The paper studied the structure of meals in selected restaurants in the Czech Republic and compared with selected Austrian catering facilities. The analysis shows that Austria is against the Czech Republic ahead of not only the quantity used in organic food, but also in the knowledge that is related to organic food. And not just in public catering facilities, but also in households. In the questionnaire survey was to determine knowledge about organic foods, the principles under which they were prepared, where you can buy at what price range varies. About the quality of organic food, people's interest in organic food, organic food as often used in homes both Czech and Austrian. Were also detected in the possibilities of school catering facilities, the reasons why organic food is often used and more. All of this was examined children's nursery school, primary school pupils and college students and executives interviewed kitchen. The result is that in the Czech Republic are used almost exclusively organic foods at home and rarely. While in the kitchens of school facilities for them is great interest either from the kitchen diners and employees. By contrast, in Austria, organic food is commonly used both in households and in public catering facilities and thein use is considered an asset. SWOT analysis derived from several sources provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, shows the appropriateness of inclusion of organic food to offer menus. Understanding the concept of organic food is gradually increasing, from our survey suggests that this concept students know 72% and 75% of staff kitchen. In Austria, this question knew the answer 100% of the respondents. 13% of respondents would welcome the offer of meals of organic foods in their cafeterias, dining halls in the Austrian would appreciate higher proportion of organic food. 60% of students in the questionnaire said that they can byu organic food in supermarkets, while in Austria prevails buy organic food directly on the farm. Most in the Czech Republic to sign purchase organic fruits and vegetables, in second place as milk and dairy products. In contrast to Austria, where most purchases organic milk and dairy products, fruit in second place and third place is vegetables.

No description available.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references.

Disertacijos tikslas yra ekologiškai ūkininkaujančiuosius suklasifikavus pagal jų skirtingus veiklos prioritetus, nustatyti veiksnių reikšmingumą ekologinio ūkininkavimo vystymui. Tai pasiekta išanalizavus sistemų teorijos, ekologinio ūkininkavimo, darnaus žemės ūkio vystymosi ir kaimo plėtros, aplinkosaugos, maisto kokybės bei saugos ir motyvacijos teorijos krypčių perspektyvas, identifikavus ekologinio ūkininkavimo veiksnius, atlikus empirinių tyrimų modelių ir jų pritaikomumo Lietuvos kontekstui analizę. Sukurtas ir empiriniu tyrimu patikrintas ekologinio ūkininkavimo veiksnių vertinimo teorinis modelis leido nustatyti veiksnių reikšmingumą strateginiam ūkininkų sprendimui dėl ekologės gamybos būdo plėtotės pagal dvi veiklos prioritetų požiūriu homogeniškas ekologiškai ūkininkaujančiųjų respondentų grupes (orientuotų į pelno didinimą ir į ekologinę gyvenseną). Disertacijos rezultatai suteikia naujų žinių apie ekologinį ūkininkavimą lemiančius veiksnius, leidžia sistemiškiau nei iki šiol vertinti ekologinio ūkininkavimo veiksnius. Tyrimo rezultatai gali būti pagrindas ekologinio žemės ūkio (siaurąja prasme) ir žemės ūkio darnaus vystymosi (plačiąja prasme) racionalios politikos formavimui Lietuvoje ir kitose naujosiose Europos Sąjungos šalyse, o konkretiems ūkininkams, ypač besiruošiantiems priimti strateginius sprendimus dėl ekologinio ūkininkavimo, suteikia naujų žinių. / The dissertation aim is to assess the significance of the determinants of organic farming to its development when the respondents are classified by priority of their activity. This has been achieved through the analysis of trends and perspectives of the system theory, organic farming, sustainable development of agriculture, rural development, protection of the environment, food quality and safety and the motivation theory while identifying the determinants of organic farming, and through the analysis of empiric models and their applicability in the context of Lithuania. The established and empirically tested theoretical research model for the modelling the determinants of organic farming enabled to assess the significance of the determinants to the strategic farmers’ decision whether or not to undertake the practice of organic farming according to two homogenous groups of organic respondents depending on the activity priorities (profit-oriented and organic-oriented lifestyle). The dissertation provides with new knowledge about organic farming and enables to assess the factors of organic farming more systematically than before, the research results could be a basis for the rational policy-making in the development of organic agriculture (in a narrow sense) and sustainable agriculture (in a broad sense) in Lithuania and other new countries of the European Union, and provide with new knowledge the farmers, especially those who are preparing to make the strategic decisions... [to full text]

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Production and consumption of edible berries are increasing rapidly in the United States, mostly due to their superior flavor profile, and popular diet-related value with their human health relevant bioactives and nutritional benefits. However, bioactive and nutritional qualities, especially human health protective phenolic antioxidants and associated non-communicable chronic disease (NCD) relevant health benefits of berries vary widely among accessions/cultivars and due to different production practices (organic vs conventional). Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to screen and select high phenolic and high antioxidant serviceberry and blackberry accessions/cultivars and to investigate the effect of different weed management and fertilization (organic vs. conventional) practices on phenolic bioactive linked antioxidant and anti-diabetic properties of blackberry using in vitro assay models. Overall, high phenolic-bioactive linked antioxidant and anti-hyperglycemic properties were observed in both serviceberry and blackberry accessions/cultivars and further for blackberry it was significantly higher under organic weed management and fertilization practices.

