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Full-Text Articles in Human Geography
On-Farm Food Loss In Northern And Central California: Results Of Field Survey Measurementsauthor Links Open Overlay Panel, Gregory A. Baker, Leslie C. Gray, Michael J. Harwood, Travis J. Osland, Jean Baptiste C. Tooley
On-Farm Food Loss In Northern And Central California: Results Of Field Survey Measurementsauthor Links Open Overlay Panel, Gregory A. Baker, Leslie C. Gray, Michael J. Harwood, Travis J. Osland, Jean Baptiste C. Tooley
Environmental Studies and Sciences
Prevailing estimates of food loss at the farm level are sparse and often reliant upon grower surveys. A more comprehensive review of food loss at the farm level using field surveys is required to gain an adequate understanding of the depth of this issue. This paper details the results of 123 in-field surveys and 18 in-depth interviews of 20 different, hand-harvested field crops performed largely on midsize to large conventional farms in northern and central California. We also provide estimates of the percentage of fields that go unharvested, commonly known as walk-by fields. The results show that food loss is …
Critical Reflections On Experiential Learning For Food Justice, Leslie C. Gray, Joanna Johnson, Nicole Latham, Michelle Tang, Ann Thomas
Critical Reflections On Experiential Learning For Food Justice, Leslie C. Gray, Joanna Johnson, Nicole Latham, Michelle Tang, Ann Thomas
Environmental Studies and Sciences
This essay will reflect on Santa Clara University's (SCU) forays into experiential learning around food justice through the Bronco Urban Gardens (BUG) program. BUG works with urban schools and a community center in San José, California, using a garden-based education approach. This program emerged out of our student garden, The Forge. University student farms and gardens provide opportunities for students to learn how to grow, manage, and market food. At Santa Clara University, our half-acre (0.2 hectare) garden plays that role. However, because of our institution's commitment to social justice and a strong network of community partners, our campus garden …
Cotton Production In Burkina Faso: International Rhetoric Versus Local Realities, Leslie C. Gray
Cotton Production In Burkina Faso: International Rhetoric Versus Local Realities, Leslie C. Gray
Environmental Studies and Sciences
Voices ranging from the editorial page of the New York Times to organizations such as Oxfam and the presidents of Burkina Faso and Mali have argued that U.S. cotton subsidies depress world cotton prices and hurt African farmers. These policies deny West African countries their comparative advantage in cotton, which they can produce more cheaply and with lower environmental impacts than farmers in the United States. Some have gone as far as phrasing this as a national security issue; editorials in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have suggested that removing subsidies would have a strong auxiliary …
Introduction: Cotton, Globalization, And Poverty In Africa, William G. Moseley, Leslie C. Gray
Introduction: Cotton, Globalization, And Poverty In Africa, William G. Moseley, Leslie C. Gray
Environmental Studies and Sciences
This volume employs a modified commodity chain approach, focusing on the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of cotton production in Africa, and the links between this production and the global market. Individual chapters may examine one or multiple levels in the commodity chain and employ different theoretical approaches, from ethnography, to agroecology, to political ecology, to classic economic analysis. We want to acknowledge, however, that while the commodity chain is an important part of cotton dynamics, it is not the only force at work in African cotton. There are new and interesting developments outside the commodity chain that work for …
Conclusion: Hanging By A Thread: The Future Of Cotton In Africa, Leslie C. Gray, William G. Moseley
Conclusion: Hanging By A Thread: The Future Of Cotton In Africa, Leslie C. Gray, William G. Moseley
Environmental Studies and Sciences
Several broad themes emerge from the chapters in this volume. While declining world prices are a serious issue, the ability of farmers to weather declines in prices is often determined by national and local issues. These include government policy, institutions that provide marketing and supply services, access to resources such as land, labor, and agricultural inputs, and individual decision making. Despite declining world prices, some cotton growing economies have had success with cotton production while others have not fared well. In particular, the failure of cotton institutions in many countries is striking.Whether it comes to managing input distribution, new technologies, …