http://hdl.handle.net/1813/14201 Materials related to the study of food, fiber and fuel systems at Cornell, and application to larger questions around sustainability . 2013-05-24T02:54:05Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/14227 Title: Developing a Vibrant Local Food Economy in New York Communities Authors: Kroeger, Ruth; Zeltser, Yelena Abstract: A well connected local food system creates new jobs in the agricultural and processing sectors, increases tax revenue and contributes to vibrant local economies in New York State. The lack of appropriately scaled local processing and distribution infrastructure, however, creates challenges for small and medium-scale producers. Local governments have an important role to play in bringing together actors from across the food sector to develop innovative solutions to this problem. Through a series of case studies, we show how local governments can build a strong local food economy by promoting local and regional products, coordinating existing resources and assisting with development of business infrastructure for local producers. Description: working paper 2009-12-24T22:40:15Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/14031 Title: The Private State Of Agribusiness: Brazilian Soy On The Frontier Of A New Food Regime Authors: Peine, Emelie Abstract: This dissertation investigates the construction of the soybean industry in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and the relations between farmers, agribusiness, and the state that have given rise to a model of agricultural production that is suggestive of a new, third food regime. Soybean cultivation began in earnest in Mato Grosso in the 1980, but it was not until the mid-1990s that the state became a significant competitor with the US for soybean export markets. This dissertation argues that the soybean industry in Mato Grosso is structured by a "private international soy regime" consisting of government, corporate, and farmer interests that work to integrate production into global markets, albeit through a contested and contradictory process. The concept of 'food regimes' helps to clarify those contradictions as well as they ways in which this mode of production differs from earlier historical periods. Chapter 2 explores the place of Brazil and Mato Grosso in the global soybean commodity system both historically and analytically. This chapter located Brazil within a chronology of food regime development and decline and argues that the emergence of the Mato Grosso soy sector signals a departure from previous modes of political-economic organization of production. This chapter uses the concept of the "corporate food regime" to highlight the contradictions inherent in this historical moment. Chapter 3 looks in detail at the experience of the food regime on the ground in Mato Grosso through qualitative research with farmers, agribusiness employees, and community members in 5 towns throughout the state. This chapter argues that the category of "agribusiness" must be disaggregated and the experiences of soy farmers themselves taken seriously in order to understand how power is accomplished in a global commodity network governed by a private regime, such as soy. Chapter 4 examines private governance at the global level by investigating Brazil's role in the World Trade Organization and the constitutionalization of market rule. I argue here that various WTO mechanisms allow for and enable the exercise of private authority in ways that are often obscured by the political language of trade negotiations. 2009-10-14T20:04:29Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/13768 Title: Seeds Of Modernization: Conflicting Roles Of Agriculture As The Core Development And Growth Strategy In Senegal Authors: Raza, Saira Abstract: Modern development strategies, as defined by the World Bank, IMF, and other leading financial institutions, perceive agriculture as a viable source of economic growth in developing countries. However, in countries like Senegal which suffer from declining environmental conditions, agriculture is not a sustainable solution for economic growth. Growth in industrial activity during the colonial era and in the decades following independence have affected rain patterns, soil quality, and water salinity in the Sahel region, making it unsuitable for continued mass production of colonial crops like cotton, groundnuts, and maize. As a result, economic growth has been challenging, and domestic food security has become a major concern. Indigenous knowledge of farming practices could be a solution to these problems by leveraging tradition and local understanding of the environment. Other industries like manufacturing and IT services could also be explored as alternative sources of growth for the economy. However, the more common strategy has been to continue focusing on agriculture and using more fertilizers, pesticides, hybrid seeds, and in some cases, genetically modified seeds to boost agricultural production and thus meet development goals. Not only is the use of these products harmful to the environment and potentially to people who consume the products, but it is also harmful to the economy. Since most of these products are privatized and patented, traditional farmers are forced to purchase seed and other agricultural products every year from private corporations. Even