University of Minnesota, Duluth
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Identification of Socio-Management Issues Associated with Technology Adoption of Sericulture Farmers of West Bengal, India
No full textAims: Identification of the factors and variables on technology adoption tendency among sericulture farmers of West Bengal.
Study Design: Tendency of technology adoption is assessed using a total of 21 socio-management variables associated with sericulture, West Bengal, India using empirical data collected from 127 respondents under three districts.
Methodology: The independent 14 societal and 7 management factors were statistically analyzed using the path, and regression equations to understand the behavioral tendency of technology adoption amongst farmers’ community.
Results: Path analysis showed the direct effect of utilization of information sources (x10), socio-economic status (x14), and the number of employment days per labour per year (x19) on technology adoption. The regression analysis showed that utilization of information source (x10), socio-economic status (x14), number of employment days per year per labour (x19), benefit-cost ratio (x20), and social participation (x8) have a distinctive impact on the consequent factor technology adoption (y).
Conclusion: If the identified issues can be addressed in terms of technology adoption, the number of sericulture farmers will be increased in the future that will increase the raw silk production and followed by economy growth
OBBB Premium Subsidy Increases in Basic, Optional, and Enterprise Units
No full textThe One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) introduces the first significant increase in crop insurance premium subsidy rates since 2000. While the legislation explicitly raises subsidies for Basic and Optional Units by 3–5 percentage points, corresponding increase in Enterprise Unit (EU) subsidies are likely due to statutory parity requirements in the Federal Crop Insurance Act. Estimates suggest these adjustments could raise EU subsidies by several percentage points at higher coverage levels. The total increase in premium support from OBBB is estimated to be approximately $460 million in additional annual benefits to U.S. producers
What Is A “Reasonable Cause” Of Killing Animals? Public Attitudes Towards A Future Scenario Involving Cultured Meat
No full textContext: The practice of killing animals in Germany requires legitimisation under the Animal Welfare Act, which permits inflicting harm on animals only for a "reasonable cause". The legal prohibition on the killing of day-old chicks demonstrates that this law can serve as a powerful legal instrument. Until now, the consumption of meat has served as a largely unquestioned justification for the slaughter of animals. However, in Western societies, an increasingly discourse in animal ethics challenges the prevailing practices of animal husbandry in general and slaughtering animals for meat specifically. In a parallel development, the production of cultured meat (CM), a process of cultivating muscle cells in a bioreactor, is progressing, with first products available in the US and Singapore. From a consumer perspective, CM faces several challenges, such as the naturalness preferences. If, however, CM meets consumer expectations regarding price, taste, and appearance, it may be accepted as regular food. Therefore, creating a future scenario in which CM competes with animal sourced meat opens up the question, if slaughtering animals for meat is still regarded as a reasonable cause once functionally equivalent substitutes are available. Objective: This study examines from a consumer perspective whether the availability of CM influence the perceived legitimacy of killing animals for food. In a second step, we investigate whether animal-friendly pasture-based systems contributed to landscape conservation foster greater legitimacy, to assess whether concerns about animal ethics can be mitigated by more sustainable forms of animal husbandry. Methods: We conducted a hypothetical online survey experiment with informational treatments and analyzed responses from 1,696 consumers in Germany. Results and Conclusion: The results reveal a significant decline in the acceptance of killing animals for food when CM as an alternative is available. However, this decline is mitigated if animals also serve additional purposes such as landscape conservation. These findings highlight how CM could disrupt the meat market and shift societal views on the ethical justification for animal slaughter, while also showing that ethical acceptance remains contingent on husbandry conditions and the broader societal benefits of animal farmin
Analysis of performance indicators of real estate developers at B3 between 2017 and 2020
No full textThe construction sector was significant to the national economy, both in terms of its 6.48% share of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2012 and in the generation of more than 2.2 million direct jobs, reaching its peak in 2012. However, the health crisis generated by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, which causes COVID-19, appears to have exacerbated the decline in performance and reduced the sector's share of the 2020 GDP compared to 2019. This study aimed to highlight the impact of the health pandemic on the liquidity, profitability, and indebtedness of real estate development companies listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange and headquartered in the same state, comparing the results of nine indexers obtained from standardized accounting information provided by B3 for the calendar years 2017 to 2020. The results showed that the pandemic did not have a direct impact on most of the indexers, and that, among... Of these, only the profitability indices did not show better results in the analyzed period; liquidity, in turn, suffered a reduction, accompanied by a significant increase in the degree of indebtedness. However, due to the temporal limitation of this study, verifying the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the performance indexes of real estate developers will require a more detailed examination of macro and microeconomic hypotheses (causes) and their long-term impacts on the sector analyzed
Effects of federative units on per capita household disposable income: A multilevel analysis
