Digital Commons Network^™

Using Food Flow Data To Assess Sustainability: Land Use Displacement And Regional Decoupling In Quintana Roo, Mexico, Marco Millones, Benoit Parmentier, John Rogan, Birgit Schmook

Geography

Food flow data provide unique insights into the debates surrounding the sustainability of land based production and consumption at multiple scales. Trade flows disguise the spatial correspondence of production and consumption and make their connection to land difficult. Two key components of this spatial disjuncture are land use displacement and economic regional decoupling. By displacing the environmental impact associated with food production from one region to another, environmental trajectories can falsely appear to be sustainable at a particular site or scale. When regional coupling is strong, peripheral areas where land based production occurs are strongly linked and proximate to consumption …

The Viejo Period, Michael T. Searcy, Jane H. Kelley

Faculty Publications

Farming peoples thrived in the mountains, basins, and river valleys of northwestern Chihuahua for hundreds of years prior to the construction of platform mounds and ball courts at Paquime. Their small pithouse villages dotted the landscape near the rich floodplain of the Casas Grandes River, where they farmed maize, beans, and other goods. It was during this time (AD. 400-1200), known as the Viejo Period, that the foundations of the Chihuahuan culture were formed. While recognized as forming the roots of a more complex society, Viejo Period sites lack the monumental architecture and ornate pottery of the Medio Period (AD. …

Supply Management In Multiproduct Firms With Fixed Proportions Technology, Onur Boyabatli

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This paper studies the supply management of a primary input, where this input gives rise to multiple products in fixed proportions. My objective is twofold. First, I study fixed proportions technology under demand uncertainty in comparison with flexible and the dedicated technologies. I show that fixed proportions technology has a cost- pooling value over dedicated technology, which is larger than the capacity-pooling value of flexible technology over dedicated technology. I identify the critical role that demand correlation plays with the fixed proportions technology: In contrast to the capacitypooling value which decreases in demand correlation, the cost-pooling value increases in demand …

At The Intersection Of Human Agency And Technology: Genetically Modified Organisms, James Libengood

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Since the Neolithic period and the rise of agriculture along Mesopotamia’s “Fertile Crescent,” greater societies have formed thus requiring laws and governance to ensure their continued preservation. The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi is one such example of how agricultural technologies directly created new social and institutional structures in codifying slavery into law, or how mercantile transactions are to be conducted. Similarly, GMOs are the result of modern agricultural technologies that are altering laws and society as a result of their implementation. This transformation informs the central inquiries of my research question: Why are GMOs necessary, and what influences do they …

Settlement-Size Scaling Among Prehistoric Hunter-Gatherer Settlement Systems In The New World, W. Randall Haas, Cynthia J. Klink, Greg J. Maggard, Mark S. Aldenderfer

Anthropology Faculty Publications

Settlement size predicts extreme variation in the rates and magnitudes of many social and ecological processes in human societies. Yet, the factors that drive human settlement-size variation remain poorly understood. Size variation among economically integrated settlements tends to be heavy tailed such that the smallest settlements are extremely common and the largest settlements extremely large and rare. The upper tail of this size distribution is often formalized mathematically as a power-law function. Explanations for this scaling structure in human settlement systems tend to emphasize complex socioeconomic processes including agriculture, manufacturing, and warfare-behaviors that tend to differentially nucleate and disperse populations …

Abejas Silvestres (Himenóptera: Apoidea) En La Neblina: Análisis De La Diversidad, Interacciones, Y Potencial Para Miel En Un Remanente De Bosque Nublado, Jen Hayes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Las abejas (Himenóptera: Apoidea) se encuentran en casi cada una de las bioregiones en el mundo. Su composición es muy diversa en los neotrópicos. Las abejas silvestres (no-Apis) representan casi el 90% de las especies de abejas en todo el mundo (Parra, 2005). Los objetivos principales de este estudio fueron realizar un inventario de las especies de abejas al final de la estación seca, observar sus interacciones intra-específicas, y determinar el potencial de producción de miel medicinal de las abejas sin aguijón (Apidae: Meliponini). El estudio fue realizado en la Reserva Inti Llacta, un remanente de bosque nublado …

Using A Rising Plate Meter To Determine Paddock Size For Rotational Grazing, Jennifer W. Macadam, Sara R. Hunt

All Current Publications

For rotational grazing of pastures to be most successful, it’s important to match pasture production to ruminant intake, because both can change during the grazing season. This publication shows how a rising plate meter can be used to calculate available pasture dry matter, allowing pasture managers to optimize pasture utilization and ruminant production on pasture.

Recent Case Decisions, Daniel Franklin, Jordan Volino, John Curtis, Patrick J. Hoog, Jarrod H. Gamble, Taylor C. Venus

Oil and Gas, Natural Resources, and Energy Journal

No abstract provided.

Plenary Presentation On George Washington Carver At The Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, 2014, Kenneth M. Quinn

Professional Agricultural Workers Journal

No abstract provided.

