502 research outputs found
Does the environment in which ICT-based market information services (MIS) projects operate affect their performance? Experiences from Kenya
Get PDFThe need to provide agricultural information to farmers has led to emergence of numerous ICTbased MIS projects in developing country. These projects aim at promoting commercialization of smallholder agriculture and subsequently their welfare. This study examines the how the environment in which such ICT-based MIS affect their performance. It specifically uses the DrumNet project, an ICT-based MIS, to assess how the socio-economic, physical, political and physical environment in the project areas affected its performance. The study finds that those transaction-related problems, especially strategic default, deriving from these environmental factors greatly undermined the performance of DrumNet forcing it to relocate severally. It discusses policy implications of these findings.ICT-based MIS projects, the DrumNet model, operational environment, performance, Kenya, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,
Awareness and use of m-banking services in agriculture: The case of smallholder farmers in Kenya
Get PDFSmallholder farmer access to agricultural finance has been a major constraint to agricultural commercialization in developing countries. The ICT revolution in Africa has however brought an opportunity to ease this constraint. The mobile phone-based banking services that started in Kenya urban centers have spread to rural areas and even other countries. Using these services farmers could receive funds invest in agriculture finance transactions. This study examines the awareness and use of m-banking services among rural farmers in Kenya. It also assesses the factors conditioning the use of such services. The study finds high awareness of m-banking services among the smallholder farmers. It also finds that education, distance to a commercial bank, membership to farmer organizations, distance to the m-banking agents, and endowment with physical and financial assets affect the use of m-banking services. It discusses the implications of these findings for policy and practice.Mobile phones, m-banking services, awareness and use, smallholder farmers, Kenya, Financial Economics,
International Food Safety Standards and the Use of Pesticides in Fresh Export Vegetable Production in Developing Countries: Implications for Farmer Health and the Environment
No full textBook chapterMost developing country farmers producing for international markets rely on pesticides for
agricultural production (Thrupp et al, 1995, Maumbe and Swinton, 2003). The warmth and
humidity of tropical climates exacerbates the pest and disease problems (Okello, 2005). Due
to standards for cosmetic quality in export markets for fresh fruits and vegetables, the use of
pesticides has been especially pronounced in production of these products in the tropics.
Production and export of fresh produce from developing countires have witnessed major
growth in many developing countries seeking to diversify their production from staples to
high value commodities. Growth has especially been greatest in the fresh fruits and
vegetables (FFV) and in the flower subsectors. In Africa, for instance, exports of FFV
experienced a spurt in growth in the 1980s and 1990s as markets for major traditional
exports (e.g., coffee, tea and cocoa) experienced a downturn. Most of these non-traditional
exports were destined to Europe (with UK, Holland, Germany, and Italy being the leading
importers) (Okello et al, 2008). Figure 1 presents the trends in exports of green beans, a
major non-traditional export, by three of the leading exporters of fresh vegetables from
Africa. It shows an increase in exports of green beans between 2000 and 2006 in all these
countries
Beyond black and white : affirmative action in America
No full textModerator, Charles J. Ogletree ; panelists, Ward Connerly, Angela Walker, Ruth J. Simmons, Ann Coulter, Frank D. Riggs, Ann F. Lewis, Antonia Hernandez, Suzan Shown Harjo, Diane Chin, Robert L. Woodson, Sr., Christopher Edley, Jr., Judge Jon O. Newman, John R. Strangfeld, Tamar Jacoby, Lt. Gen. Julius W. Becton, Jr. Editor, Jonathan Fein.All sides of the affirmative action issue have targeted the same goal: ending racism of all types. But do opportunities for some have to come at the expense of others? In this Fred Friendly Seminar moderated by Harvard Law School's Charles Ogletree, a what-if scenario revolves around a university's efforts to enroll a diverse student body of qualified candidates. Panelists include Ward Connerly, proponent of California's Proposition 209; Christopher Edley, Jr., author of Not All Black & White: Affirmative Action, Race, and American Values; Julius Becton, Jr., former head of Washington, D.C.'s public schools; Ruth Simmons, president of Smith College; and policy activists from the African-American, Asian, Native American, and Latino communities
