Determining Forms of Expressions of Food Violence in Venezuela

In the present investigation, the existence of various forms of expression of food violence in Venezuela was determined, through the measurement of contextualized variables within the established classification. The existence and aggravation of forms of economic expression of food violence were determined, with a relative improvement in food availability but an increase in the difficulty of access: the basic food basket was located in December 2020 at $180.16, and the minimum wage at $6.35, which covers only 3.5% of the basic food basket. Additionally, a substantial increase in the use of the US dollar was determined, in parallel to the Venezuelan legal tender (Bolívar) as well as the introduction of the electronic currency “Petro”, which distorts the food access market and hinders the accessibility. Likewise, the effectiveness index for the delivery of food subsidies and the ability to satisfy the basic food basket through the food programs was determined. The existence of forms of moral expression of food violence was determined by observing in the respondents, high levels of dissatisfaction in the delivery criteria both in a general and community way and high levels of inappropriate perception of the use of propaganda or political advertising in the delivery of help with the no consulted use of the image of the beneficiaries. Forms of emotional expression of food violence were evidenced, showing high levels of dissatisfaction and uncertainty in the ability to purchase food, as well as high levels of anguish. Forms of cultural expression of food violence were determined, by determining changes in the ancestral and traditional eating pattern of the Venezuelan, as well as high measurements of dissatisfaction in the forced change in said pattern, as well as in the alteration of tastes and preferences expressed by the respondents have experienced. Sanitary forms of expression of food violence were evidenced, by determining considerable percentages in the consumption of basic products such as flour and sugar in bulk with ignorance of the brand and origin of the food and high levels of dissatisfaction with the realization of this type of consumption. No physical forms of expression of Food Violence were evidenced when the queues for food access were apparently stopped, and the use of body markings.

Temporal refuges differ between human and natural top-down pressures in a subordinate carnivore

Animals exhibit variation in their space and time use across an urban-rural gradient. As the top-down influences of apex predators wane due to human-driven declines, landscape level anthropogenic pressures are rising. Human impacts can be analogous to apex predators in that humans can drive increased mortality in both prey species and carnivores, and impact communities through indirect fear effects and food subsidies. Here, we evaluate the time use of a common mesocarnivore across an urban rural gradient, and test whether it is influenced by the intensity of use of a larger carnivore. Using multiple camera-trap surveys, we compared the temporal response of a small carnivore, the raccoon (Procyon lotor), to the larger coyote (Canis latrans) at four sites across Michigan that represented a gradient of pressure from humans. We found that raccoon time use varied by site and was most unique at the rural extreme. Raccoons consistently did not shift their activity pattern in response to coyotes at the site with the highest anthropogenic pressures despite considerable interannual variation, and instead showed the stronger responses to coyotes at more rural sites. Temporal shifts were characterized by raccoons being more diurnal in areas of high coyote activity. We conclude that raccoons do partition time to avoid coyotes. Our results highlight that the variation in raccoon time use across the entirety of the urban-rural gradient needed to be considered, as anthropogenic pressures may dominate and obscure the dynamics of this interaction. In an increasingly anthropocentric world, to understand species interactions, it is imperative that we consider the entire spectrum of human pressures that it may occur within.

Bird-feeder cleaning lowers disease severity in rural but not urban birds

Animals inhabiting urban areas often experience elevated disease threats, putatively due to factors such as increased population density and horizontal transmission or decreased immunity (e.g. due to nutrition, pollution, stress). However, for animals that take advantage of human food subsidies, like feeder-visiting birds, an additional mechanism may include exposure to contaminated feeders as fomites. There are some published associations between bird feeder presence/density and avian disease, but to date no experimental study has tested the hypothesis that feeder contamination can directly impact disease status of visiting birds, especially in relation to the population of origin (i.e. urban v. rural, where feeder use/densities naturally vary dramatically). Here we used a field, feeder-cleaning experimental design to show that rural, but not urban, house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) showed increased infection from a common coccidian endoparasite (Isospora spp.) when feeders were left uncleaned and that daily cleaning (with diluted bleach solution) over a 5-week period successfully decreased parasite burden. Moreover, this pattern in rural finches was true for males but not females. These experimental results reveal habitat- and sex-specific harmful effects of bird feeder use (i.e. when uncleaned in rural areas). Our study is the first to directly indicate to humans who maintain feeders for granivorous birds that routine cleaning can be critical for ensuring the health and viability of visiting avian species.

Interaction Between Food Prices and Political Instability

This report reviews the literature on links between international food prices and political instability (including protests, riots and social unrest). The literature on food prices and protests, riots, unrest, or violent incidents consists mainly of peer-reviewed scholarly articles that utilise econometric modeling. Some early studies examined the links between international food prices and political instability and found conflicting results. Some assessments concluded that there were links between international food prices or food insecurity and the number of violent incidents, while others found that such a link was tenuous. This literature review covers some of the main arguments and findings in the recent literature on food prices and political instability or conflict. The majority of the econometric studies in this review find that there is a link between food price increases and a greater probability of protests, riots or social unrest. However, there are still a few studies that have contradictory results. So, the debate on the effect of food prices on political stability continues. Food subsidies, cash transfers, price controls, and the elimination of trade barriers are some of the policy interventions that may address rising food prices and mitigate the rise of violent collective action. However, the literature questions the effectiveness of such policies in cases where violence or protest action stems from deeper, underlying economic or political grievances.

Sudan Transitional Government Economic Measures: Missing the Revolutionary Twinkling

The Sudan transitional government policy and action were different from the socioeconomic and political demands of the revolutionary forces and from the Economic Salvation Plan developed by the civil government political incubator, Forces of Freedom and Change. Economic measures proposed targeted macroeconomic stabilisation through immediate lifting of subsidies and freeing the exchange rate, without viable pre-conditions being in place. The government plan to mitigate negative effects of removing the fuel and food subsidies was to raise wage of civil servants and to provide cash transfers to the poor. Both of these two measures as proposed were totally inappropriate.

Sudan Transitional Government Economic Measures: Missing the Revolutionary Twinkling

The Sudan transitional government policy and action were different from the socioeconomic and political demands of the revolutionary forces and from the Economic Salvation Plan developed by the civil government political incubator, Forces of Freedom and Change. Economic measures proposed targeted macroeconomic stabilisation through immediate lifting of subsidies and freeing the exchange rate, without viable pre-conditions being in place. The government plan to mitigate negative effects of removing the fuel and food subsidies was to raise wage of civil servants and to provide cash transfers to the poor. Both of these two measures as proposed were totally inappropriate.