On Feeding The 10 Billion, Patricia Boling

Dawn or Doom Conference

It is commonplace to encounter people close to agriculture in Indiana worrying about how we will produce enough food to feed the projected 10 billion people who will inhabit the earth by 2050. But the assumption that Indiana needs to become even more productive and figure out how to turn out even more of what it does best, corn and soy beans, begs the question, what kind of food are we producing, and how will producing more of it benefit a rapidly increasing world population? We Hoosiers are incredibly productive, but our agricultural output is used primarily to create animal …

Fall 2015

Scientia

Prairie prep; Chicago Wildsounds listens for ecosystem health; Up, up and away; Fulbright Travelogue: Health care in Fortaleza, Brazil; New course explores the Pope's encyclical on the environment; A "scent-sational" career in the flavor and fragrance industry; Lab notes; Paying tribute

Livestock Grazing On The Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument: The Historical And Cultural Importance To The Region, Kevin Heaton, Gil Miller

All Current Publications

The results of a survey of GSENM permit holders document that livestock grazing has influenced the history and culture of Kane and Garfield Counties of Utah, and any reduction or elimination of grazing would directly affect the history and culture of the GSENM region.

Population Dynamics Of Empoasca Fabae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) In Central Iowa Alfalfa Fields, L. A. Weiser Erlandson, John J. Obrycki

Entomology Faculty Publications

Adults and nymphs of Empoasca fabae Harris (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and adults of predatory species in the families Coccinellidae, Anthocoridae, Nabidae, Chrysopidae, and Hemerobiidae were sampled in Iowa alfalfa fields from June to September in 1999 and 2000. The relationship between each predatory taxa and E. fabae was examined using regression analysis. In 2000, all predators were found to be positively correlated with the presence of E. fabae during all periods sampled and most likely contributed to mortality. Orius insidiosus (Say) (Hemiptera: Anthoridae) was the most numerous insect predatory species; population numbers ranged from 0 to 1 and 0.1 to 3.7 …

The Agricultural Footprints On The Environment, Philip Houtz

Kaleidoscope

Industrialized agricultural systems have given America a convenient and affordable means to supply a surplus of food products to its citizens. Transgenic technology, synthesized fertilizers, advanced pesticides, concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and the use of farm machinery have all contributed to humanity’s ability to feed the world’s rapidly growing population. However, the energy-intensive food operation of today may not be as ideal as we assume. Fossil fuels are burned to meet the energy requirements for the continual production of large quantities of fertilizer and to keep farm machines operational. Fertilizer and pesticide runoff from farmland ultimately drains into rivers …

Ecotoxicological Risk And Exposure: A Comparison Of Western Burrowing Owls Nesting In Agricultural And Non-Agricultural Areas In The Morley Nelson Snake River Birds Of Prey National Conservation Area, Matthew Stuber

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In some portions of their range, western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) nest in higher densities near irrigated agricultural areas when compared to non-agricultural, arid habitat. Previous research suggests that owls may associate with agricultural areas because of more reliable and abundant prey, particularly invertebrates. One potential cost of this association, however, is an increased risk of exposure of owls to pesticides that are applied to agricultural fields. I investigated the exposure to and possible effects on burrowing owls of organophosphate, organochlorine, and carbamate pesticides in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA) …

Recent Case Decisions, Daniel Franklin, John Curtis, Jarrod H. Gamble, Patrick J. Hoog, Taylor C. Venus, Jordan D. Volino

Oil and Gas, Natural Resources, and Energy Journal

No abstract provided.

Ag Gag Past, Present, And Future, Justin F. Marceau

Seattle University Law Review

While the animal rights and food justice movements are relatively young, their political unpopularity has generated a steady onslaught of legislation designed to curtail their effectiveness. At each stage of their nascent development, these movements have confronted a new wave of criminal or civil sanctions carefully tailored to combat the previous successes the movements had achieved.

Opening The Barnyard Door: Transparency And The Resurgence Of Ag-Gag & Veggie Libel Laws, Nicole E. Negowetti

Seattle University Law Review

Over the past several decades, as the agricultural system became increasingly industrialized and the steps from farm to plate multiplied, consumers became farther removed from the sources of their food. Until recently, most consumers in America were content to eat their processed, cheap, and filling foods without giving a second thought to how these foods were produced. The tides are changing. Increasingly, consumers are calling for more transparency in the food system. Repulsed by images of animal cruelty and shocked by unsavory food production practices, consumers want the food industry’s veil lifted and are demanding changes in food production. The …

On-Ranch Application Of Dna Technology, Kevin Heaton, Katelyn Christensen

All Current Publications

Genetic analysis provides producers with another tool to identify individuals in a herd which have the greatest potential to be most productive or least productive, thus improving ranch sustainability. This project reported in this fact sheet demonstrated that on each ranch there were both genetically inferior and superior livestock for the production traits analyzed. Participating ranchers are using the results to select replacements and are cautioned to avoid single trait selection. This project also created a baseline for genetic quality which individual ranches could compare with future DNA test results.

