scholarly journals The Role of Incubators and Accelerators in the Fourth Agricultural Revolution: A Case Study of Canada

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1066
Author(s):  
Robert Newell ◽  
Lenore Newman ◽  
Zsofia Mendly-Zambo
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Agricultural Revolution ◽  
Stakeholder Interview

The fourth agricultural revolution has resulted in technologies that could significantly support global efforts toward food security and environmental sustainability. A potential means for accelerating the development of these technologies is through business accelerator and incubator (BAI) programs. Using Canada as a case study, this study examines considerations around building agritech BAI capacity for supporting transitions to sustainable, resilient food systems. The research employs expert stakeholder interview and thematic coding methodology to identify opportunities, success factors, challenges/barriers, and actions/approaches for increasing agritech BAIs in a region/country. The study also identifies findings that are broadly applicable to BAIs in general and those that are specific to sectoral (i.e., agritech) and place-specific (i.e., Canada) contexts. The analysis identified four opportunities themes, seven success factors themes, eight challenges/barriers themes, and eight actions/approaches themes. Of the four thematic areas, success factors were the most broadly applicable to different sectoral and place contexts, and challenges/barriers were most specific to the agritech and (to a lesser degree) Canadian contexts. The study elucidates roles, challenges, and ways forward for building agritech BAI capacity in regions and countries for harnessing the opportunities presented by the fourth agricultural revolution and transitioning to sustainable and resilient food systems.

scholarly journals Carp (Cyprinidae) Fisheries in Swedish Lakes: A Combined Environmental Assessment Approach to Evaluate Data-limited Freshwater Fish Resources as Food

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-242
Author(s):  
Sara Hornborg ◽  
Anton Främberg
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Dietary Advice ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Seafood Consumption ◽  
Assessment Approach ◽  
Per Capita

AbstractThe role of aquatic resources to food security is both promising and constrained since the global seafood consumption is increasing while marine fisheries approach the limit of what it can produce. In Sweden, the seafood consumption per capita is higher than the European and world average but the current dietary advice is to increase consumption. Freshwater fisheries have in general been paid less attention in food security discussions. Carp fishes (Cyprinidae) in Sweden have lost their historical value and are currently, both understudied and underutilized. Here we use a combined environmental assessment approach to examine the environmental sustainability of current and potential cyprinid fisheries. We found that current commercial fisheries for Swedish cyprinids in lakes have an average carbon footprint of 0.77 kg CO2e per kg of edible product, substantially smaller than most of the popular marine and terrestrial protein sources consumed in Sweden today. This could be even lower if cyprinid resources were better utilized than currently. The cyprinids however exhibited different vulnerability to fishing pressure and are today associated with data deficiencies. Hence, it is currently uncertain how much food for human consumption they can contribute to. Improved consumer interest and management attention is needed, but to the Swedish diet, cyprinids offer a promising opportunity for future more sustainable and nutritious food systems.

The Impact of Concessioners on Sustainability in and around U.S. National Parks: A Case Study of Grand Teton National Park Concessioners

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Qwynne Lackey ◽  
Kelly Bricker
Keyword(s):  
Social Exchange ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
National Park ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Private Industry ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
The Impact

Concessioners play an important role in park and protected area management by providing visitor services. Historically, concessioners were criticized for their negative impacts on environmental sustainability. However, due to policy changes, technological advances, and shifting market demands, there is a need to reevaluate the role of concessioners in sustainable destination management in and around parks and protected areas. The purpose of this qualitative case study situated in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), which was guided by social exchange theory, was to explore U.S. national park concessioners’ influence on sustainable development at the destination level from the perspective of National Park Service (NPS) staff, concessioners, and local community members. Sustainability was examined holistically as a multifaceted construct with integrated socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental dimensions. Twenty-three participants completed semistructured interviews. Researchers identified four thematic categories describing concessioners’ influence on sustainability; motivations and barriers to pursuing sustainability initiatives; and situational factors that facilitated concessioners’ sustainability actions. While participants commented on the negative environmental impacts of concessioners and their operations, these data suggest that concessioners were working individually and collaboratively to promote environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural sustainability in and around GTNP. Some concessioners were even described as leaders, testing and driving the development of innovative sustainability policies and practices. These actions were motivated, in part, by contractual obligations and profit generation. However, concessioners also had strong intangible motivators, such as intrinsic values and a strong sense of community, that drove their positive contributions to sustainability. Based on these data, we recommend that those involved in future theoretical and practical work with concessioners acknowledge the importance of both tangible and intangible motivators when attempting to promote higher levels of sustainability achievement and collaboration. This will become increasingly important as land management agencies continue to embrace strategies beyond the traditional “parks as islands” approach to management. Additionally, future work should explore more specifically the role of policy, conceptualizations of sustainability, and private industry sponsorship in promoting concessioners’ contributions to sustainability, especially in collaborative settings. This work is needed to understand if and how these observations generalize to other contexts.

