo de Indicação de Procedência possui impacto positivo sobre a venda de vinhos finos das vinícolas, além de influenciar de forma positiva a venda de vinhos comuns dessas firmas, o que conduz a um contexto de formação de externalidades. Também comprovou-se que a certificação apresenta influência positiva sobre a renda por hectare dos produtores de uva da região. Porém, no que tange à apropriação do valor gerado pela rede, evidenciou-se que os atores possuem ganhos diferenciados. Os resultados sugerem que as vinícolas conseguem se apropriar mais do que os viticultores do valor criado pela rede. Ainda cumpre destacar que a rede possibilita criação de valor para outros atores envolvidos, como hotéis, restaurantes, comércios, pousadas e artesanatos, uma vez que promove geração de externalidades positivas, como: aumento do número de turistas na região; geração de empregos; reconhecimento da região em todo o país e no exterior; fortalecimento dos diversos estabelecimentos comerciais inseridos no vale e valorização dos imóveis rurais. De maneira geral, a pesquisa demonstra que os ganhos e as fontes de criação de valor existentes em redes superam os riscos e custos de tais sistemas coletivos. Esse estudo apresenta relevante contribuição, principalmente, se considerado que o Vale dos Vinhedos serve de modelo para outras regiões do país, uma vez que é pioneiro em termos de certificação geográfica no Brasil. / What motivated the realization of this research was to study complex organizational structures, since such forms - little explored empirically - have been active in the current economic scenario. Moreover, investigations in this field are important, since the literature regarding this subject does not present a consensus on the impact and performance of these organizational models. Therefore, this research contributes with a greater understanding on complex organizational systems, by investigating a network inserted in the agro-industrial system of wine, in Vale dos Vinhedos - RS. This is a rural region formed by wineries, grape growers, hotels, restaurants, inns and craftworks. Within this complex system, it occurs several collective actions, with special mention to the acquisition of the Indication of Origin Label of fine wines, in 2002. This certification affects several actors in the collective system, but the impact of the action on the agents involved is unknown. Therefore, this study identify how the network of Vale dos Vinhedos enables the value creation for the collective actors involved, as well as analyses how the value appropriation occurs between the agents. The empirical data were obtained through interviews and questionnaires conducted with wineries and grape growers. Econometric and descriptive methods were used to analyze the data. In relation to the first method, regressions were performed and the data were organized in a panel model. The main results point to a value creation scenario in the investigated network. The Indication of Origin Label has a positive impact on the sales of fine wines from wineries and also has a positive influence on the sales of common wines of these firms, leading to a formation context of externalities. The survey also found that the certification has a positive influence on the local wine producers income. However, regarding to the appropriation of the value generated by the network, it became evident that the actors have different gains. The results suggest that wineries can appropriate more the value created by the network than the growers. It should also be noted that the network enables value creation for other stakeholders, such as hotels, restaurants, shops, inns and crafts, since it promotes the generation of positive externalities as: increasing numbers of tourists, employment generating, recognition of the region around the country and abroad, strengthening of various shops in the region and valuation of rural properties. In general, the research shows that the gains and the sources of value creation in networks outweigh the risks and costs of such collective systems. This study presents relevant contribution, especially when considering that Vale dos Vinhedos is a model for other regions of the country, since it is a pioneer in terms of geographic certification in Brazil.
43

Criação e apropriação de valor no sistema agroindustrial do vinho do Vale dos Vinhedos / Value creation and appropriation in the wine agribusiness system of Vale dos Vinhedos

