The effect of logistic services on the watermelon value chain in Tanzania

This article reports on a study that aimed to understand the effects for poverty reduction of the link between logistic services and cost of the watermelon value chain in Rufiji and Mkuranga districts in Tanzania. Structured questionnaires and FGDs were used to collect data from 251 respondents. Findings revealed that transport cost, storage cost, purchase cost, and logistics service have strong significant effect on the watermelon value chain cost. Based on the findings, the study recommended the use of affordable methods of storage, opening agro-input shops in villages, and the development of a favourable environment for watermelon businesses, to help reduce chain cost.     

A case for integrated development: pathways to improve child well-being

Economic strengthening interventions may increase income, assets, and food security. Donors and implementers see the potential for improvements in child well-being. This article presents lessons learnt from the implementation of two economic strengthening interventions. It finds missed opportunities with regard to child nutrition, and recommends: (1) integrating economic strengthening interventions with complementary development activities; (2) deep formative assessment to inform programme design; and (3) the use of community-based feedback loops. Development practitioners, funders, policymakers, and researchers must take every opportunity to improve the lives of children as young as possible to build healthy families, communities, and nations.     

High food prices in urban Cameroon: coping strategies and suggested policy actions

Governments tend to focus on short-term policies to address the immediate effects of high food prices when spikes occur, while in the long term, urban residents are left to their own devices struggling to ensure adequate household food consumption. Using data collected in three cities in Cameroon among 300 households, this article documents participants’ opinions on appropriate policies to address high food prices as well as how households cope with chronic high food prices. It emphasises the importance of long-term government strategies such as improved farm-to-market roads and agricultural sector supports as means to improve food security.     

How projects rise and fall: the lifecycle of a dietary modernisation scheme

How do projects grow? How do they fail? What accounts for their changing fortunes? This paper uses the archives of a 1970s modernisation scheme to explore the life cycle of a long-running project, concerning the production of leaf protein in Nigeria. It argues that archives can be very useful for understanding success and failure, and encourages practitioners to take an interest in the story of past projects, even those that failed. Drawing on Actor-Network Theory, it argues that alliances are key to understanding project lifecycles, suggesting that practitioners focus on strengthening local relationships, rather than seeking answers in universal management templates.     

Ruralisation: a tool for rural transformation

There is a concept that development practitioners have either not heard of or not read, or have chosen to ignore – ruralisation. Unlike urbanisation in urban studies, ruralisation is rarely used as a concept in rural research. It remains a poorly explored concept. By challenging existing notions about the use of the concept, this article attempts to (re)introduce ruralisation as a fundamental concept in rural studies. What is ruralisation? Why do we need it? How can we use it for rural transformations? The article addresses these critical questions. It defines ruralisation and presents its conceptual framework for rural transformation.     

吉林省粮食安全政策选择

2010年我国的粮食产量达到54 641万吨,增产2.9%。[1]尽管如此,我国的粮食安全问题仍然是十分重要的大问题,全球的粮食安全问题仍然很严重,粮价维稳已成为各国的头等大事,2010年全球玉米价格暴涨了52%,小麦上涨了49%,黄豆上涨了28%。[2]有些问题是自然灾害造成的,有些问题是人为造成的,这使全球经济陷入一种十分不稳定的状态。当今全球社会十分害怕粮食价格上涨,有些人把这些问题摆在与金融危机同一个位置上。     

Supporting farmer participation in formal seed systems: lessons from Tharaka,Kenya

This article examines contemporary challenges of formal seed sector participation for resource-poor farmers in Tharaka and engages in a wider discussion of national seed policy and formal seed sector development in Kenya. While many farmers reported utilising modern seed varieties developed by the formal seed sector, the majority of these were introduced through seed aid and maintained through seed saving, supporting seed system integration strategies. Building on these findings, the article discusses ways in which national seed policy in Kenya might be refined to better meet national and regional development goals focused on decreasing the incidence of hunger and poverty.     

自然资源国家所有权双阶构造说

祛除国家所有权的法律神话,遵循解释论立场的研究范式,中国语境中的自然资源国家所有权是一个法规范系统。该系统包含基础性规范、确权性规范、授权性规范及管制性规范四个单元,分别由宪法文本、物权法文本和特别法文本予以载明。具备转介功能的引致条款把各单元串联成一个整体。在现代法秩序中,所有权绝不是由某一个部门法“独家经营”的法律概念。就所有权类型的理论反思而言,自然资源国家所有权蕴含着宪法所有权与民法所有权的双阶构造,纯粹私权说与纯粹公权说均难谓恰当。就自然资源使用的法律调整机制而言,应回归公物与私物二元区分的大陆法传统,并对“非对物采掘类”与“对物采掘类”自然资源作类型化处理,由此形成不同的规范配置。     

论马克思法学的二元论

马克思关于法和法律的理解是以本质主义方法论作为其方法论的。马克思在法与法的实现之间作了区分,形成了法的二元论：客观法与实在法,客观法是实在法的本质。马克思一生都持有法的二元论,只是其中的一个因素发生了变化：1837-1843年,马克思认为客观法是人类理性的本质;1843之后,马克思认为客观法是社会生产方式的本质。     

《罪与罚》中的犯罪学思想

《罪与罚》是俄国作家费奥多尔·米哈伊洛维奇·陀思妥耶夫斯基的作品。作品中，作家讲述了大学生拉斯科尔尼科夫面对生存和精神的双重困境。选择了铤而走险去杀人及其杀人之后和面对刑罚的心理过程的故事。从一个层面看，《罪与罚》是一部不朽的文学名著。从犯罪学的角度看，《罪与罚》中的犯罪学思想至今对我们仍有启示意义。犯罪学家加罗法洛曾将犯罪的概念划分为自然犯罪和法定犯罪两种，但是实际上这两种犯罪的界限并非泾渭分明。至于犯罪原因，拉斯科尔尼科夫的犯罪原因可以从犯罪的社会因素和心理因素来考察。犯罪预防的困难之一是如何预防再犯或累犯。