EDITORIAL: STATISTICS EDUCATION RESEARCH FROM A LATIN AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE

Welcome to a special issue of SERJ.

Herein Lies the Rub with Comparative Law Research – From an American Perspective

The legal community in the United States has good reasons to be interested in the laws of other nations, but there are real barriers to finding and understanding comparative law. This article describes important differences in how law is envisioned in the United States: the pre-eminence of the adopted Constitution as the ultimate statement of rights and government powers, the interpretive role of judges in a unique federalist system, and the importance of case law in learning and talking about the law. This article also describes overarching obstacles that interfere with finding and reading comparative law: the influence of language and culture on formulating and carrying out research enquiries, and the increasingly bewildering array of interferences in accessing law authority and scholarship even when its existence is known.

Perspectives on Public History in Colombia

This article discusses the main characteristics of public history in Colombia, taking into account the challenges of the current political context. From a Latin American perspective of public practices of history, characterized by collaborative research and dialogue between diverse disciplines and knowledge, we analyze some of the experiences developed in Colombia in recent decades. We particularly study the ways in which public history has fostered an open discussion around the armed conflict, the recent peace process, and the social mobilizations of the last years.

Bases for the Establishment of Robusta Coffee (Coffea canephora) as a New Crop for Colombia

Robusta coffee (C. canephora) covers 36% of world coffee production and has strategic relevance as a beverage that it is produced by thousands of small-scale producers around the world. Although mainly grown in Africa and Asia as opposed to Latin America, this situation is changing. Colombia is recognized as a producer of high-quality Arabica (C. arabica L.) coffee, however we argue that Robusta represents a great economic opportunity for small scale producers, for the industrialization of new products and for emerging coffee chains. Therefore, the objective of this review is to outline the agronomic value of Robusta coffee as a “new crop” in Colombia. As background we compare the better-known Arabica to the Robusta coffees from a Latin American perspective. Robusta shows differences in geographical distribution, genetics, originating species, physiology and phenology. Robusta and Arabica also differ in their chemistry, sensory attributes, industrial use, segments of market and price. Despite the marked differences between the two coffees, the popularity and consumption of Robusta has been on the increase due to the expansion of markets in emerging economies and in developed markers for home espresso preparation where it is used in high quality coffee blends. Robusta is currently replacing areas of other coffees due to hotter temperatures to which it is adapted. Although Robusta is still new to Colombia, this species has potential adaptation in lowland areas considered “non-traditional” for Colombian coffee cultivation and as a valuable component of agro-ecological production systems. Robusta is a novel crop option for certain regions that is needed for the future of coffee in Latin America and for growth of coffee production and consumption in Colombia.

Brand ageing: an analysis from a Latin American perspective

Purpose Acknowledging that brands age over time, this paper aims to investigate the exogenous and endogenous factors that influence this phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach The literature on brand ageing is scarce. Through a study of several Colombian organisations that have an international presence, the paper uses a grounded-theory qualitative methodology, including in-depth interviews and documentary brand reviews over a longitudinal time dimension, to perform an analysis of specific aspects that affect brand ageing processes. Findings The results revealed that the factors that determine brand ageing can be classified into the following two subgroups: exogenous (conditions of the economic environment, category conditions, entrance of new competitors, ageing current consumers and entry of new consumers) and endogenous (organisational growth, upper management convictions, marketing structure, brand architecture, inappropriate naming and obsolete brand image) factors. Originality/value This research provides substantial academic value and insights that allow a better understanding of specific aspects that influence the brand ageing process.