The Brazilian organic food sector: Prospects and constraints of facilitating the inclusion of smallholders

The Brazilian organic food sector has experienced important growth during the last two decades. Brazilian smallholders, however, are facing huge challenges to enter and benefit from this growth in a sustainable way. Combining the lens of New Institutional Economics and socio-anthropology, we analyze six experiences of Brazilian smallholders who converted to organics in the 1990s’. Three different food systems are featured in this analysis: an alternative food system, which is strongly interwoven with the Brazilian Agro-ecological movement and two commercial food procurement systems oriented towards domestic and an export markets driven mainly by supermarket chains. The analytical focus was on 1) the governance of these food systems, 2) the constraints farmers are facing within these food systems and, 3) the benefits that they can expect from market inclusion. We highlighted the roles that NGOs, Faith-based organizations and public-related agencies play in supporting the inclusion of smallholders into all three food systems. We confirmed the arguments in support of pursuing the agro-ecological development based model in Brazil, but underlined that there is a critical lack of support for farmers included in the commercial market-oriented food systems. Such a lack is even more critical as the food systems driven by expanding supermarket chains are characterized by strong asymmetric power relations at the expense of smallholders. Considering the reluctance of NGOs and Faith-based organizations to support these farmers, we call for efforts to be made to provide a policy framework to enable public-related entities to secure sustainable inclusion into these systems and exit strategies for those experiencing exclusion from these highly competitive food systems.     

基于建构主义学习理论的网络课程建设及其应用——以“经济法”课程为例

商科专业＂经济法＂网络课程的建设,应基于建构主义学习理论,以发挥学生学科优势为基础;以培养应用型、复合型人才为目标;遵循内容体系化、模块化原则和知识学习为手段、方法意识为目标原则,在具体应用中采取相应措施。如在网络课堂公布热点案例引起讨论,讲授难点、重点,提出分析问题的思路,创设学习情景,强化实践技能,并与职业考试接轨以拓宽学生的就业渠道等。这样可以保证网络课程的实际应用效果。     

气候变化政治对海湾国家的影响

海湾地区气候炎热,淡水资源缺乏。长期以来,海湾国家主要依靠能源出口获取大量资金,借此修建海水淡化工厂等各种设施以适应和改善气候环境的影响。近年来,国际社会在应对全球变暖问题的协调合作中,已形成一种处理全球气候变化的政治。气候变化政治要求各国减少能源消耗和降低二氧化碳排放量以缓解全球变暖趋势,从而对海湾国家以能源出口收益来维护生存环境和社会稳定的基本经济模式构成冲击。面对气候变化政治带来的冲击,海湾国家目前的权宜选择只能是继续扩大能源出口,并尽量拖延实施气候变化协议来进行应对。然而,这种做法虽可以暂时保持海湾国家改善环境的努力和维护其经济政治结构稳定,但却难以消除全球气候变化政治今后长期推动能源结构调整和节能减排所带来的压力。     

2012年宏观调控要处理好四大关系

随着经济增长的不确定性和风险进一步增加，2012年，中国继续保持经济持续平稳增长的关键，是在宏观调控上要处理好国际经济与国内经济的关系，“松银根”与“抑通胀”的关系，“抑通胀”、“惠民生”与“控成本”的关系，“稳增长”与“调结构”的关系。要处理好上述四大关系问题，关键是要坚持科学发展观，更加深入地推进转变经济发展方式。其中非常关键的举措，就是要在“稳增长”的前提下，适度调低经济增长率指标，加大结构调整的力度。     

坚持稳中求进 确保经济平稳增长——2012上半年上海经济形势分析

2012年以来,世界经济复苏减缓,市场需求明显不足,全球产能过剩压力加剧,经济运行风险进一步加大,未来发展前景难以确定。我国经济下行压力也明显加大,未来经济增长面临产能过剩、财政收入下滑、就业压力增大、国际游资冲击等负面影响。上海结构调整取得新的进展,预计全年经济增幅合理上升,但在经济运行中需要特别关注就业形势、小微企业、房地产市场、消费市场、区县经济增长等方面因素。应继续按照"稳增长"与"调结构"相互促进的要求,制定和出台促进经济稳定增长的地方性政策措施,重点是做好中央和上海已有各项政策的落实工作。     

中东剧变以来的东盟与海合会关系研究

中东剧变对阿拉伯世界整体格局和阿拉伯板块在国际体系中的地位产生了深刻影响。阿拉伯世界转型促使海合会正不断向阿拉伯君主共同体转型,也加快了东盟本身及其许多成员国的民主化进程。面对当前海合会从海湾次地区力量迈向中东地区性力量的战略走向,东盟在政治与经济层面加强了与海合会的协作,海合会的大国外交战略也将不断变化中的东盟纳入其重要战略目标领域。尽管如此,双边政治合作仍滞后于经贸合作,东盟—海合会自由贸易区仍是未来的首要目标。     

社会服务供给集约化发展思路探索

针对我国目前社会服务供给主体发展现状和社会服务供给特性,结合市场集中度和集约化管理理论,分析我国社会服务供给主体存在的主要问题,论述社会服务供给市场集中度与社会服务供给集约化的关系,提出通过降低准入门槛、鼓励主体竞合、强化规模运营、培育大型主体、理顺主体关系、完善竞争机制及优化市场结构等策略与措施,来推动社会服务供给集约化管理。     

底层生态与生活重建:新市民社会管理中的社区介入

本文从底层生态的视角,考察新市民的社会生活。研究发现,由于工作性质、经济收入、个人禀赋、社会网络等因素所致,新市民群体的社会生活呈现出明显的多元化和碎片化特征。重建新市民的社会生活,需要以政府为主导,以社区管理为切入点,缩小新市民与原城市居民两大群体的社会距离,帮助新市民融入城市社会。     

金代宗室管理制度考论

金朝十分重视对宗室的管理,设专门管理机构大宗正府,职掌修撰玉牒、监察训导宗室、宗庙祭祀等宗室事务;宗正官基本上由宗室属亲者担任,但也适当参用世戚勋旧。另有御史台、太常寺以及其他相关机构也兼理宗室事务。这些兼管机构与大宗正府相互配合,各司其职,从不同方面实施对宗室的有效管理。鉴于宗室也是威胁皇权的重要因素,金朝统治者对宗室还采取了诸多政令上的防范措施。     

The impact of internal communication on strategic and economic effects in Serbian companies

This paper presents the research results in relation to examining and defining dependences and the impact of internal communication on certain strategic and economic business effects. Serbian companies were the focus of this research. The data were collected by polling 100 managers from 100 companies. Afterwards, multivariate regression and correlation was carried out in the aim of the final determination of requested dependences. This research confirmed a strong positive relation between internal communication and strategic and economic business effects.