Carla Maria Schmidt 25 November 2010 (has links)
O que motivou a realização desse trabalho foi estudar estruturas organizacionais complexas, uma vez que tais formas - pouco exploradas empiricamente - têm sido muito atuantes no atual cenário econômico. Além disso, investigações nesse campo são importantes porque a literatura da área não apresenta consenso sobre o impacto e o desempenho desses modelos organizacionais. Assim, esta pesquisa colabora com um maior entendimento sobre as estruturas complexas, investigando uma rede inserida no sistema agroindustrial do vinho, no Vale dos Vinhedos - RS. Esta é uma região rural formada por vinícolas, produtores de uva, hotéis, pousadas, restaurantes e artesanatos. Dentro desse sistema complexo ocorrem várias ações coletivas, destacando-se a obtenção do Selo de Indicação de Procedência dos vinhos finos da região, em 2002. Essa certificação afeta vários atores, sendo que se desconhecia o impacto da ação para os diferentes agentes envolvidos. Assim, este estudo identificou como a rede do Vale dos Vinhedos possibilita a criação de valor para os atores coletivos nela inseridos, além de analisar como ocorre a apropriação do valor gerado na rede entre os agentes. Os dados empíricos foram obtidos por meio de entrevistas e questionários realizados com produtores e vinícolas. Para a análise dos dados, utilizaram-se os métodos econométrico e descritivo. Em relação ao primeiro, realizaram-se regressões e os dados foram organizados em modelo painel. Os principais resultados apontam para um cenário de criação de valor na rede vitivinícola. O selo de Indicação de Procedência possui impacto positivo sobre a venda de vinhos finos das vinícolas, além de influenciar de forma positiva a venda de vinhos comuns dessas firmas, o que conduz a um contexto de formação de externalidades. Também comprovou-se que a certificação apresenta influência positiva sobre a renda por hectare dos produtores de uva da região. Porém, no que tange à apropriação do valor gerado pela rede, evidenciou-se que os atores possuem ganhos diferenciados. Os resultados sugerem que as vinícolas conseguem se apropriar mais do que os viticultores do valor criado pela rede. Ainda cumpre destacar que a rede possibilita criação de valor para outros atores envolvidos, como hotéis, restaurantes, comércios, pousadas e artesanatos, uma vez que promove geração de externalidades positivas, como: aumento do número de turistas na região; geração de empregos; reconhecimento da região em todo o país e no exterior; fortalecimento dos diversos estabelecimentos comerciais inseridos no vale e valorização dos imóveis rurais. De maneira geral, a pesquisa demonstra que os ganhos e as fontes de criação de valor existentes em redes superam os riscos e custos de tais sistemas coletivos. Esse estudo apresenta relevante contribuição, principalmente, se considerado que o Vale dos Vinhedos serve de modelo para outras regiões do país, uma vez que é pioneiro em termos de certificação geográfica no Brasil. / What motivated the realization of this research was to study complex organizational structures, since such forms - little explored empirically - have been active in the current economic scenario. Moreover, investigations in this field are important, since the literature regarding this subject does not present a consensus on the impact and performance of these organizational models. Therefore, this research contributes with a greater understanding on complex organizational systems, by investigating a network inserted in the agro-industrial system of wine, in Vale dos Vinhedos - RS. This is a rural region formed by wineries, grape growers, hotels, restaurants, inns and craftworks. Within this complex system, it occurs several collective actions, with special mention to the acquisition of the Indication of Origin Label of fine wines, in 2002. This certification affects several actors in the collective system, but the impact of the action on the agents involved is unknown. Therefore, this study identify how the network of Vale dos Vinhedos enables the value creation for the collective actors involved, as well as analyses how the value appropriation occurs between the agents. The empirical data were obtained through interviews and questionnaires conducted with wineries and grape growers. Econometric and descriptive methods were used to analyze the data. In relation to the first method, regressions were performed and the data were organized in a panel model. The main results point to a value creation scenario in the investigated network. The Indication of Origin Label has a positive impact on the sales of fine wines from wineries and also has a positive influence on the sales of common wines of these firms, leading to a formation context of externalities. The survey also found that the certification has a positive influence on the local wine producers income. However, regarding to the appropriation of the value generated by the network, it became evident that the actors have different gains. The results suggest that wineries can appropriate more the value created by the network than the growers. It should also be noted that the network enables value creation for other stakeholders, such as hotels, restaurants, shops, inns and crafts, since it promotes the generation of positive externalities as: increasing numbers of tourists, employment generating, recognition of the region around the country and abroad, strengthening of various shops in the region and valuation of rural properties. In general, the research shows that the gains and the sources of value creation in networks outweigh the risks and costs of such collective systems. This study presents relevant contribution, especially when considering that Vale dos Vinhedos is a model for other regions of the country, since it is a pioneer in terms of geographic certification in Brazil.
44

