Download or read book Reflexive biotechnology development written by Wietse Vroom and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2023-09-04 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agriculture plays a crucial role in the alleviation of extreme poverty and hunger. Development of new crop varieties that are more resistant to disease and pests, and that produce more in dry conditions or on poor soils, can contribute to agricultural development. However, while the technical potential to improve crop varieties is increasing rapidly, such technologies do not always successfully contribute to the economic development of resource poor farmers. New technologies may never reach farmers, may be prohibitively expensive, or may solve only a very limited part of the problem that farmers are facing in practice. This book engages with the debate on how modern genetic technologies are used in plant breeding, and questions what it is that makes a new technology appropriate for pro-poor agricultural development. It does so by moving beyond a technical perspective on what constitutes 'appropriate technology' and by analyzing how different approaches to agro-technological development create different social roles for technology developers and farmers in innovation processes and production systems. Case studies of projects and international research centres in India, Peru and Mexico provide an insight in the different approaches to agro-technological development in which farmers are treated as 'recipients of technology', or are involved as 'co-innovators', and in which technology developers present themselves as 'solution providers' or as 'service providers'. Insight in those different approaches contributes to a clearer debate on the potential role of biotechnology in agricultural development and the reduction of poverty.
Download or read book Handbook on Agriculture Biotechnology and Development written by Stuart J. Smyth and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2014-03-28 with total page 881 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a compendium of knowledge, experience and insight on agriculture, biotechnology and development. Beginning with an account of GM crop adoptions and attitudes towards them, the book assesses numerous crucial processes, concluding with detai
Download or read book Biotechnology written by Reda Sammour and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2012-03-14 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book deals with the importance of application of molecular biology as an approach of biotechnology for improvement of the quality of human life. One of the interesting topics in this field, is the identification of the organisms that produce bioactive secondary metabolites. It also discusses how to structure a plan for use and preservation of those species that represent a potential source for new drug development, especially those obtained from bacteria. The book also introduces some novel applications of biotechnology, such as therapeutic applications of electroporation, improving quality and microbial safety of fresh-cut vegetables, producing synthetic PEG hydro gels to be used as an extra cellular matrix mimics for tissue engineering applications, and other interesting applications.
Download or read book Genomics and Democracy written by Peter Derkx and published by Rodopi. This book was released on 2013-09-01 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses the ethical and political questions flowing from the vastly increased possibilities to manipulate the genetic properties of organisms, including human beings. Due to the great complexity of the scientific fields involved, these questions are framed and answered mostly by scientific experts. But the new technological possibilities and social practices connected with genetic manipulation intrude into domains that for a long time have been the provenance of religious and secular worldviews and touch upon deep-seated convictions and emotions. Moreover they are strongly influenced by economic and political interests. As a consequence, questions of scientific truth and technical control are getting more and more mixed up with questions regarding values and interests. Against this background, this book starts from the premise that neither clinging to the idea of value-neutral, disinterested science, nor the complete abandonment of this idea in favour of postmodern relativism will be of much help here. Instead the different contributions to this book explore the idea of a ‘lingua democratica’ for the life sciences and sketch the contours of this notion by focusing on a broad range of conceptual and practical issues in the field of genomics.
Download or read book Humanism and Technology written by Anthony B. Pinn and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-11-23 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book interrogates the ways in which new technological advances impact the thought and practices of humanism. Chapters investigate the social, political, and cultural implications of the creation and use of advanced forms of technology, examining both defining benefits and potential dangers. Contributors also discuss technology’s relationship to and impact on the shifting definitions we hold for humankind. International and multi-disciplinary in nature and scope, the volume presents an exploration of humanism and technology that is both racially diverse and gender sensitive. With great depth and self-awareness, contributors offer suggestions for how humanists and humanist organizations might think about and relate to technology in a rapidly changing world. More broadly, the book offers a critical humanistic interrogation of the concept of “progress” especially as it relates to technological advancement.