This thesis examines what it means to be a gendered subject in the context of organic agriculture. Specifically, it considers the extent to which the ideological standpoint of the organic agriculture movement facilitates the representation and construction of distinctive gender roles, relations and identities within organic fanning. Three particular features of organic agriculture have been identified that could potentially impact upon gender roles, relations and identities: firstly, the organic movement has non-agrarian roots and has therefore attracted individuals who are not part of the traditional gendered heritage of agriculture; secondly, the basis of the organic ideology suggests a fundamentally different approach to society-nature relations to that which dominates the agro-industrial model; and thirdly, the ideology of the organic agriculture movement makes explicit reference to the social relations inherent to agriculture and the role that organic fanning should take in working towards a production process that is 'socially just'. These three reasons suggest that the construction and representation of gender roles, relations and identities within organic farming may be distinct from agriculture more widely, in which highly 'traditional' hierarchical constructions of masculinity and femininity have been shown to persist. Informed by perspectives within feminist geography, two phases of empirical research were undertaken in order to address the research aim. The first phase involved a content analysis of three publications drawn from the UK organic agriculture movement (and one from conventional agriculture) and explored how gender roles, relations and identities have been represented throughout its history. In the second phase the themes that emerged from the textual analysis were explored in more detail through a series of in-depth, semistructured interviews with forty-one men and women working on organic farms in the county of Gloucestershire, UK, in order to critically assess the ongoing construction and maintenance of gender roles, relations and identities within contemporary organic fanning. The findings of the research show that organic agriculture is largely dominated by 'traditional' representations and constructions of gender roles, relations and identities. However, they also show that organic agriculture does provide a space for alternative configurations of gender roles, relations and identities. Nevertheless, these pose a challenge to feminist understandings of what constitutes 'progressive' gender roles, relations and identities since, paradoxically, they draw upon highly traditional notions which associate women and nature whilst at the same time enabling women and men to assume gender roles and relations that transcend conventional boundaries.

Over the past few decades, the organic sector in most developed countries has flourished. Growth in the sector has been paralleled by a substantial amount of research on several arenas (see Cobb et al. 1999; Robles et al. 2005; Jackson and Lampkin 2008; Lobley et al. 2009c; among others). Reasons for adopting organic farming have been studied in a variety of instances (Padel 2001a). Although there is a considerable body of evidence that supports the distinctly ‘risky nature’ of organic farming, our identification and understanding of how this nature affects farmers’ decisions whether or not to farm organically are limited (see, for example, Lockeretz 1995; Duram 1999; Midmore et al. 2001; Baecke et al. 2002; Hattam 2006). It seems that there has been widespread acceptance of the hypothesis that organic farmers are more likely to be risk-takers compared to non-organic farmers. Similarly, the hypothesis that organic farmers with Non-Farming Backgrounds (NFBs) may have different attitudes towards risk has not been investigated yet through detailed empirical analysis. Accordingly, this thesis seeks to analyse the importance of farmers’ willingness to take risk in organic farming in their decisions regarding the adoption of organic farming where it is assumed that there is a link between attitudes and behaviours. The thesis employs a variety of methods: a questionnaire; familiarisation; in-depth interviews; and secondary data. The findings of this thesis suggest that not all sources and types of risks associated with organic farming are differently perceived by non-organic and organic farmers. In Devon (i.e. the study area), more non-organic than organic farmers mentioned the existence of ‘farm-related risks’ and ‘risks related to farmers’ belief’. Further, ‘risks related to financial returns’ were perceived to be of concern by non-organic farmers compared to their organic counterparts. On the other hand, other types and sources of risks associated with organic farming were equally perceived to be of concern by both groups. As expected, the recent risky environment of organic farming played a significant role in this respect (see also de Buck et al. 2001; Flaten et al. 2005). The wider environment was moreover the cause of greater concern regarding production, market and institutional risks (as opposed to personal ones) among organic farmers in Devon at the time of the questionnaire survey, when compared to the level of concern at the time of adoption. This shows that perceptions of types and sources of risks associated with organic farming are subject to change across time (CRER 2002). Compared to their non-organic counterparts, organic farmers in Devon were willing to take risk in organic farming. With regard to risk in farming and to risk in general, more organic farmers expressed risk-taking attitudes than did their non-organic counterparts. Consequently, and based on the main reasons for adoption and non-adoption of organic farming, this thesis suggests that willingness to take risk in organic farming acts as an extremely significant trigger for the uptake of organic farming. This in turn confirms what has been emphasised by many researchers (see Baecke et al. 2002; Acs et al. 2005; Serra et al. 2008; among others). It also suggests that investigations into people’s behaviours and decisions in relation to a ‘risky activity’ should take into account their attitudes towards risk in that activity. This thesis, in common with other studies (e.g. Kaltoft 1999; Lobley et al. 2005), also shows evidence of heterogeneity among organic farmers. A small group of organic farmers in Devon from NFBs was in search of the ‘good life’ and wanted to produce public goods from organic farming. Although technical, market and institutional risks associated with organic farming were of concern to organic farmers from NFBs in this study, these farmers did not have distinct risk perceptions. In contrast, they had distinct attitudes towards risk in organic farming. More organic farmers from NFBs than organic farmers from Farming Backgrounds (FBs) were willing to take risk in organic farming. Finally, and in accordance with Morris and Potter’s (1995) work, this thesis has placed 79% of surveyed farmers in Devon on a typology which reflects the fact that farmers are not homogeneous. The ‘conditional non-organic farmers’ and ‘pragmatic organic farmers’ in this typology may, with varying degrees of ease, switch between organic and non-organic methods at any point in the future due to possible changes in their attitudes towards risk in organic farming. In contrast, the ‘resistant non-organic farmers’ and ‘committed organic farmers’ at the two extremes of this typology will very likely be resistant to changes in their current farming systems. Accordingly, a set of policy recommendations which may help to increase future organic adoption in the UK has been set forth.

Bibliography: leaves 220-247.

Bibliography: leaves 220-247. / x, 247 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Plant Science, 2001