Stability of the food system functioning in non-stable macroeconomic conditions

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. 21-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olena Bokiy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Marat-Mendes ◽  
◽  
João Cunha Borges ◽  
◽  

Humanity is now believed to live in a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene, as changes have been reported on the atmosphere, air, water, and soil, but also on societal perceptions of these issues. This presentation departs from the theoretical assumption that the impact of the abovementioned changes on culture and the environment have not yet found a stable influence on urban planning. This presentation overviews the implications of the food system within urban planning while considering it as a socio-technical system which integrates production, distribution, transformation, consumption and disposal patterns. The production phase of the food system in particular, emerges as a fundamental planning challenge, extending to urban form solutions, individual behaviours, dietary regimes, inequalities in foodsheds planning, and the cultural capital of food. Accordingly, the food system emerges here as an opportunity to identify how current urban fabrics of cities and their rural and regional hinterlands can be transformed in terms of their metabolic function and respond to the needs of people and the environment. To do so, this presentation introduces the preliminary results of an analysis conducted by an ongoing research project SPLACH – Spatial Planning for Change, at two particular scales: the region and the neighbourhood. Thus, while focusing in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA), in Portugal, we provide an analysis of the Regional Plan as well as of specific residential neighbourhoods located in LMA, regarding the relationship between the food system functioning and urban planning approaches. The analysis includes a comparative number of case studies which differ in urban form solutions, socio-economic conditions, but also geographical location. The results support the request for a stronger integration of the above-identified underexplored topics of the food system within urban planning, which will be fundamental to inform a new theory of the city that makes any serious contribution towards a sustainability transition.


Author(s):  
S. A. Piyavsky ◽  
S. R. Kiryukov ◽  
A. S. Kuznetsov ◽  
G. A. Kulakov

The article presents a structural description of the functioning of the regional information and communication system “Student and Labor” (SAL). This system is aimed at identifying and developing creatively gifted youth in the field of science, techniques and technology and is focused on the gradual involvement of university students in real work and interaction with leading enterprises in the region. The first cycle of the SAL system functioning is described, which has a complete character and has already led to a concrete result. The bank of information about the leading enterprises of the region that took part at the initial stage of the functioning of the SAL system were formed as well as the bank of 150 themes of scientific research for student projects, which were proposed by the enterprises themselves. All projects are focused on the practical significance of research for the enterprises themselves, as well as for students, their supervisors from universities and scientific consultants from enterprises that have embarked on joint research activities, which at the first stages are mostly of informational and educational nature. The Union of Employers of the Samara Region and the Council of Rectors of Universities in the Samara region are already taking the necessary measures to implement the described cycle of the functioning of the system SAL in the current academic year.


2016 ◽  
pp. 25-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Mogilat ◽  
Y. Achkasov ◽  
A. Egorov ◽  
A. Klimovets ◽  
S. Donets

The article discusses approaches and instruments used in the Bank of Russia public analytical materials for analysis and forecast of macroeconomic conditions and monetary indicators. The authors focus on indicators of business cycle and monetary conditions, as crucial for monetary policy analysis. The attention is paid to issues most frequently discussed in scientific and expert literature, specifically, to new indicators and models presented in the Bank of Russia Monetary Policy Reports in 2015.


Author(s):  
Alyshia Gálvez

In the two decades since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect, Mexico has seen an epidemic of diet-related illness. While globalization has been associated with an increase in chronic disease around the world, in Mexico, the speed and scope of the rise has been called a public health emergency. The shift in Mexican foodways is happening at a moment when the country’s ancestral cuisine is now more popular and appreciated around the world than ever. What does it mean for their health and well-being when many Mexicans eat fewer tortillas and more instant noodles, while global elites demand tacos made with handmade corn tortillas? This book examines the transformation of the Mexican food system since NAFTA and how it has made it harder for people to eat as they once did. The book contextualizes NAFTA within Mexico’s approach to economic development since the Revolution, noticing the role envisioned for rural and low-income people in the path to modernization. Examination of anti-poverty and public health policies in Mexico reveal how it has become easier for people to consume processed foods and beverages, even when to do so can be harmful to health. The book critiques Mexico’s strategy for addressing the public health crisis generated by rising rates of chronic disease for blaming the dietary habits of those whose lives have been upended by the economic and political shifts of NAFTA.


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.


Author(s):  
Mary Anne Beckie ◽  
Leanne Hedberg ◽  
Jessie Radies

In order for local food initiatives (LFIs) to have a transformative effect on the larger food system, greater levels of economic, organizational and physical scale are needed. One way for LFIs to reach the scale necessary to generate a more significant impact is through increased institutional procurement of local foods. But how do people and organizations come together to generate the social infrastructure required to shift food purchasing practices and processes? This field report shares the story of an innovative community of practice consisting of institutional food buyers, large-scale distributors, regional retailers, processors, producers, researchers, municipal and provincial government representatives within the Edmonton city-region that formed for the express purpose of “creating a positive community impact by getting more local foods on more local plates”. In describing the formation and first three years of the Alberta Flavour Learning Lab we examine the unique characteristics of this community of practice that has aided the development of a common framework for learning, understanding and joint action. In addition to the accomplishments to date, we also discuss the challenges faced by the Learning Lab and the strategies used to overcome them.  


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