Download or read book Perspectives on Commoning written by Guido Ruivenkamp and published by Zed Books Ltd.. This book was released on 2017-09-15 with total page 441 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the wake of socialism’s demise and liberalism’s loss of direction, new ideas are needed for the next major realignment of the social and political domain. Making a unique contribution to the idea of ‘the commons’, this book offers a radical form of direct democracy with real-world implications. But whereas much of the current scholarship has looked at the commons from the perspective of governance, this book instead focuses on ‘commoning’ as social practice. Perspectives on Commoning argues that the commons are not just resources external to us, but are a function or characterisation of what we do. Thus, we can talk of the act of commoning, positioning our behaviour beyond the domains of the private and the public, beyond the dichotomy of capitalism versus socialism. Covering everything from biopolitics to urban spaces, this impressive range of international contributors address the commons as both theory and history, providing a useful review of current conceptions as well as practical proposals for the future. A unique consolidation of philosophy, sociology and economics, the book shows how a new understanding of the commons as practice will help to achieve its full emancipatory potential.
Download or read book Lockhart and Wiseman s Crop Husbandry Including Grassland written by Steve Finch and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2014-07-19 with total page 609 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Increased yields, markets, and profitability have led to changes in crop husbandry. Since its first publication in 1966, revised editions of Lockhart & Wiseman's Crop Husbandry Including Grassland have upheld and increased the book's good reputation. This ninth edition maintains its status as the standard textbook for many agricultural courses. Part one covers the principles of crop production with chapters concerning plants, climate, soil management, fertilizers, manures, weeds, and diseases threatening farm crops. Part two surveys crop husbandry techniques. Environmental impact has been addressed in greater detail in this edition. This section looks at issues such as sustainable crop management, precision farming, and organic crop husbandry. The way these general techniques apply to individual crops is explained in part three. This part considers a range of cereals, combinable break crops, root crops, industrial crops, and fresh produce crops. Part four looks at the use of grassland and forage crops, with chapters considering arable forage crops, the characteristics of grassland, and the corresponding methods for establishing and improving grassland. This part also includes information regarding equine grassland management and conservation of grass and forage crops. This ninth edition of Lockhart and Wiseman's Crop Husbandry Including Grassland is relevant for students throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. It is a useful reference book for agriculture National Diploma courses, Foundation Degrees, and BSc degrees, and is important for Masters level students entering agriculture from another discipline. - The previous edition has been widely expanded and remains the standard text for general agriculture, land management, and agri-business courses - Includes new chapters on cropping techniques, integrated crop management and quality assurance, seed production and selection, and the influence of climate - Discusses basic conditions for crop growth, how techniques are applied to particular crops, the influence of weather, and the use of grassland
Download or read book Reflexive Governance for Global Public Goods written by Eric Brousseau and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2012-04-06 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Governance challenges and solutions for the provision of global public goods in such areas as the environment, food security, and development. Global public goods (GPGs)—the economic term for a broad range of goods and services that benefit everyone, including stable climate, public health, and economic security—pose notable governance challenges. At the national level, public goods are often provided by government, but at the global level there is no established state-like entity to take charge of their provision. The complex nature of many GPGs poses additional problems of coordination, knowledge generation and the formation of citizen preferences. This book considers traditional public economy theory of public goods provision as oversimplified, because it is state centered and fiscally focused. It develops a multidisciplinary look at the challenges of understanding and designing appropriate governance regimes for different types of goods in such areas as the environment, food security, and development assistance. The chapter authors, all leading scholars in the field, explore the misalignment between existing GPG policies and actors' incentives and understandings. They analyze the complex impact of incentives, the involvement of stakeholders in collective decision making, and the specific coordination needed for the generation of knowledge. The book shows that governance of GPGs must be democratic, reflexive—emphasizing collective learning processes—and knowledge based in order to be effective.