An examination of constraints on fruit production by smallholder farmers in Vhembe District

Rathogwa, Alidzulwi Thameson 12 December 2014 (has links)
MRDV / Institute for Rural Development
45

Evaluation of Diverse Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) Germplasm for Field Performance and Drought Tolerance

Nkoana, K. D. 18 May 2018 (has links)
MSCAGR (Plant Production) / Department of Plant Production
46

Cultivating the Future: Heritage, Identity, and the Revival of Coffee Production in Martinique

James, Alyssa Adina Lori January 2024 (has links)
𝐶𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 offers an ethnographic analysis of the project to revive 𝐴𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑐𝑎 𝑡𝑦𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑎 coffee production in Martinique, originally introduced during the colonial period. The heritage initiative aims to use Martinique’s coffee history as a narrative touchstone, connecting the island’s natural and cultural heritage with sustainable economic development. By examining how the project seeks to shape a transformed future from an unresolved colonial past, this dissertation argues that the romanticization of agricultural heritage can obscure contemporary challenges, such as climate change, and hinder imaginative and practical future planning. The dissertation explores various orientations toward the future that are cultivated within the coffee revival project, including expectation and promise, possibility and hope, anticipation and speculation. Interludes woven through the text highlight the interconnectedness of the environment and the experience of becoming and being Black. These interludes lead to the concluding epilogue that introduces the conceptual methodology of attending to Black Atlantic Elements—it foregrounds fluidity and relationality among various cultural, ecological, and social elements, a counterpoint to the essentializing tendencies of Western ontological paradigms. The research utilizes a multi-methodological approach, including ethnographic fieldwork, archival research, and qualitative interviews, complemented by critical textual analysis. Over ten months of fieldwork in Martinique, interactions with coffee farmers, Island Parks Service officials, local residents, and other collaborators provided firsthand insights into the coffee revival project. Archival research conducted in both France and Martinique supplied historical context on the introduction and decline of coffee production on the island. The study also draws on contemporary scientific, journalistic, and policy texts to understand how these narratives are currently used to shape both local and global perceptions of Martinican coffee. Overall, this dissertation takes heritage seriously to understand the people and places that mobilize it, focusing on the histories they choose to bequeath and their visions of the future. The findings highlight the complex temporality involved in bringing material pasts into the present to shape future visions. This vexation of time troubles not only this ethnography and its interlocutors but also the Caribbean as a whole, where theories of Caribbean temporality often explore how futures are shaped and constrained by the past and its afterlives. Through critical attention to the parallel temporalities and future orientations within Martinique’s coffee revival project, this work reveals how interpretations of the past and present are shaped by the ends pursued.
47

An investigation into the feasibility of using e-business to sell plant material to the South African nursery industry

Pollard, Bryn January 2005 (has links)
Thesis (M.B.A.)-Business Studies Unit, Durban Institute of Technology, 2005 vii, 108 leaves / The South African nursery industry has faced many challenges over the last ten years. Excess in both demand and supply occur in any given year. The cost of maintaining a plant beyond its ideal ‘sell-by-date’ erodes profit and after time, results in complete wastage. The seedling nursery industry cannot afford to throw away large quantities of surplus seedlings or those that have become root-bound. The size of the wastage problem was unknown. It was believed that a website for trading surplus stock of seedlings might be the answer to the oversupply experienced by individual nurseries. The literature was consulted to establish what had made large companies successful. The advantages and disadvantages of E-business were investigated. / M
48

Perfil tecnológico dos fornecedores de cana-de-açúcar e entraves para a adoção de sistemas agroflorestais na região de Piracicaba, SP - Brasil. / Sugarcane small growers technological profile and the restraint for adoption of agroforestry systems in Piracicaba region, SP – Brazil.

