9 pages, via online journal article, Internet is a key for globalization and a tool for communication around the world. E-commerce has been introduced as a global phenomenon in the twenty-first century by internet development. The main goal of this research is to investigate the challenges and solutions of e-commerce in Iran’s agriculture. The paper is based on a descriptive-analytical type of field research, therefore a questionnaire was prepared as our data collection tool. The population of this research was a panel of agriculture faculty members in Iran. The overall results showed that the use of e-commerce in Iran’s agriculture has many obstacles ahead in infrastructural, cultural, social and educational fields. The research findings showed that e-commerce can provide many advantages like profitability, elimination of intermediaries, agricultural production market development, farmers' awareness of market prices, and access to national and international markets, increasing competition and improving the quality of agricultural products. According to the results it seems
that infrastructure development, culture and security and confidence production, and internet training to all classes of people are the most important strategies for e-business development in agriculture. Further research in this area and using other countries’ experiences are some other proposed solutions for e-commerce development in Iranian agriculture.
26 pages., Article #: 113429., via online journal., Aspects of sustainability and social justice deserve special attention in the research and innovation landscape in Europe. In this vein, the inclusion of innovative research and innovation policies, such as Responsible Research and Innovation, devoted to mainstream social outcomes, to deploy democratic governance of science, and to drive innovation into a direction that is ethically acceptable, societally desirable and sustainable are noteworthy. However, substantial efforts are required when it comes to integrate the interactions between renewable energy research and energy and climate policies within responsible approaches. In order to adapt responsible research and innovation approach for the purpose of building an alternative context and assessment approach for sustainable transitions, this paper presents a review of approaches around sustainability and social justice dimensions. The thresholds of this endeavour are detailed in terms of the challenges for the integration, the identification of the inhibitors and facilitators of policy integration and the proposal of the levels for a methodology for this integration. The results show that the different readings and understanding of the contexts and dimensions and the existence of knowledge gaps between policy targets and the outcomes of research and innovation can be considered inhibitors for the integration. In contrast the interlinks between dimensional concepts, backgrounds and rationales appear as facilitators. The innovative contribution of this paper is focused on the contextualization of the dimensions through the use of socio-technical and multi/inter/trans and cross-disciplinary approaches. The authors conclude that the process of introducing a more holistic and alternative approach opens the re-envision of policy elements. Moreover, RRI offers an innovative perspective to the transition approach as well as tools for decision-making and policy processes assessment, in an arena where constant innovation is taking place and new structures, processes and metrics are necessary to guide this process.
9 pages, via online journal, The U.S. university-based extension system model has been successful nationally, but not adopted globally. Various historical factors rendered the U.S. system a less attractive option for emerging post-WWII nations. However, current changes in education and extension landscapes are creating new opportunities for the globalization of U.S. Extension. Specifically, both the U.S. and Chinese extension systems now face the common challenge of delivering meaningful university-based extension under shifting conditions. This commonality creates opportunities for exploring long-term, synergistic university-based extension systems and potentially achieving associated benefits worldwide.
