Disappearing natural resources: what flowers tell us about new value chains

Purpose This paper aims to question the capacity of firms embedded in global value chains to manage their natural resources in a sustainable way. Thus, it offers guidelines for more sustainable value chains. Design/methodology/approach While business strategies have focused on optimizing natural resource exploitation and on constructing global value chains to face sustainability issues, this study first explains why these strategies are not effective in preventing natural resource depletion. Second, it offers a model for anticipating resource depletion. The cut flower industry constitutes a central case to explain the model. Two other industry cases complement the demonstration. Findings To anticipate natural resource depletion and thus improve industry sustainability, firms must shift from the exploitation of endangered natural resources to the use of alternative local ones. This shift, however, encourages firms to reconstruct value chains and rethink how they create value within these new value chains. It also has an impact on firms’ growth strategy: they must replicate value chains on a local scale instead of taking part in global value chains. Research limitations/implications The findings rely on illustrations from the cut flower, fishing and textile fiber industries. Generalization to other industries may strengthen the argument. Originality/value This study offers a model of sustainable growth for firms willing to anticipate natural resource depletion by offering a shift in value chains. It consists of exploiting alternative natural resources and of rethinking the value offered to consumers. Thus, it goes against current models that merely focus on optimizing natural resource exploitation within global value chains.

La era digital comprendida desde la Psicología humanista/The Digital Era from a Humanist Psychology Viewpoint

<p><strong>Español</strong></p><p>Ante la era digital, la humanidad se enfrenta a nuevas coyunturas en los ámbitos sociales y psicológicos. La aparición de fenómenos como la adicción a internet, la depresión asociada al uso excesivo de los dispositivos y la pérdida de espacios reales en pro de una virtualidad cada vez mayor, además del desgaste de los recursos naturales, prende las alarmas sobre la salud y el tipo de vida que se lleva en las sociedades. La vida rápida e inmediata parece colocar a las personas en nuevos espacios cuyos impactos aún salen del conocimiento de las ciencias sociales. La Psicología humanista apareció oficialmente en 1961 y puede brindarnos una mirada más humana. El retorno a las experiencias humanas, a las emociones, al valor del individuo y a los sentimientos de autorrealización pueden cimentar las bases de un nuevo pensamiento que ponga luz sobre las problemáticas actuales. Por eso, el objetivo de este trabajo fue el de señalar algunos problemas que llegaron con la era digital, para después dirigir sobre ellos la mirada que brinda la Psicología humanista con el fin de revitalizar los esfuerzos en pro de una vida más saludable tanto entre los individuos como con el ambiente.</p><p><strong>English</strong> </p><p>Faced with the Digital Age, humanity confronts new junctures in the social and psychological spheres. The appearance of phenomena such as Internet addiction, depression associated with excessive device usage and the loss of real spaces in favor of an increasing virtuality, in addition to natural resource depletion, set off alarms about health and the type of life that is carried out in societies. Fast and immediate life seems to place people in new spaces whose impacts still come out of the knowledge of the social sciences. It is here that Humanist Psychology, officially appearing in 1961, can give us a more humane look. The return to human experiences, emotions, the value of the individual and feelings of self-realization can lay the foundations of a new thought that sheds light on current problems. That is why the goal of this work was to point out some problems that arose with the digital era, and then cast on them the perspective offered by Humanist Psychology in order to revitalize efforts towards a healthier life both among individuals, as well as in the environment.</p>

Designating Marine Reserves Is not Just an Ecological Process

Marine natural resource and ocean species are endangered because of human activities. In order to avoid marine natural resource depletion and recover marine ecosystem, marine reserves are created. The report will introduce the marine reserve definition and its functions. In addition, the report will describe three main marine reserves in Australia. Moreover, it will explain why designating marine reserves is not an ecological process.