Migone Segovia, Norma Virginia 20 April 2004 (has links)
A legislação atual exige adequações no sistema de produção da canade- açúcar, proibindo gradativamente a queima como método de despalha antes do corte, com o que a colheita deve ser com corte manual ou mecanizado. 37% das terras da região de Piracicaba apresentam declividade acima de 12%, o que dificulta a mecanização da colheita. Os sistemas agroflorestais (SAFs) apresentam potencial para manter a atividade agrícola na região de Piracicaba, dando maior sustentabilidade ao setor sucroalcooleiro. Através de visitas às unidades fornecedoras da região de Piracicaba, foram realizadas entrevistas com fornecedores de cana-de-açúcar, 25 em total, 7 em Rio das Pedras, 10 em Charqueada, 6 em Iracemápolis e 2 em Ipeúna, que trabalham em área própria e têm a atividade canavieira como principal, cadastrados na Associação de Fornecedores de Cana de Piracicaba (AFOCAPI), nos meses de abril e maio de 2002. Os questionários foram elaborados em base naqueles de Caron (1986) e Darolt (2000), considerando indicadores relacionados com a adoção de Sistemas Agroflorestais. Verifica-se o desconhecimento sobre SAFs. Entretanto, quando alertados das vantagens desses sistemas, os fornecedores se interessam pelas possibilidades de aproveitar melhor as áreas declivosas com SAFs. Também, não demonstra resistência natural à mudança tecnológica. Os entraves para a adoção, não são intrínsecos aos fornecedores, mas são principalmente devido às características da própria tecnologia como a adaptabilidade da tecnologia às condições locais, a segurança do mercado para os produtos e a falta de um programa oficial de assistência técnica. Os fornecedores podem investir, desde que a alternativa tecnológica seja rentável. Porém, tem uma aversão ao risco financeiro para investimentos a longo prazo. Dessa forma, o principal impedimento para a adoção de SAFs é a ausência de comprovação concreta das vantagens agronômicas e econômicas desses sistemas. / Present legislation in Brazil, by gradually preventing the sugarcane burnt, provoke adjustments on the production system, mainly by changing the harvest process from that done by labor to mechanized cutting and collection of the stalks. In the region of Piracicaba 37% of the land has an slope of 12% or above, what makes mechanization very difficult. Agroforestry systems (AFSs) have the potential to preserve the agriculture activity in the region of Piracicaba, improving the sustainability of sugarcane production chain. Sugarcane small growers, who cultivate their own land, and have the sugarcane as their main crop and were associated to the regional growers association (AFOCAPI) were visited and interviewed , 25 in total, being 7 in Rio das Pedras., 10 in Charqueada, 6 in Iracemápolis and 2 in Ipeúna sub-regions. A questionnaire, considering indicators related to the adoption of SAFs. It was observed a nonacquaintance about AFSs. However, when warned about the advantages of these systems, growers are interested about the possibilities of better utilize the undulating and steep areas with AFSs. Besides, they do not demonstrate natural opposition to technological changes. Restraint for adoption are not intrinsic to growers but mainly due to the characteristics of the technology itself, as the adaptability of technology to local conditions, the market safety for their products, and the inexistence of a official program of technical assistance. Growers may invest, since the alternative technology is profitable. Nevertheless, the have aversion to financial risk for long term investments. Thus, the major restraint for adoption of AFSs is the inexistence of concrete confirmation of the agronomical and economical advantages of these production systems.
49