Hewlett Johnson, dean of Canterbury, at reception in his honor, New York, November 14, 1948
No full textPrinted on accompanying paper: Dean of Canterbury at reception in his honor in New York, November 14, 1948. THe Very Reverend Hewlett Johnson, Dean of Canterbuy Cathedral, England, chats with members of the Committee of Welcome at a reception given in his honor in New York on November 14, 1948. From left to right: Olin Downes, music critic and author; Dr. W.E.B. DuBois, Research Director of the NAACP, author and lecturer; The Very Reverend Hewlett Johnson, D.D., Dean of Canterbury; Rabbi Louis I. Newman, Congregation Rodeph Sholom; The Very Reverend Donald J. Campbell, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Springfield, Mass. Credit Line (Julius Lazarus). From: Rev. John W. Darr, Jr. 200 West 107th Street, New York, NY
Stamped on verso of image: Photo by Julius Lazarus, 23-02 29th Avenue, Long Island City 2, N.Y., Tel. RAvenswood 6-0866
PH Coll 601.7Religion
Inertial acoustic cloaks made from three acoustic fluids
No full textThis thesis provides an extensive review of acoustic wave theory in one, two (polar), and three (spherical) dimensions concluding with a study of passive, non-directional cloaking. The optical theorem is derived by use of energy conservation, yielding the cross sectional scattering in two and three dimensions. A new method, the Matricant Propagator, is developed for solving the scattered pressure field in wave-object interactions. Solutions found from the Matricant Propagator method are compared with known solutions using the Global Matrix method. A review of acoustic cloaking literature is given, including numerical comparison with previously proposed cloaking models. Lastly an acoustic cloak of the inertial type, made from compressible, inviscid fluids, is proposed by layering concentric shells of only three distinct fluids. The effectiveness of the device depends upon the relative densities and compressibilities of the three fluids. Optimal results are obtained if one fluid has density equal to the background fluid, while the other two densities are much greater and much less than the background. Numerical examples display a significant reduction in scattering and were compared using multiple solution methods. It is found that use of only two unique fluids is too restrictive for cloaking, however, interesting characteristics are found where energy may be diverted such that a reduction in backscatter occurs.M.S.Includes bibliographical referencesIncludes vitaby Adam Julius Nag
The impact of CAFTA on poverty, distribution, and growth in El Salvador:
Get PDF"In this paper we develop a dynamic CGE model to examine the impact of CAFTA on production, employment and poverty in El Salvador. We model four aspects of the agreement: tariff reductions, quotas, changes in the rules of origin for maquila and more generous treatment of foreign investment. The model shows that CAFTA has a small positive effect on growth, employment and poverty. Tariff reduction under CAFTA adds about .2% to the growth rate of output up to 2020. Liberalizing the rules of origin for maquila has a bigger positive effect on growth and poverty mainly because it raises the demand for exportables produced by unskilled labor. We model the foreign investment effect by assuming that capital inflows go directly to capital formation. This raises the growth rate of output by over 1% per year and lowers poverty incidence in 2020 by over 25% relative to what it would be in the baseline scenario. These simulations say something important about the growth process in a country like El Salvador in which it seems reasonable to assume that there is idle unskilled labor willing and able to work at a fixed real wage. In such an economy, growth can be increased in one of three ways. First, already employed resources can be moved to sectors where they are more productive. That is what the tariff reductions under CAFTA do, and the result is positive but small. Second, the structure of demand can be changed in such a way as to increase the demand for previously unemployed unskilled labor. That is what the maquila simulation does, because maquila uses a lot of unskilled labor relative to skilled labor and capital. Finally the supply of capital can be increased by increasing the rate of capital formation. That is what happens in the FDI simulation." from Authors' AbstractCAFTA, Trade agreements, Growth, Poverty, CGE model,
Visionaries or sleepwalkers?: Algirdas Julius Greimas and his political thought flying high
