scholarly journals Animal activism in the business school: Using fierce compassion for teaching critical and positive perspectives

2021 ◽  
pp. 135050762110446
Author(s):  
Linda Tallberg ◽  
Liisa Välikangas ◽  
Lindsay Hamilton

This article explores a practical approach to teaching animal ethics in food systems as part of a business course. We argue that tackling such complex and emotionally charged topics is vital to shifting unsustainable and hurtful behaviours towards more positive futures. Our teaching example outlines a pedagogy of courageously witnessing, inquiring with empathy and prompting positive action; an activist approach we term fierce compassion. These three layers blend positive and critical perspectives in a classroom to address contentious issues of large-scale industrial animal production hitherto largely neglected in a traditional business curriculum. While acknowledging that academic activism is controversial, we argue that fierce compassion – noticing the suffering that is remote and often systemically hidden – can inform and structure education towards more post-anthropocentric and just futures for all living beings – human and nonhuman alike.

Author(s):  
Lori Stahlbrand

This paper traces the partnership between the University of Toronto and the non-profit Local Food Plus (LFP) to bring local sustainable food to its St. George campus. At its launch, the partnership represented the largest purchase of local sustainable food at a Canadian university, as well as LFP’s first foray into supporting institutional procurement of local sustainable food. LFP was founded in 2005 with a vision to foster sustainable local food economies. To this end, LFP developed a certification system and a marketing program that matched certified farmers and processors to buyers. LFP emphasized large-scale purchases by public institutions. Using information from in-depth semi-structured key informant interviews, this paper argues that the LFP project was a disruptive innovation that posed a challenge to many dimensions of the established food system. The LFP case study reveals structural obstacles to operationalizing a local and sustainable food system. These include a lack of mid-sized infrastructure serving local farmers, the domination of a rebate system of purchasing controlled by an oligopolistic foodservice sector, and embedded government support of export agriculture. This case study is an example of praxis, as the author was the founder of LFP, as well as an academic researcher and analyst.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. 5359
Author(s):  
Afrika Onguko Okello ◽  
Jonathan Makau Nzuma ◽  
David Jakinda Otieno ◽  
Michael Kidoido ◽  
Chrysantus Mbi Tanga

The utilization of insect-based feeds (IBF) as an alternative protein source is increasingly gaining momentum worldwide owing to recent concerns over the impact of food systems on the environment. However, its large-scale adoption will depend on farmers’ acceptance of its key qualities. This study evaluates farmer’s perceptions of commercial IBF products and assesses the factors that would influence its adoption. It employs principal component analysis (PCA) to develop perception indices that are subsequently used in multiple regression analysis of survey data collected from a sample of 310 farmers. Over 90% of the farmers were ready and willing to use IBF. The PCA identified feed performance, social acceptability of the use of insects in feed formulation, feed versatility and marketability of livestock products reared on IBF as the key attributes that would inform farmers’ purchase decisions. Awareness of IBF attributes, group membership, off-farm income, wealth status and education significantly influenced farmers’ perceptions of IBF. Interventions such as experimental demonstrations that increase farmers’ technical knowledge on the productivity of livestock fed on IBF are crucial to reducing farmers’ uncertainties towards acceptability of IBF. Public partnerships with resource-endowed farmers and farmer groups are recommended to improve knowledge sharing on IBF.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 395
Author(s):  
Mohammad Yousefi ◽  
Masoud Aman Mohammadi ◽  
Maryam Zabihzadeh Khajavi ◽  
Ali Ehsani ◽  
Vladimír Scholtz

Mycotoxins cause adverse effects on human health. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to confront them, particularly in agriculture and food systems. Non-thermal plasma, electron beam radiation, and pulsed light are possible novel non-thermal technologies offering promising results in degrading mycotoxins with potential for practical applications. In this paper, the available publications are reviewed—some of them report efficiency of more than 90%, sometimes almost 100%. The mechanisms of action, advantages, efficacy, limitations, and undesirable effects are reviewed and discussed. The first foretastes of plasma and electron beam application in the industry are in the developing stages, while pulsed light has not been employed in large-scale application yet.