Ecological and Social Drivers of Tree Diversity in Coffee Agroforestry Systems

Valencia, Vivian January 2015 (has links)
In the face of biodiversity loss due to agricultural expansion and intensification, agroforestry has been proposed as an environmentally friendly form of agriculture capable of conserving biodiversity while supporting local livelihoods. However, how social drivers related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological processes affect the potential of agroforestry systems to serve as reservoirs for native species diversity and community composition is unclear. This dissertation aims to describe patterns of tree diversity and community composition in coffee (Coffea arabica) agroforestry systems as they compare to surrounding forests, and uncover the social drivers related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological processes giving rise to those patterns. Worldwide, there is an extensive overlap between coffee-growing areas and regions with high species richness and endemism considered biodiversity hotspots. This renders the issue of clarifying the sustainability and conservation value of shade coffee even more urgent. Otherwise, we risk losing important late-succession and conservation concern tree species, and simplifying the structural and floristic composition of mature forests. To uncover how the social factors related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological factors drive tree diversity and community composition in coffee agroforestry systems, a series of empirical studies were conducted based on surveys and field data collected in La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas, Mexico, between 2009-2013. Field research took place in two coffee farming communities within the reserve, where 50 farmers were interviewed, and 31 coffee agroforest sites and 10 forest sites were sampled. Forests were sampled to provide a reference for tree diversity and community composition in the absence of coffee management. Although a higher sample size would have permitted the inclusion of more covariates in statistical analyses without losing statistical power, there is no reason to believe that the results of this dissertation would change if a larger sample size were considered. This is because the magnitude of the effects detected were large and the p-values small, which underscore the robustness of the results of this dissertation. The three chapters in this dissertation correspond to individual studies. Chapter One investigates tree floristic patterns in coffee agroforestry systems and compares them to those in surrounding forests. Findings indicate that although at the landscape level coffee agroforestry systems hold similar tree species richness compared to forests, tree species community composition is significantly distinct. Coffee agroforests had a lower proportion of trees of conservation concern, a higher proportion of pioneer trees, were dominated by Inga spp., harbored lower tree species diversity at the plot level, and were composed of different tree species compared to native forests. This chapter raised questions with regards to whether these results were the result of farmers’ intentional tree selection criteria and preferences, or an unintended consequence of management practices. Chapter Two addressed these questions by examining the use of knowledge by farmers to manage coffee agroforests and the consequences on tree community composition relative to forests. In Chapter Two, results indicate that differences between agroforests and forests are primarily driven by farmers’ manipulation of tree community composition, which occurs according to their beliefs about the benefits and disservices of trees for coffee production. Tree community composition in coffee agroforest is dominated by the trees that farmers prefer and practically void of the trees they dislike as compared to the trees’ natural abundances in forests. These findings are novel and important because they clarify that the community composition changes observed in coffee agroforests are mostly an intentional consequence of management and not a byproduct. Finally, Chapter Three focuses on a subset of trees of particular conservation importance, trees of conservation concern (CC) and typical of old growth or late succession (LS) forests. This chapter investigates how management practices that affect shade tree density, basal area, and the proportion of Inga trees, mediated by land use legacies, affect the proportions of CC and LS trees in coffee agroforests. Findings indicate that management practices that sought to increase the proportion of Inga spp. trees had the largest negative impact on the proportions of trees of LS and CC, but the magnitude of the effects were dependent on land-use legacy. Among farms established on land previously used for pastureland or crop cultivation, the impact of farmers’ tree preferences and selection criteria on LS and CC trees were significantly higher than on farms established on forests without an agricultural history. These findings underscore that farmers’ sharp preference for Inga spp. trees undermines the potential of agroforests to conserve higher proportions of CC and LS trees. The results presented in each chapter of this dissertation allow for a more thorough understanding of the tree diversity patterns conserved in coffee agroforestry systems and the underlying social drivers related to farmers’ decision-making and ecological drivers that generate such patterns. The results of this dissertation seek to contribute new knowledge not only to the scientific community, but also to society so that better policies and strategies be devised that successfully conserve floristic diversity in the biodiverse areas of the world where coffee is cultivated.
50

Logistický řetězec květin / Logistics Chain of Flowers

Klusáková, Michaela January 2011 (has links)
This Diploma Thesis deals with the logistics chain of flowers and its individual components. The aim is to characterize the whole chain of flowers and to describe its components - from the grower to the retailer - and to suggest options for streamlining, mostly from the ecological perspective. The influence of different means of transport and heated greenhouses on the environment is evaluated through carbon footprint calculations. Part of the work is also devoted to the characteristics of the flower industry in the Czech Republic. The thesis came to the conclusion that the best is to transport flowers by ship, it is good for their quality and the less harmful for the environment. The second best choice is rail, also with very good quality of flowers and then the road and airplane, which is still less harmful to the environment than growing flowers in heated greenhouses.

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