No full textThis study investigated the effects of Brazilian federative units on per capita household income, using microdata from the 2017-2018 Household Budget Survey (POF), conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). The objective was to analyze how the average years of schooling and the food security status of households influence per capita disposable family income, considering how federative units can impact this income. POF microdata were used, applying multilevel regression, suitable for capturing hierarchical effects, using the explanatory variables: average years of schooling and food security status. The choice of these variables was supported by literature indicating education as a crucial factor in improving family income and promoting economic development, and food security as a direct indicator of living conditions and health, influencing quality of life and the ability to generate income. The results showed significant differences in income between households in different federative units. The average years of schooling of residents and their food security status significantly impacted per capita family income. It was concluded that public policies should consider these regional variations to promote a more equitable distribution of income
Adaptation Guide: Climate Change on Farms and Forested Lands in the Caribbean
No full textThe Caribbean is a region particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change. Prolonged periods of drought, altered rainfall patterns, extreme temperatures, sea level rise, and more intense hurricanes pose significant threats to agriculture and forestry sectors (PRCC, 2022). In this context, effective agricultural and forestry planning is crucial for reducing risks and enhancing the resilience of both land and the people who depend on it. This manual aims to empower farmers, land managers, advisors, and individuals involved in agriculture and forestry to effectively address the impacts of climate change. It provides a structured approach to adaptation planning through management objectives. With this guide, you will be able to: • Evaluate the physical, environmental, and climatic characteristics of your agricultural or forestry project to better understand the potential impacts of climate change that your project may face. • Use scientific information to strengthen or develop management objectives that promote climate adaptation. • Identify federal and local programs and learn about practices that support actions in response to changing climate conditions in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Capacidad de gestión operativa para la certificación de calidad de micro destilerías de mezcales mexicanos con denominación de origen
No full text[ES] La llegada de una denominación de origen representa oportunidades e incertidumbres con impacto directo al interior de las organizaciones. Esta investigación describe la capacidad de gestión operativa de micro destilerías (bacanora sonorense, mezcal mexiquense y raicilla jalisciense) en cuyas regiones es reciente la denominación de origen. Con una muestra de 87 unidades productivas se identificaron diferencias por grupo en el perfil del factor humano, capacitación, uso de tecnología, alcance de la comercialización y avance en la certificación de calidad. Se concluye que deben fortalecer, de manera planeada, su gestión operativa para aprovechar de los beneficios de la DO. [EN] The arrival of a designation of origin represents opportunities and uncertainties with a direct impact within organisations. This research describes the operational management capacity of micro distilleries (Sonoran bacanora, Mexican mezcal and Jalisco raicilla) in regions where the designation of origin is recent. With a sample of 87 production units, differences were identified by group in the human factor profile, training, use of technology, marketing reach, and progress in quality certification. It is concluded that they must strengthen their operational management in a planned manner to take advantage of the benefits of the DO
Effect of natural sweeteners on the physicochemical, nutritional, sensory, and microbiological properties of carrot-coconut gel pudding
No full textThe market for sugar-reduced products is expanding rapidly due to increasing health awareness among consumers and advancements in sweetener technology. Consumers are actively seeking to reduce sugar intake, making sugar the primary ingredient targeted for reduction. Consequently, products labeled as "no added sugar," "sugar-free," or "low sugar" are gaining considerable popularity. Manufacturers are therefore developing innovative formulations to overcome challenges related to taste, texture, and consumer acceptability, ensuring the commercial viability of sugar-replaced gel puddings. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing refined sugar with natural sweeteners, dates, and honey, on carrot–coconut gel pudding. Seven formulations were prepared: a sugar-based control (S), honey-based samples (H1: 90g, H2: 80g, H3: 70g), and date-based samples (D1: 90g, D2: 80g, D3: 70g). Physicochemical properties, proximate composition, energy content, sensory attributes, and microbiological quality were analyzed. The results revealed that sample D1 (90g dates) exhibited the highest levels of crude fiber (12.88 ± 0.005%), vitamin A (30.85 ± 0.05 RAE/g), protein (4.12 ± 0.03%), fat (10.20 ± 0.00%), calcium (2.98 ± 0.02 mg/g), potassium (2.83 ± 0.02 mg/g), and sodium (68.90 ± 0.02 mg/g) among all formulations. In contrast, the sugar-based control demonstrated the highest energy value and overall sensory acceptability. No yeast or mold growth was detected in any sample during seven days of storage, while microbial load was comparatively higher in the control sample. Although sugar-based pudding exhibited higher energy content and acceptability, the date- and honey-based puddings-particularly the formulation containing 90g dates-offered significantly improved nutritional quality. These findings support the potential use of dates and honey as natural sweeteners for the development of healthier functional desserts
Do agroholdings cope better with the agency problem? Empirical evidence from corporate farms in Russia
No full textThe agricultural industry in Russia demonstrated a notable growth since 2010. Russian policymakers strive to further increase agricultural production and set new targets for the industry for the years ahead. While agroholdings are regarded as one of the main driving forces behind the recent success in the agricultural sector, they are also believed to be the main locomotive that will move agriculture towards the set goals. In spite of their growing importance, the literature on agroholdings is still relatively immature and fails to provide clear evidence of their financial efficiency as opposed to non-agroholding farms. The current study utilizes a manually sourced longitudinal dataset of 203 corporate farms in Russia and provides a new empirical evidence on the financial performance of agroholding farms through the prism of an agency problem. Our findings reveal a significant positive relationship between agroholding membership and financial performance, as indicated by two accounting indicators – return on assets (ROA) and return on sales (ROS). We further observe that agroholdings face lower agency costs, which to a certain extent, explain their higher financial performance compared to stand-alone farms. The study offers empirical recommendations for policymakers and corporate executives in the Russian agricultural sector