scholarly journals Local food policies – their constraints and drivers: Insights from Portuguese Urban Agriculture initiatives

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-235
Author(s):  
Cecília Delgado
Keyword(s):  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Food Policies

AbstractTwo interconnected questions are addressed in this paper: (i) why urban agriculture (UA) and food-related initiatives take usually years to materialise in Portugal; and (ii) why resilient initiatives do not scale up and shift from practices to local food policies. We argue that existing initiatives are viewed as single events and therefore garner quite limited long-term political commitment and support. Based on interviews with food champions and a literature review, four Portuguese UA initiatives are analysed and these highlight the constraints that hinder their scaling-up. We conclude that drivers to lead to scaling-up are a combination of factors, with an enabling environment the most relevant one. On the other hand, constraints are related to limited democratic governance and poor policies, insufficient funding and weak participatory processes. Such findings are quite in line with existing literature. The limited integration of Portugal within the international UA and food debates might partially explain why UA is still struggling to find its proper place in Portuguese cities and their peripheries. Raising awareness among decision makers is critical to scaling-up UA initiatives and turning them an integral component of local food systems. A national observatory able to gather relevant data and produce knowledge, assess and monitor on-going initiatives may be the key step to gather different stakeholders together, that can then better advocate and then lead to higher political support, not only in Portugal but in any country where UA and food issues are emerging.

scholarly journals (Re)Commoning Food and Food Systems. The Contribution of Social Innovation from Solidarity Economy

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 548
Author(s):  
Adanella Rossi ◽  
Mario Coscarello ◽  
Davide Biolghini
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Solidarity Economy ◽  
Sustainable Food Systems ◽  
Sustainable Food ◽  
Food Governance ◽  
Food Policies ◽  
Italian Context

The need for a transition to sustainable food systems is widely recognised. Over the last three decades, movements have been demanding and proposing a radical transformation, foregrounding the social values of food. Experiences inspired by solidarity economy have given rise to highly innovative pathways, grounded on the redefinition of the food-related values and practices and the reconstruction of local, community-based food systems by referring to social and ecological sustainability. One can usefully draw from these experiences for identifying challenges, opportunities and benefits and for analysing the most effective modes of action leading to the creation of alternatives. Capturing and supporting this innovation is particularly important when looking at the opportunities offered by local food policies. This significantly involves the meanings, goals and forms that food governance takes on. The paper aims at investigating these aspects, reading the initiatives inspired by SE principles as an example of social innovation. Their engagement in re-signifying food in terms of “commons” and in “commoning” food systems constitutes a complementary key of analysis. Focusing on the Italian context, the paper draws on many years of qualitative research and direct involvement in these initiatives. The analysis provides useful insights about the potential for change existing in society and invites us to develop reflexivity on how local food policies capture the opportunity for a re-politicisation of food-related issues.

scholarly journals Long-Term Development of Urban Agriculture: Resilience and Sustainability of Farmers Facing the Covid-19 Pandemic in Japan

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4316
Author(s):  
Shingo Yoshida ◽  
Hironori Yagi
Keyword(s):  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Direct Marketing ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Urban People

The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has forced global food systems to face unprecedented uncertain shocks even in terms of human health. Urban agriculture is expected to be more resilient because of its short supply chain for urban people and diversified farming activities. However, the short-and long-term effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on urban farms remain unclear. This study aims to reveal the conditions for farm resilience to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the relationship between short-term farm resilience and long-term farm development using data from a survey of 74 farms located in Tokyo. The results are as follows. First, more than half of the sample farms increased their farm sales during this period. This resilience can be called the “persistence” approach. Second, short-term farm resilience and other sustainable farm activities contributed to improving farmers’ intentions for long-term farm development and farmland preservation. Third, the most important resilience attributes were the direct marketing, entrepreneurship, and social networks of farmers. We discussed the necessity of building farmers’ transformative capabilities for a more resilient urban farming system. These results imply that support to enhance the short-term resilience of urban farms is worth more than the short-term profit of the farms.

scholarly journals Long-term stability and scale-up of noncovalently bound gold nanoparticle-siRNA suspensions

