Gerad Middendorf

Inquiry for the public good: Democratic participation in agricultural research

In recent decades, constituenciesserved by land-grant agricultural research haveexperienced significant demographic and politicalchanges, yet most research institutions have not fullyresponded to address the concerns of a changingclientele base. Thus, we have seen continuingcontroversies over technologies produced by land-grantagricultural research. While a number of scholars havecalled for a more participatory agricultural scienceestablishment, we understand little about the processof enhancing and institutionalizing participation inthe US agricultural research enterprise. We firstexamine some of the important issues surroundingcitizen participation in science and technologypolicy. We then review and assess variousinstitutional mechanisms for participation that havebeen implemented in diverse settings by institutionsof science and technology. Based on evidence from theexperiences of these institutions, we argue that acloser approximation of the ‘public good’ can beachieved by encouraging the participation of thefullest range possible of constituents as an integralpart of the process of setting research priorities.

Knowledge and tools to enhance resilience of beef grazing systems for sustainable animal protein production

Ruminant livestock provides meat and dairy products that sustain health and livelihood for much of the worlds population. Grazing lands that support ruminant livestock provide numerous ecosystem services, including provision of food, water, and genetic resources; climate and water regulation; support of soil formation; nutrient cycling; and cultural services. In the U.S. southern Great Plains, beef production on pastures, rangelands, and hay is a major economic activity. The regions climate is characterized by extremes of heat and cold and extremes of drought and flooding. Grazing lands occupy a large portion of the regions land, significantly affecting carbon, nitrogen, and water budgets. To understand vulnerabilities and enhance resilience of beef production, a multi‐institutional Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP), the “grazing CAP,” was established. Integrative research and extension spanning biophysical, socioeconomic, and agricultural disciplines address management effects on productivity and environmental footprints of production systems. Knowledge and tools being developed will allow farmers and ranchers to evaluate risks and increase resilience to dynamic conditions. The knowledge and tools developed will also have relevance to grazing lands in semiarid and subhumid regions of the world.

New Agriculture Biotechnologies: The Struggle for Democratic Choice

In the contemporary global agrifood system, the emergence of a plethora of new agricultural biotechnologies has radically merged questions of design at the molecular level with those of agricultural change, posing a series of far-reaching social, technical, and ethical consequences and contradictions. With more possible technological paths than ever before, the new biotechnologies have made technology choice central in the discourse over the future of agriculture. Implicit in the making of such choices is a redesigning of nature that could profoundly transform the agrifood system, ecosystems, and the social organization of agriculture. Indeed, global food production and consumption currently stand on the brink of a radical alteration in organizational form which conceivably could surpass the redistributional outcomes of twentieth century industrialization of farming, agriculture, and the food system.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.

The Efficacy of Public Education as a Means of Social Mobility for the Indigenous Tribal Populations of Rural India

India is home to a diverse number of indigenous tribal groups collectively known as the ‘adivasis’. As part of a tribal development strategy, the Indian government extended the public school system to serve rural tribal areas. This qualitative study explores the efficacy of the rural school system as a means of promoting social mobility among the Santal, Birhor, Kharia, and Lodha tribes located in the state of West Bengal, India. The findings indicate that rural schools have poor facilities, lack resources, and offer environments that are not conducive to academic success by the majority of tribal students. The research also reveals how the challenges faced by tribal children in rural schools are exacerbated because of a lack of cultural competency on the part of education professionals who design and deliver the curriculum. Thus the schools largely fail in preparing tribal students for even the bottom rungs of the Indian labour market.

Is Fair Trade ‘Fair’? A Study of Handmade Paper Producers in Nepal

Examines the perceptions, understanding, and practices of actors engaged in producing and marketing fair trade handmade paper products. The study also assesses the impact of fair trade affiliation on the socio-economic conditions of producers and workers. Primary data were gathered through interviews and participant observation at three paper companies in the Kathmandu area, two of which are fair trade affiliated and one non-affiliated. Secondary data were gathered through available statistics and other documentation. Findings indicate that organisations affiliate with fair trade networks primarily to increase sales, and indeed, affiliation seemed to have positive impacts on sales. Workers were found to lack an understanding of fair trade due to lack of opportunities to participate in decision making, high levels of illiteracy, and because management did not consider worker awareness of fair trade as significant. Worker awareness notwithstanding, company participation in fair trade was positively related to improved socio-economic conditions of workers.