How an Innovative Sugarcane Biofuel System can Prevent a Clash between Food and Energy in Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (01) ◽  
pp. 1950005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilson de Paula ◽  
Wellington Pereira ◽  
Mary Jane Parmentier
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Second Generation ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Potential Conflict ◽  
Industrial Transformation ◽  
Food Commodities ◽  
Second Generation Ethanol

Food commodities have been used worldwide for both human consumption and energy, amid concerns of environmental degradation and damaging effects on local food systems. Presently, strategies of rural development have encompassed the use of green resources to produce biofuels and an agenda of food security. We argue that by the strengthening of a Sectorial System of Production and Innovation involving farming activity, industrial transformation and institutional support, production for food and for energy can be balanced. Our discussion contributes to the resolution of the potential conflict between agro-energy and food production and the role of public policies in stimulating second-generation ethanol based on remaining biomass. Based on the current literature and empirical evidences, the prospects for sugarcane ethanol in Brazil are examined, bearing in mind the development of a system able to produce second-generation ethanol, as a strategy able to mitigate negative effects on food security.

scholarly journals Role of On-Time & Honest Customer Services in the Success of Small Construction Companies in Saudi Arabia

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 182-188
Author(s):  
Abdulrahman Bageis ◽  
Abdullah Alshehri
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Strong Association ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Just In Time ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Customer Services

Background: The construction companies need to maintain their success levels to survive in the competitive business environment. The concept of just-in-time plays a significant role to reduce the costs and fulfill the needs of valued customers. Objective: The study aims to evaluate the role of honest customer services that are provided to the construction companies in Saudi Arabia. Methods: The study has used a case study approach to analyze the role of on-time and honest customer services in the success of small construction companies. Interviews were conducted to gather details and characteristics of the associated company. It mainly focused on the interactions and behaviors of participants, rather than calculations. Results: The results have provided a great understanding of the success of construction companies based on success factors. The organizational culture, delayed schedule, required quantity, and just-in-time purchasing are amongst the exceptional and highly effective factors on just-in-time delivery and customer experience. Moreover, organizing and planning were considered to be important factors contributing to company success. Conclusion: There is a strong association between the delivery of honest customer services and the success of construction companies in Saudi Arabia.

scholarly journals La economía de la conservación de la agrobiodiversidad para la seguridad alimentaria ante el cambio climático

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Unai Pascual ◽  
Ulf Narloch ◽  
Stella Nordhagen ◽  
Adam G. Drucker
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Economic Perspective ◽  
Public Values ◽  
The Public ◽  
Human Wellbeing ◽  
Agrobiodiversity Conservation ◽  
The Face

<span>Subsistence-based and natural resource-dependent societies are especially vulnerable to climate change. In such contexts, food security needs to be strengthened by investing in the adaptability of food systems. This paper looks into the role of agrobiodiversity conservation for food security in the face of climate change. It identifies agrobiodiversity as a key public good that delivers necessary services for human wellbeing. We argue that the public values provided by agrobiodiversity conservation need to be demonstrated and captured. We offer an economic perspective of this challenge and highlight ways of capturing at least a subset of the public values of agrobiodiversity to help adapt to and reduce the vulnerability of subsistence based economies to climate change.</span>

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