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 2568-2578
Author(s):  
Anna V Epanchintseva ◽  
Julia E Poletaeva ◽  
Dmitrii V Pyshnyi ◽  
Elena I Ryabchikova ◽  
Inna A Pyshnaya
Keyword(s):  
Surface Density ◽  
High Stability ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Physicochemical Characteristics ◽  
Sirna Duplex ◽  
Long Term Storage ◽  
Vis Spectroscopy ◽  
Term Storage

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are a platform for the creation of nanoconstructions that can have a variety of functions, including the delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids. We previously designed a AuNP/small interfering RNA (siRNA) nanoconstruction consisting of siRNA noncovalently bound on the AuNP surface and showed that this construction, when coated with a lipid shell, was an efficient vehicle for the delivery of siRNA into cells. The goal of the present work was to study the possibility of scaling up the synthesis of AuNP-siRNA and its long-term storage without loss of physicochemical characteristics and siRNA duplex integrity as well as siRNA surface density. Dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy, and electrophoresis were used to study the effect of scaling up the AuNP-siRNA synthesis and long term storage of its suspension on physicochemical properties of the samples and integrity of the siRNA duplex. It was shown that a ten-fold increase in the volume of the reaction mixture decreased the surface density of siRNA by about 10%, which influenced the corresponding physicochemical characteristics of the AuNP-siRNA suspension. The storage of the AuNP-siRNA suspension at 4 °C for different times resulted in the formation of particle clusters of high colloidal stability as demonstrated by conventional methods. These clusters completely disintegrated when albumin was added, indicating that they are agglomerates (and not aggregates) of AuNP-siRNA. The AuNPs-siRNA nanoconstruction demonstrated integrity of the siRNA duplex and high stability of the siRNA surface density during storage for seven months at 4 °C. Thus, it can be concluded that it is possible to scale-up the synthesis of noncovalent AuNP-siRNA and to obtain a nanoconstruction possessing high stability in terms of physicochemical characteristics and siRNA surface density for a long period.

scholarly journals Resilience characteristics of the urban agriculture system in Lansing, Michigan: Importance of support actors in local food systems

ua ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin K. Kirby ◽  
Lissy Goralnik ◽  
Jennifer Hodbod ◽  
Zach Piso ◽  
Julie C. Libarkin
Keyword(s):  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Local Food Systems

scholarly journals The need for contextual, place-based food policies: Lessons from Northwestern Ontario

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Connie Nelson ◽  
Charles Z. Levkoe ◽  
Rachel Kakegamic
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Short Term ◽  
The Core ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Food Policies

In recent years, several reports have highlighted the need for a national food policy that takes a comprehensive approach to addressing food systems (CAC, 2014; Levkoe & Sheedy, 2017; Martorell, 2017; UNGA, 2012). These findings suggest that, at the core, resilient food systems must be built on interconnected knowledge and experience that emerge from place-based interrelationships between human and ecological systems. Drawing on these important learnings, this commentary voices our hopes and concerns around the recent efforts of the Canadian Government to develop a food policy for Canada. While we commend the Government’s desire to “set a long-term vision for the health, environmental, social, and economic goals related to food, while identifying actions we can take in the short-term”, we caution any tendency to develop “best practices” that assume a universal, or “one-size fits all” approach to food policy development. We argue that Canada requires a set of contextual, place-based food policies that emerge from the grassroots, address local needs and desires, and build on the strengths and assets of communities.

scholarly journals Architecture and Urban Agriculture: Merging architecture and a local food system in Wellington, New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Thomas Zahner
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Design Research ◽  
Food System ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Urban Setting

<p>Urbanisation and agricultural development have for centuries had an interdependent relationship with each other, where the sophistication and systemisation of food production has led to the evolution and advancement of the city (Lim, Food City 5). Current global food systems seem to be exacerbating a disconnection between people and food production while concurrently harming the environment and biodiversity extensively (Kirschenmann 109). Therefore the demand for sufficient food for a growing population carries with it many challenges for environmentally, socially and economically sustainable food production (O’Kane 268). Local food systems are capable of mitigating many of the issues caused by the globalised food system, adapting local food production to suit the health and environmental needs of a community (O’Kane 274). This results in a more active participation in the food system by the community, increased social cohesion, a promotion of satisfying social and cultural interactions around food, a fostering of social responsibility and stewardship of local land, a nurturing of biodiversity, and a strengthening of the community’s economic vitality (O’Kane 271).  This design research investigates the social and environmental benefits of integrating a localised food production system into an urban setting in Wellington, New Zealand, through the cross-programming of urban agriculture with architecture. The research aims to provide social and environmental benefits to a community and place, as well as raise awareness of the importance of a sustainable and accessible food system. This thesis suggests that merging architecture and urban agriculture can positively improve the quality of life of the residents as well as positively benefiting the surrounding environment and biodiversity.</p>