Author(s):  
Chelsea Klinke ◽  
Gertrude Korkor Samar

The contemporary global agrarian regime has altered the patterns of food production, circulation, and consumption. Its efforts towards food security vis-á-vis capitalist modes of mechanized cultivation have produced large-scale climatic and socioeconomic ramifications, including the dispossession of small-scale farmers from their lands and positions in market value-chains. In an effort to improve the dynamics of contemporary agro-food systems, food practitioners and scholars are engaging in critical analyses of land-grabbing, the feminization of agriculture, extractive-led development, and more. However, we argue that there is a gap between Food Studies scholarship and community-based transformative engagement. To support social justice frameworks, our paper calls for an academic paradigm shift wherein learner-centered experiential classrooms bridge academic-public divides and enhance student learning. Through a case-study of urban farming in Calgary, we also explore topics in place-based learning and participatory approaches that acknowledge and integrate Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, being, and connecting. Our paper provides strategies for supporting local food systems through activist scholarship, capacity building of leadership and technical skills in advanced urban farming, and intercultural relationship building. We conclude by evaluating the success of our approach, presenting potential benefits and challenges, and providing recommendations for best practices in food scholarship to support transformative change.


1943 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert R. Wilson

A large-scale problem for the principal belligerents in the present war is that of the treatment of civilians of enemy nationality in their respective jurisdictions. Measured in terms of the number of human beings involved, national safety considerations, and the possibly unfortunate effect at home of mishandling it, the problem assumes far-reaching importance. There is need for clear law as well as positive action. There is need for perspective. In relation to international law, the distinctiveness of the classification of “civilian alien enemy,” past effort looking to the construction of internationally binding rules prescribing treatment, and practice in the current war, merit attention.


10.28945/2695 ◽  
2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Gendron ◽  
A.T. Jarmoszko

This article proposes a pedagogical framework for teaching an introductory data communications and networking (DCN) course to Management Information Systems (MIS) undergraduate majors within a school of business. Building on the material provided in commonly used DCN undergraduate textbooks, the course introduces students to both theoretical and applied knowledge necessary to solve business and DCN technology problems. Since it is taught in a business school, the course encompasses students’ previous business course work, and has a strong business case orientation. All MIS majors at the senior level are required to take it.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 960-971
Author(s):  
N.N. Shurakova ◽  

The article examines such a new global challenge as the coronavirus pandemic. The features of this large-scale, unprecedented shock and the economic crisis agent are analyzed. It was noted that among the affected sectors of the world economy, there is the global agri-food system: a demand shock is superimposed on the supply shock, world trade is paralyzed, logistics flows are disrupted, supply chains are disrupted, and agricultural production is likely to decline. The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to a fall in the Russian economy. It is concluded that currently nothing threatens food security from the point of view of physical accessibility. However, the economic availability of food may not be ensured due to income loss and rising prices. In addition, COVID-19 may negatively affect the country’s export-oriented food course, foreign economic relations in the agro-industrial sector and the current import substitution policy. Despite the fact that the country is currently provided with food, there are still problems connected with the dependence on the import of technologies and components, machinery and equipment, breeding products and seeds. It has been substantiated that in order to prevent food crisis in the foreseeable future, the restructuring and stabilization of food systems at the national and global levels is required, which could ensure their sustainability and smooth operation in terms of creating backup channels and reserves to prevent disruptions and blockages in supply chains that are observed in period of COVID-19.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruben Toledano-O’Farrill

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the methodology and results of practice-based learning in the Business School of a higher education institution (HEI) in Mexico, with a focus on students’ participation and learning experience. Design/methodology/approach This research is a descriptive and qualitative analysis of six team experiences within a larger project developed through university–business partnership with the aim of helping develop organizational capabilities of small and medium enterprises within the Tequila industry in Mexico. Findings Participation of students in project-based learning, in genuine scenarios alongside professional consultants, is an effective way to develop learning and to apply prior knowledge. Learning occurs at several levels, including developing professional knowledge, teamwork, leadership and communication skills, and to some extent consulting skills. Client organizations also develop learning in work-based learning (WBL) projects. Research limitations/implications The research methodology does not allow for generalization of the results on a large scale. Practical implications This research shows a successful instance of project- and practice-based learning that may be helpful for HEIs seeking to implement this learning methodology. Social implications There is research evidence that more students are expecting to get practice-based skills as part of their higher education training. This paper supports the argument that HEIs can develop wide scale WBL programs that have impact on students’ learning and skills development as well as on the development of host organizations. Originality/value The instance of WBL described in this research paper is unique within HEIs in Mexico.


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