though many times the increased agricultural production does positively affect the GDP, a major indicator of economic growth to development agencies, more and more farmers are finding themselves in debt. Therefore, the perceived success of these development programs is at the expense of the livelihood of local farmers, who continue to experience a sub-par quality of life. This thesis challenges the notion of development, especially as it relates to the African experience of capitalism. Agriculture, as a main vehicle of colonial expansion in Africa and many other places in the world, provides an interesting lens into the fundamental assumptions of capitalist expansion. Ideas of ownership, modernity, and tradition are questioned, using the history of Senegal and its role as a major agricultural hub during and after colonialization. Increasing biodiversity in agricultural practices and focusing mostly on domestic food security while turning to other industries to provide economic growth, such as IT services or manufacturing, may be steps in the right direction. 2009-10-09T13:41:05Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/13493 Title: Multifunctional Fetishism: Neoliberal Restructuring And The Valorization Of European Agriculture Authors: Da, Via Abstract: This thesis conceptualizes the transformation of food from a source of cultural and social reproduction into a commodity for speculation and bargaining as a central component of neoliberal agricultural reforms. Within this framework, I underscore how the emergence of market-based strategies for the valorization of agricultural multifunctionality in Europe has deepened the subjection of agriculture and food to circuits of capital accumulation, rather than promoting the development of ecologically sustainable and socially embedded farming systems. In particular, I analyze how the strategic deployment of a Euro-centric notion of multifunctionality has allowed for the retention of subsidies decoupled from production which are compliant with WTO demands of trade liberalization and benefit large producers and food industries operating on a world scale. Correspondingly, I argue that the discourse of multifunctionality promoted by the EU is closely associated with the deployment of neoliberal concepts of self-help, social capital, and value-adding which seek to justify the contested withdrawal of the state from the provision of public support to small scale producers. As such, the commercialization of agriculture?s multiple functions has become a focal site of resistance for farmers? movements and rural communities across Europe advocating for an alternative model of agricultural development premised on the notion of food sovereignty. In this respect, the thesis concludes by focusing on forms of agrarian politics which seeks to transcend the structural contradictions of the neoliberal project of agricultural restructuring by re-embedding agriculture and food in their social and ecological foundations. 2009-08-19T16:35:07Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/13086 Title: Agrarian Change and Social Transformation in Mozambique: 1928-2006 Authors: Olsefski, Tanya Abstract: This honors thesis considers the main lines of agrarian transformation in Mozambique in the context of two major political and social transitions: from the period of late colonial rule to the post-independence socialist oriented policies under The Liberation Front of Mozambique (Frelimo); and from the latter to the market oriented set of policies that became dominant in the post-Cold War era. The primary focus is on the transition from socialist policies characterized by the creation of cooperatives, state farms, and communal villages; to market-led transformations characterized by a system of private property in land and a system of production and exchange for the market. In the process, I look at the IMF-imposed Structural Adjustment Program and the civil war with the Renamo (The Mozambican National Resistance) movement that was armed and backed by apartheid South Africa, in shaping the nature of this transition. I find that the creation of cooperatives, state farms, and communal villages was not successful at integrating peasants and bringing together communities to increase production largely because the policies implemented did not reflect the needs and desires of the peasantry. They often were inimical to the situation many peasants found themselves in. I also find that the liberalization of the economy was laden with policies that were unfavorable to the peasantry. The privatization of the cooperatives and state farms was accompanied by the reduction of state funded projects such as the development of rural infrastructures and road networks that are crucial in linking peasants to marketplaces. In the future, Mozambique will need to empower local communities and develop rural markets and infrastructure if it is to increase production and generate a positive dynamic of development that can improve rural peoples livelihood and decrease levels of poverty. 