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Broken promises: a rights-based analysis of marginalised livelihoods and experiences of food insecurity in large-scale land investments in Tanzania
Get PDFProponents of large-scale land investments (LSLI) still promote them as a development opportunity, which can lead,
among other benefits, to job creation and enhanced food security for local communities. However, there is increasing
evidence that these investments often deprive affected communities of their access to land, with multiple negative
impacts on livelihoods, food security and on the environment. This paper relies on empirical data to present an
analysis of LSLI and food (in)security – crucially at the level of individuals in two villages in the Ruvuma region,
Tanzania, over 10 years after the acquisition of village land within the Southern African Growth Corridor of Tanzania
(SAGCOT). We introduce an innovative framework that permits an integration of a rights-based approach with the
Sustainable Livelihoods Framework to explore smallholders’ livelihoods and experiences of food insecurity. Our paper
demonstrates how this integration, along with attention we have given to the FAO’s PANTHER principles, adds the
missing yet crucial dimension of accountability on the part of national governments as duty bearers. Our findings
show that in the case of these two villages, the human rights principles of participation, accountability, transparency
and empowerment are severely undermined, with women bearing the brunt in all these domains. This overall state of
affairs is, we argue, due to inadequate monitoring and evaluation of LSLI processes themselves and low levels of
commitment on the part of institutions in Tanzania to monitor the promises made by investors. This in turn demonstrates an accountability deficit on the part of duty-bearers within LSLIs, and limited capacity of affected community
members to claim their rights. Individual food insecurity experience in the two communities correlates, among other
characteristics, with lack of land ownership, employment and income-generating activities. The rights-based livelihoods framework applied in this study points to serious deficiencies in the LSLI model as presently endorsed in
SAGCOT, and emphasises the fact that access to land in Tanzania is a precondition for the realisation of the right to
adequate food and thus a critical requirement for achieving and maintaining food and nutrition security. We conclude
by arguing that progressive coalitions within and beyond national states must devise policies and institutions that
empower individuals and civil society actors to make demands on their governments to respect, protect and fulfil their
obligations regarding the legally enforceable right to foo
Resource and waste quantification scenarios for wind turbine decommissioning in the United Kingdom
Get PDFWind power produces more electricity than any other form of renewable energy in the United Kingdom (UK) and plays a key role in decarbonisation of the grid. Although wind energy is seen as a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, there are still several environmental impacts associated with all stages of the lifecycle of a wind farm. This study determined the material composition for wind turbines for various sizes and designs and the prevalence of such turbines over time, to accurately quantify waste generation following wind turbine decommissioning in the UK. The end of life stage is becoming increasingly important as a rapid rise in installation rates suggests an equally rapid rise in decommissioning rates can be expected as wind turbines reach the end of their 20–25-year operational lifetime. Waste data analytics were applied in this study for the UK in 5-year intervals, stemming from 2000 to 2039. Current practices for end of life waste management procedures have been analysed to create baseline scenarios. These scenarios have been used to explore potential waste management mitigation options for various materials and components such as reuse, remanufacture, recycling, and heat recovery from incineration. Six scenarios were then developed based on these waste management options, which have demonstrated the significant environmental benefits of such practices through quantification of waste reduction and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings. For the 2015–2019 time period, over 35 kilotonnes of waste are expected to be generated annually. Overall waste is expected to increase over time to more than 1200 kilotonnes annually by 2039. Concrete is expected to account for the majority of waste associated with wind turbine decommissioning initially due to foundations for onshore turbines accounting for approximately 80% of their total weight. By 2035–2039, steel waste is expected to account for almost 50% of overall waste due to the emergence of offshore turbines, the foundations of which are predominantly made of steel
A study on adulteration of alcoholic beverages in Poland. What next? Studia nad fałszowaniem napojów alkoholowych w Polsce. Co dalej?
Get PDFGaps in market governance create a vulnerability for adulteration to occur and the paper concludes by framing the challenges of addressing the sale of adulterated and mislabelled alcoholic beverages in Poland. The aim of the study was to review and critique the incidence of adulteration of alcoholic beverages in Poland, between 2009 and 2019, in order to provide recommendations for governance structures to reduce the likelihood of such offences occurring in the future. The methodological approach was to firstly review existing literature to position the Polish alcoholic beverage sector and consider food adulteration and then to analyse more specifically: (1) Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection (IJHARS) data on the prevalence of adulteration of alcoholic beverages in Poland; (2) Trade Inspection (IH) data on the prevalence of mislabelling of alcoholic beverages in Poland. The analysis of the IH data for the period 2009-2019 showed that alcoholic beverages in Poland were less commonly mislabelled than other food product categories. Focused analysis of IJHARS data between 2016-2019 for the beverages of concern (n=56) revealed that most non-compliances were due to missing items in the list of ingredients, lower actual alcoholic strength of the product than the value declared, or a misnomer i.e., incorrect or incomplete name of the product. Since Poland is a significant producer and consumer of vodka and beer in Europe and throughout the world, formal food quality and safety management systems should be put in place for protecting the integrity of the products and positive food safety culture should be created, measured and systematically improved in the enterprises operating in alcoholic beverages industry
Food Fraud in a Pandemic
Get PDFFood Fraud in a Pandemic CLaRE and the Regional Centre of Expertise (Cymru) Symposium - Regenerating rural communities after COVID-19: challenges and opportunities. Aberystwyth University. 23rd June 202
Developmental nationalism? Political trust and the politics of large-scale land investment in Magufuli's Tanzania
Get PDFResearch on large-scale land investments (LSLIs) can provide valuable
insights into the support for developmental nationalism in Tanzania
today. ‘Developmental nationalism’ is ‘a creative variant of liberation’,
which purports to make ‘Tanzania great again’. The nationalist turn
of late President Magufuli was grounded in political ideology and the
selective history of the past that swept him to power. However, there
is limited research on how political practice around land investments
contribute to trust and support for public institutions. This paper
makes two key contributions to scholarship on the political economy
of LSLIs. First, we examine the messy politics of LSLIs, the failures in
design and implementation, and the rise in local support for
developmental nationalism in two rural settings in Tanzania. Second,
using Latent Class Analysis (LCA), we identify distinct groups of
individuals based on their trust in the President, the ruling party
(CCM), the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) and support for LSLIs.
