18 pages, Government interventions in the agricultural sector have been historically justified by the existence of an income disparity between farmers and non-farmers. However, recent studies have found that such disparity is disappearing over time, particularly in the United States. This work offers the first longitudinal systematic assessment on the average income disparity between farm and non-farm units in the European Union, differentiating between old and new Member States. Using the EU-SILC dataset, both broad (having some farm income) and narrow (living mainly on agriculture) farm households are compared with a general sample of non-farm households and a more restricted sample of self-employed non-farm households. To control for household observable characteristics and time-constant unobserved factors, we use a fixed effects regression. Results suggest that the farm/non-farm income disparity has disappeared in the European Union unless we compare narrow farm households with all non-farm households: in this case, the former are more likely to be better off than the latter. A limited income disparity is found only in the case of new Member States for broad farm households only. Results are used to draw policy implications regarding the role of CAP in supporting farm income.
22 pages, Support for the agricultural sector from the European Union via the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is evolving. The last CAP reform in 2014 made one further step toward mandatory approaches. To understand the "social thinking" and behavior when faced with these measures, an innovative application has been adopted. Globally, the farmers' discourse manifests contradictions between environmental concern and the financial dimension, which is the expression of their daily difficulties. Mandatory approaches to sustainable agriculture may favor what the Theory of Conditionality called "legitimate transgressions" if regulations appear unadapted to real practices because compliance and opportunity costs are too high.
9 pages., via online journal., Encouraging the uptake of sustainable soil management practices often requires on‐farm experiential learning and adaptation over a sustained period, rather than the traditional knowledge transfer processes of identifying a problem and implementing a solution. Farmer‐to‐farmer learning networks are emerging with farmers experimenting and sharing knowledge about these practices amongst themselves. One potential communication channel for such interaction and knowledge sharing is social media and Twitter in particular. A content analysis of a Twitter account for an EU research project, SoilCare, and in‐depth qualitative interviews with five farmers using Twitter, was used to illustrate the extent and type of farmer‐to‐farmer knowledge sharing in relation to sustainable soil management practices. Evidence of farmer learning and knowledge sharing on Twitter with respect to these practices was identified. Twitter can capture the immediacy of the field operations and visual impacts in the field. Furthermore, the brief messages channelled through Twitter appeal to time‐constrained farmers. The ability for interaction around particular hashtags in Twitter is developing virtual networks of practice in relation to sustainable soil management. Within these networks, farmer champions are emerging that are respected by other farmers. Twitter works best for those actively seeking information, rather than passive recipients of new knowledge. Therefore, its use with other forms of face‐to‐face interaction as part of a blended learning approach is recommended. Twitter also offers a potential space for other actors, such as researchers and advisers, to interact and share knowledge with farmers.
Stewart-Knox, B.J. (author), Markovina, J. (author), Rankin, A. (author), Bunting, B.P. (author), Kuznesof, S. (author), Fischer, A.R.H. (author), Van der Lans, L.A. (author), Poinhos, R. (author), de Almeida, M.D.V. (author), Panzone, L. (author), Gibney, M. (author), and Frewer, L.J. (author)
Format:
Journal article
Publication Date:
2016
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 137 Document Number: D11461
11 pages., Via UI online subscription, Researchers examined the degree to which factors which determine uptake of personalised nutrition vary between EU countries to better target policies to encourage uptake, and optimise the health benefits of personalised nutrition technology.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
60 p., Explains how the implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union should serve as an impetus for stakeholders in the region to address these barriers thereby creating favorable conditions for the production and export of Caribbean entertainment services. Presents an overview of policies in the creative sector in terms of the promotion of services exports in selected CARICOM states: Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 149 Document Number: D06713
Notes:
Three additional brief news reports about formation of ENAJ accompany this article. Website address of ENAJ is provided: http://www.Ag-PRESS.eu., Online via website of the British Guild of Agricultural Journalists. 1 page.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
26 p., Argues that if the electoral process is to be as transparent, non-violent and widely participated in as it needs to be, the Haitian government must meet a higher standard than ever before, and the UN, regional organizations and donors like the U.S., Canada, the EU and Brazil must urgently press for this and expand support.