Making the case: an actor-network approach to rhetoric in agricultural development

El termino “desierto alimentario” son a aquellas areas que se caracterizan por la escasez o ausencia de comercios de alimentacion. Los primeros estudios localizaron tales areas en los barrios socialmente desfavorecidos de las ciudades, cuyo limitado acceso a los supermercados condicionaria la dieta y la salud de sus residentes. Sin embargo, estas afirmaciones no han estado exentas de polemica. El objetivo de este trabajo es realizar una aproximacion teorica al concepto de “desierto alimentario”. Para ello, en primer lugar, se definen que son y cuales han sido las principales aportaciones a su estudio. En segundo lugar, se exponen las criticas y el debate que han surgido en los ultimos anos en diferentes paises. Las conclusiones muestran la complejidad del estudio del acceso a la alimentacion debido a los multiples factores que intervienen en la oferta y el consumo alimentario.Resumen Despues de que en 1995 la Union Europea comenzara las negociaciones para un acuerdo de asociacion con el mercosur , finalmente, ha sido el proceso de integracion centroamericano el primero en consensuar un acuerdo historico con el bloque europeo, que se constituye en el primer pacto inter-regional de la historia, que engloba tres pilares: el dialogo politico, el comercial y de inversiones y la cooperacion para el desarrollo. Se trata de un acuerdo que no deja indiferente a nadie, no solo por sus diferencias con el rd - cafta , sino por la apertura a nuevos mercados que satisfacen las necesidades de unos, mientras empeoran los problemas de otros. Sin duda, servira de modelo para los convenios sucesivos entre la Union Europea y el mercosur , la Comunidad, la asean o el ccgResumen El articulo presenta una reflexion acerca de las decisiones tomadas en relacion con la politica y la economia de Irak desde el momento de la invasion de Estados Unidos y el Reino Unido. Mas alla de centrarse en la discusion sobre la legitimidad de la invasion, se presenta un debate sobre las consecuencias que las contradicciones en las decisiones tomadas y la ausencia de una estrategia economica, social y politica han ocasionado en el pais. Se ponen de manifiesto los actores, intereses, relaciones de poder y decisiones tomadas en diferentes momentos del llamado proceso de transicion que se pone en cuestion. Abstract The article deals with a reflection about the decisions taken in relation to Iraq politics and economy from the moment of USA and United Kingdom invasion. Beyond focusing on the discussion about the legitimacy of the invasion, a debate is presented about the consequences originated by the contradictions in the decisions taken and the absence of a political, social and economic strategy. Actors, concerns, power relationships and decisions taken in different moments of the so called transition process that is questioned, Guerra, sociedad civil, politica internacional.come into scene.RESUMEN Los principales aciertos y desaciertos del programa de becas ALBAN son considerados, en este articulo, como representativos de la dinamica de cooperacion entre la Union Europea y America Latina. Sobre esta base, se analizan de forma sintetica, sus resultados mas importantes. Siendo asi, el presente articulo pretende contribuir con el diseno de instrumentos mas eficaces de cooperacion que dinamicen las relaciones entre estas dos regiones durante el periodo 2014-2020.Social protest is characterized by coordinated efforts and new organization red performance that emphasized cultural codes and communitarian roles. Theses mobilization and organization forms call attention of mass media, people in general and stimulating academic thinking with different approaches as well as new social movements (NSM). Different forms social organization has been presence in last decade in Tandil city, Argentina. Protest related with environmental effect mine’s activity, or actions against polluted activities, and so on. Particularly, we characterized water’s fight process a local level since historiography and documental information. This allowed us detecting conceptual analogy with similar process globally called new social movements.