No full textReikšminiai žodžiai: A. J. Greimas; Algirdas Julius Greimas; Ideologija; Inteligentija; Konformizmas; Lietuvos prezidentas Antanas Smetona; Marksistinė dogma; Politinė ideologija; Politinė mintis; Sovietinė propaganda; Stalinas; Valstybingumo idėja; A.J. Greimas; Algirdas Julius Greimas; Conformism; Idea of statehood; Ideology; Intellectuals; Marxist dogma; Political ideology; Political thought; President of Lithuania Antanas Smetona; Soviet propaganda; StalinFor a political theory to take root it is important not only how smart it is, but also what are the social trends and historical circumstances. It happens that prolific and creative thinkers gain no influence at all while a text, even if it is written accidentally or by an unmethodical author, is meant to play substantial political role, turning its writer into a cult figure. Among Lithuanian humanities scholars, the eminent emigrant, semiotician Algirdas Julius Greimas belongs to the second group. The article examines his political views and the role that they played in promoting the Soviet reactionary sentiment
Benefit-cost analysis of Uganda's clonal coffee replanting program: An ex-ante analysis
Get PDF"The Ugandan coffee industry is facing some serious challenges, including low international prices in the international coffee market, aging coffee trees and declining productivity, and, more recently, the appearance of coffee-wilt disease, which have all contributed to the decline in both the quantity and value of coffee exports. The government of Uganda, through the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), in 1993/94 started a coffee-replanting program to both replace coffee trees that were old or affected by coffee-wilt and expand coffee production into other suitable areas in northern and eastern Uganda. This program seems to be helping to both combat the industry's problems and reverse the declining trends. However, the UCDA announced in 2004 that it was withdrawing from the replanting program in the 2004/05 season (it had supported nursery operators and purchased and distributed free seedlings to farmers), so the program's achievements may not last. This paper estimates the economic returns (benefit–cost ratio) of the coffee-replanting program, particularly replanting with clonal varieties, and analyzes the welfare implications of the decision to withdraw. We find that the internal rate of return (IRR) and benefit–cost ratio are very high, about 50 percent and 3.7 respectively, suggesting that the replanting program in Uganda is very beneficial to the livelihoods of coffee farmers, the coffee sub-sector, and the economy as a whole. The largest benefits occur in the central region, where the bulk of coffee is grown, followed by the eastern and western regions. The largest return on investment occurs in the eastern region, followed by the central and western regions. Sensitivity analyses show that the results (that is, the net benefits) are robust with respect to the assumptions made, including demand and supply elasticities and level of domestic consumption. Although the results are sensitive to farm production costs and coffee yields, the program still improves welfare. Taken all together, the results suggest that if the government withdraws from the replanting program without putting place adequate alternative measures to ensure the program's sustainability, welfare will be severely reduced in coffee-growing areas." from Authors' AbstractClonal coffee, Benefit-cost analysis, IRR, DREAM, Agricultural research,
Spatial coordination in public good allocation: Nonparametric evidence from decentralized Indonesia
Get PDF"This paper examines dynamics in public good accessibility and cross-community inequality in Indonesia, using village-level panel data from 2000 to 2006 from their decentralized public-good allocation system. The introduction of decentralization makes public-good investment dependent on initial local income and endowment, and makes it difficult to coordinate investment decisions across communities. Our analysis also shows that possible strategic interactions among communities connected with transportation infrastructure (externalities) implies spatial divergence. Empirical evidence on education and heath facilities, however, demonstrates that during the decentralized period, (1) accessibility to school has improved and school investments were effectively coordinated over space; (2) hospital access has improved only marginally; but (3) per-capita availability of schools and local medical clinics (puskesmas) in the community shows convergence toward low-level equilibria. Despite the coordination in spatial allocation even in the decentralization period (observed in intervillage accessibility), endogenous population mobility and growth partially cancel the benefits of the coordinated efforts in public-good allocation. This point requires further policy attention." from Authors' AbstractPublic goods, Education, health, Spatial coordination, Poverty dynamics,
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