The 2014 Farm Bill: Farm Subsidies And Food Oppression, Andrea Freeman

Seattle University Law Review

The 2014 Farm Bill ushered in some significant and surprising changes. One of these was that it rendered the identity of all the recipients of farm subsidies secret. Representative Larry Combest, who is now a lobbyist for agribusiness, first introduced a secrecy provision into the bill in 2000. The provision, however, only applied to subsidies made in the form of crop insurance. Until 2014, the majority of subsidies were direct payments and the identity of the people who received them was public information. In fact, the Environmental Working Group’s release of the list of recipients led to a series of …

Slides: Colorado's Water Plan, Lauren Ris

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Presenter: Lauren Ris, Assistant Director for Water, Colorado Department of Natural Resources

23 slides

Slides: Six Decades Of Texas Water Planning, Ronald Kaiser

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Presenter: Ronald Kaiser, Professor of Water Law and Policy, Chair of Graduate Water Degree Program, Texas A&M University

32 slides

Slides: Ag Water Sharing: Legal Challenges And Considerations, Peter D. Nichols

Innovations in Managing Western Water: New Approaches for Balancing Environmental, Social and Economic Outcomes (Martz Summer Conference, June 11-12)

Presenter: Peter D. Nichols, Esq., Partner, Berg, Hill, Greenleaf and Ruscitti, Boulder, CO

25 slides

Influences On Students Choosing Majors In Agriculture, Willa Williams

Theses and Dissertations

With a shortage of agricultural graduates predicted for the United States workforce (Goecker, Smith, Smith, & Goetz, 2010) the purpose of the study was to identify influences on students choosing undergraduate majors in agriculture. Structural equation modeling analysis was used to examine independent variable constructs of student characteristics, environment, learning experiences, and task approach skills from Krumboltz's (1996) social learning theory of career decision making on the decision of students to choose an undergraduate major in agriculture. Variables were identified through previous research in field of study choice in agriculture and data was evaluated from the Education Longitudinal Study of …

Cotton/Soybean Insect Newsletter, June 5, 2015, Jeremy K. Greene

Clemson University Cotton/Soybean Insect Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Surf-N-Turf, But The Sustainable Kind? The Limits And Potential Of Market-Driven Regulation In Food Production, Zdravka Tzankova, Lauren Gwin

Seattle Journal of Environmental Law

This article examines the dynamics and likely effects of NGO efforts at private, market-driven regulation of antibiotics use in US agricul-ture. Such NGO efforts aim to eliminate the routine feeding of anti-biotics to healthy animals for the purposes of prophylaxis and growth promotion. To that end, NGOs are pressing large food retailers, who are some of the most powerful market actors, to demand antibiotic-free meat and to refuse selling meat produced with sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics. Curbing agricultural overuse of antibiotics is critically important for public health because overuse erodes the curative power of antibiot-ics by creating antibiotic resistant animal …

Greening A Drug-Addicted Economy: Can Puerto Rico Ease Away From The Toxic Pharmaceutical Industry To A Sustainably Diverse Economy?, Natalie Galarza

Student Theses 2015-Present

Puerto Rico is not the most well known place to most Americans. The small island in the Caribbean is neither an independent nation nor a state, bur rather a commonwealth of the U.S. Life filled coral reefs surround the coasts, rainforests and lush vegetation cover the land, and an underground cave system and glowing bioluminescent bay fascinate all those that venture to them. These natural wonders as well as the vibrant culture are the primary aspects most people who are familiar with Puerto Rico think of. However, the main sector of Puerto Rico’s economy has nothing to do with any …

Cotton/Soybean Insect Newsletter, May 22, 2015, Jeremy K. Greene

Clemson University Cotton/Soybean Insect Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Essays On Macroeconomics With Financial Frictions, Wei Wang

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation develops three independent yet related frameworks to identify economic mechanisms through which financial frictions affect the aggregate economy over the business cycle and along the path of economic development. There are three chapters in this dissertation. In each chapter, a theoretical model is constructed based on motivating empirical facts, followed by quantitative analyses disciplined and evaluated by data at both the macro- and micro-level.Chapter 1, Financial Frictions and Agricultural Productivity Differences, explores the role of financial frictions in accounting for agricultural employment share and labor productivity differences across provinces in China. A two-sector general equilibrium model with a …

Fragile Ecosystems: Pesticide Use In Conventional Agriculture, Kaeleigh Degeronimo

2014 Student Theses

In a continuing effort to master our environment, human beings have attempted to maximize the yield and efficiency of food production based on outdated reductionist and mechanistic understandings of land use. This has yielded the kind of modern industrial farms characterized by a reliance on pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and monoculture that continue to produce most of the food in the United States. The eradication of pests is just one of the ecological wars being waged on these farms, the consequences of which have been the contamination of soil and water, loss of plant and animal biodiversity, pest resistance, increased vulnerability …