The Necessity for Scale Up in R&D: Approach for Waste Immobilisation in Cement by BNFL

1995 ◽  
Vol 412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham A Fairhall ◽  
Eric W Miller
Keyword(s):  
Material Properties ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Physical Parameters ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Regulatory Bodies ◽  
Major Factors

AbstractThe full scale processing of nuclear wastes immobilised in cement utilises a wide range of chemical and physical parameters. The success of this work however, involves many factors and material properties which are affected by the actual scaling up processes. The paper outlines the approach and experience gained by BNFL to recognise and evaluate the major factors involved in order to successfully produce large scale stable products acceptable to the appropriate regulatory bodies and suitable for long term disposal.

Scaling-Up Cancer Control Innovations

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy C. Edwards ◽  
Barbara L. Riley ◽  
Cameron D. Willis
Keyword(s):  
Evaluation System ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Cancer Control ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Scaling Up ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Human Papillomavirus Vaccination ◽  
Media Campaigns ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Key Stakeholders

This chapter examines characteristics of and approaches to scaling-up innovations and programs, with illustrations from the field of cancer control. It summarizes definitions of scale-up, emphasizing the introduction of innovations with demonstrated effectiveness and the aims of scale-up: improving coverage and equitable access to the innovation(s) and its intended benefits. The chapter proposes a typology to help guide scaling-up activities. The typology includes five dimensions: the object of scale-up, how this object may be adapted, horizontal and vertical directions for scale-up, linear and nonlinear pathways for scale-up, and factors influencing scale-up. Featuring examples of tobacco control and human papillomavirus vaccination, the typology is applied and key scaling-up actions are described, including media campaigns, engaging key stakeholders, mobilizing political support, and investing in a monitoring and evaluation system. Systemic challenges to scale-up are discussed. Future priorities for research on scaling up cancer control initiatives are proposed.

Enabling factors and barriers to the sustainability and scale-up of drowning reduction interventions in Vietnam: a qualitative assessment

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 404-411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jagnoor Jagnoor ◽  
Aliki Christou ◽  
Cuong Pham ◽  
Rebecca Q Ivers ◽  
Ha Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Scale Up ◽  
Political Support ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Public Health Programme ◽  
Enabling Factors ◽  
Drowning Prevention ◽  
Geographical Regions

BackgroundVietnam has some of the highest rates of drowning deaths in the Western Pacific Region, particularly among children aged 19 years or younger. Several policies aimed at drowning prevention have been developed over the last decade; however, despite policy support, generally these have not been sustained beyond a pilot phase or have been limited to small geographical regions. The present study aims to explore barriers and facilitators for sustainability and scale-up of drowning prevention initiatives in Vietnam, identifying ways forward for future implementation.MethodsThis was a qualitative study using semistructured indepth interviews with key stakeholders (n=12) engaged in drowning prevention in Vietnam. The Framework Method was used to analyse the data drawing on Schell’s theoretical framework for public health programme sustainability. The Framework Method is most commonly used for the thematic analysis of semistructured interview transcripts, particularly as the data were fairly homogeneous.ResultsFour key factors were identified that facilitated implementation of drowning reduction activities in Vietnam. Strong political support at all levels, underpinned by policy; effective partnerships with the community; widespread communication; and programme adaptation to local contexts and application of innovative approaches, for example, strengthening organisational capacity in limited resource settings, were the key enablers. Barriers include the instability of the funding sources; inadequate programme evaluations to generate evidence of effectiveness and lack of consistent and timely data collection; and insufficient strategic planning for long-term implementation of drowning prevention interventions.ConclusionEnsuring the sustainability and scale-up of drowning prevention programmes in Vietnam requires a continued focus on enablers such as on community engagement, communication activities and partnership approaches, and importantly concerted efforts to mobilise resources for continued long-term funding, improvements in planning and intersectoral coordination, and ensuring that future programmes are robustly evaluated for effectiveness.

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