2009-07-02T12:56:41Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/12840 Title: The Container And The Contained: Functional Preservation Of Historic Food Markets Authors: Donofrio, Gregory Alexander Abstract: The Container and the Contained explores the motivations, meanings, and methods of functional preservation planning through a case-study examination of three food market districts: Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington; Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston, Massachusetts; and Gansevoort Market, in New York, New York. The functional preservation planning of these districts spanned from the postWorld War II era into the present. Expanding upon the conventional objectives of historic preservation in the United States, with its narrow focus on the retention and restoration of architectural features, the goal of functional preservation is to document, protect, and perpetuate both the forms and the functions of historic resources. Interviews and archival research revealed that individuals involved with each market held a range of motivations for pursuing functional preservation planning. They all expressed a general belief that the historic character of cultural resources, however defined, was a manifestation of more than just architectural fabric. It also stems in part from how they are used, and by whom. Those who pursued functional preservation utilized a broad array of methods and tools to bring their plans to fruition, including not only established strategies like historic district designation and design review, but also novel approaches such as the regulation of building uses and oversight of market vendor products and sales techniques. Their efforts are set against the broader background of federal, state, and local market planning ideologies that evolved over the course of the twentieth century. Lastly, sources of data and quantitative methods of measuring the degree of functional preservation planning's success and failure are proposed. 2009-05-22T18:39:11Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/11806 Title: The Role of Municipalities in Regulating the Land Application of Sewage Sludges and Septage Authors: Harrison, Ellen Z; Eaton, Malaika M Abstract: Application of sewage sludges to agricultural lands is increasing. This use represents an economical disposal option and provides the benefit of recycling the nutrients and organic matter sludges contain. The practice, however, raises a number of concerns. Although the combination of federal and state regulatory requirements is significant in forming the initial base for sewage sludge management decisions, local regulations also play a part in seeking to protect the health, safety, and welfare of citizens, who may object to land application. The primary legal constraints that localities face are constitutional Commerce Clause challenges and conflicts with right-to-farm statutes. The authority of a municipality varies from state to state. This article focuses on New York State, which has granted strong home rule to its municipalities. Examples of local ordinances and how they address particular concerns are described. Local ordinances vary widely in the issues and the level of detail they address. Issues addressed in local ordinances include human health risks, animal health risks, water quality, nuisance issues such as odor, liability and uncertainty, monitoring, and enforcement. They may impose restrictions on the type, amount, quality, or source of sludge. Some specify management practices, notification requirements, and additional monitoring beyond that required by federal or state rules. As a result of concern over the inability of state and federal agencies to provide consistent enforcement of rules due to staffing shortages, local ordinances frequently supply enforcement provisions. Local ordinances may also include fees to cover municipal costs. 2001-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/10698 Title: An Overview of Production, Processing, Marketing and Utilisation of Okra in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria Authors: Farinde, A. J.; Owolarafe, O. K.; Ogungbemi, O. I. Abstract: This is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 9 (2007): An Overview of Production, Processing, Marketing and Utilisation of Okra in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria. Manuscript MES 07 002. Vol. IX. July, 2007. Description: Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M University 2007-07-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/10697 Title: Learning Sustainability of Rural Tourism: Farm Competitiveness and Landscape Health Risk Assessment Authors: Agostini, S. Abstract: This is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 9 (2007): Learning Sustainability of Rural Tourism: Farm Competitiveness and Landscape Health Risk Assessment. Manuscript MES 07 001. Vol. IX. October, 2007. Description: Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M University 2007-10-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/1813/10681 Title: Entrepreneurship Development in Agriculture through Agro Processing Centre: a Case Study of Almora District in NW Himalaya Authors: Singh, K.; Srivastava, A.; Srinivas, K.; Singh, S.; Gupta, H. Abstract: This is a paper from International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR, Commission Internationale du Genie Rural) E-Journal Volume 9 (2007): Entrepreneurship Development in Agriculture through Agro Processing Centre: a Case Study of Almora District in NW Himalaya Description: Rosana G. Moreira, Editor-in-Chief; Texas A&M University 2007-01-01T00:00:00Z