We define political trust as ‘an evaluative orientation towards an
institution or government, based on people’s normative expectations
A Hybrid Traceability Technology Selection approach for Sustainable Food Supply Chains
Get PDFTraceability technologies have great potential to improve sustainable performance in cold food supply chains by reducing food loss. In existing approaches, traceability technologies are selected either intuitively or through a random approach, that neither considers the trade-off between multiple cost-benefit technology criteria nor systematically translates user requirements for traceability systems into the selection process. This paper presents a hybrid approach combining Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) with integer linear programming to select the optimum traceability technologies for improving sustainable performance in cold food supply chains. The proposed methodology is applied in four case studies utilising data collected from literature and expert interviews. The proposed approach can assist decision-makers e.g., food business operators and technology companies to identify what combination of technologies best suits a given food supply chain scenario and reduces food loss at minimum cost
A conceptual model to analyse favourable rural locations for entrepreneurship
No full textAn entrepreneur selects to base their business within a location which provides a critical mass of resources to launch and grow their startup. In metropolitan areas this is a simple decision. In rural areas, this decision typically may be between two or even three rural regions within a nation.
Our methodology is based on a thorough review and synthesis of the most relevant literature on rural regional competitiveness and the regional economic development strategies which can support business startup and/or growth. From this we developed a critical assessment of existing models through the lense of opportunity recognition theory.
This paper establishes a conceptual model of how entrepreneurs should interpret the characteristics of a rural region with a view to support their venture creation and business growth. The core factors used within the model are Regional Capital, Decision Making Institutions, Regional Accessibility, Natural Capital, Provenance, Social Networks, Educational Base, Innovation Agents, Economic Structure and finally Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Profitability of Cashew Nut Processing in Cambodia
Get PDFThe global demand for cashew kernels has increased in recent years, particularly in high- and middleincome economies, due to rising international demand for nutritious food. Vietnam supplies 50 per cent of cashews sold on international markets. However, Vietnam is dependent on sourcing raw cashew nuts (RCN) from other countries to fulfil export obligations. Cambodia currently exports more than 70 per cent of its RCN to Vietnam. It is estimated that Cambodia could earn an extra US$30 to 40 million from its cashew nut industry if it developed a domestic processing industry. The objectives of this research are to answer two main questions: first, is it profitable to establish a cashew nut processing plant in Cambodia; and second, if so, what are the main opportunities and constraints? Cost-benefit analysis is employed to calculate the return from developing a small-scale cashew nut processing facility in Cambodia, based on standard Net Present Value and Benefit Cost Ratio measures, over a 20-year time horizon. Based on the most likely set of assumptions, the results show a clear positive return being made from such an investment, with the project taking just two and a half years to reach its break-even point. Cambodia has several advantages for investment in the cashew nut processing industry, including high-quality RCN and high kernel yields, and tax exemptions for Small and Medium Enterprises. However, investors need to consider that the returns are sensitive to any decreasing price paid for cashew kernels. Additional challenges for investors include competition from Vietnam for the Cambodian RCN, the lack of skilled labour, and high electricity costs in Cambodia. In conclusion, though, despite these challenges, it is considered to be financially viable to invest in smallscale cashew nut processing in Cambodia
Collagen fingerprinting traces the introduction of caprines to island Eastern Africa
Get PDFThe human colonization of eastern Africa's near- and offshore islands was accompanied by the translocation of several domestic, wild and commensal fauna, many of which had long-term impacts on local environments. To better understand the timing and nature of the introduction of domesticated caprines (sheep and goat) to these islands, this study applied collagen peptide fingerprinting (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry or ZooMS) to archaeological remains from eight Iron Age sites, dating between ca 300 and 1000 CE, in the Zanzibar, Mafia and Comoros archipelagos. Where previous zooarchaeological analyses had identified caprine remains at four of these sites, this study identified goat at seven sites and sheep at three, demonstrating that caprines were more widespread than previously known. The ZooMS results support an introduction of goats to island eastern Africa from at least the seventh century CE, while sheep in our sample arrived one�two centuries later. Goats may have been preferred because, as browsers, they were better adapted to the islands' environments. The results allow for a more accurate understanding of early caprine husbandry in the study region and provide a critical archaeological baseline for examining the potential long-term impacts of translocated fauna on island ecologies
Safeguarding global supply chains during a pandemic
Get PDFA study of the grain trade during 2020 indicates that policies to protect supply chains must be enacted to avoid supply chain shocks such as COVID-19 and locust swarms exacerbating food insecurity in global regions that rely on food imports