Download or read book Resistance Is Fertile written by Wilhelm Peekhaus and published by UBC Press. This book was released on 2013-03-13 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For decades, government, industry, and the mainstream media have extolled the virtues of biotechnology while downplaying its negative side effects. Focusing on agriculture, Resistance Is Fertile challenges this dominant rhetoric by analyzing the major issues around which opponents of biotechnology in Canada are mobilizing resistance – namely, the enclosure of the biological and the knowledge commons, which together form the BioCommons. What emerges is an empirically and theoretically informed analysis of Canada’s regulatory regime, the corporate control of seeds, and attempts to construct and control public discussions about agricultural biotechnology.
Download or read book The Reflective Leader written by Ian Robson and published by Emerald Group Publishing. This book was released on 2022-09-26 with total page 113 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Reflective Leader brings together theory and core concepts through reflective practice, reflexivity, and experiential learning to crystallize current thinking regarding introspection and contextual intelligence in understanding and improving the effectiveness of leaders.
Download or read book Management of Technological Innovation in Developing and Developed Countries written by HongYi Sun and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2012-03-21 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is widely accepted that technology is one of the forces driving economic growth. Although more and more new technologies have emerged, various evidence shows that their performances were not as high as expected. In both academia and practice, there are still many questions about what technologies to adopt and how to manage these technologies. The 15 articles in this book aim to look into these questions. There are quite many features in this book. Firstly, the articles are from both developed countries and developing countries in Asia, Africa and South and Middle America. Secondly, the articles cover a wide range of industries including telecommunication, sanitation, healthcare, entertainment, education, manufacturing, and financial. Thirdly, the analytical approaches are multi-disciplinary, ranging from mathematical, economic, analytical, empirical and strategic. Finally, the articles study both public and private organizations, including the service industry, manufacturing industry, and governmental organizations. Given its wide coverage and multi-disciplines, the book may be useful for both academic research and practical management.
Download or read book How to Best Teach Bioethics written by Nordisk Ministerråd and published by Nordic Council of Ministers. This book was released on 2004 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teaching Bioethics: a Nordic Workshop on How to Best Teach Bioethics" was organized by the Nordic Committee on Bioethics and the Nordic Academy for Advanced Study (NorFA) in March 2003. The workshop brought together thirty-one participants: PhD students, researchers, teachers, and administrators from all the Nordic and Baltic countries, in addition to twenty speakers, as well as most members of the Nordic Committee on Bioethics. The report based on the workshop provides an introduction to the question of teaching bioethics, and discusses how to communicate ethical and scientific issues to journalists and to the general public. The report concentrates on particular methods of teaching bioethics, and illustrates the methods with different topics. Also included in the report are articles based on most of the presentations of methods of teaching bioethics given at the workshop, as well as articles by four of the participants describing their experience of, and views on, the workshop.
Download or read book Innovation as Strategic Reflexivity written by Lars Fuglsang and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2002-03-21 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a new view of innovation, seeking to disclose how strategic reflexivity is embodied in specific innovation practices and management roles.From an evolutionary point of view, the contributors argue that firms and organisations are increasingly forced to take into account the growing complexity of the environment. To do this, they
Download or read book Transdisciplinarity for Transformation written by Barbara J. Regeer and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on with total page 553 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Understanding Sustainable Development written by John Blewitt and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-05-16 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First Published in 2008. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Download or read book Reflexivity and Psychology written by Giuseppina Marsico and published by IAP. This book was released on 2015-11-01 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reflexivity is a category that is too appealing not to arouse interest. It is a concept largely diffused in several psychological domains, as well as associated with epistemological, theoretical, methodological and practical discussions. At the same time, it is a very polysemic notion, understood and used in many different ways. If one approaches the notion and tries to identify the semantic boundaries of its usage, the seeming solidity of the term fades away, and a rather liquid semantic field emerges – a field where several interpretations coexist, being contingent to the context of the discussion in which they are implemented. This is the reason that makes the notion of reflexivity a prototypical example of the difficulties encountered by Psychology – and more in general social sciences –in the effort to define their own language. The term “reflexivity” ? like many others the language of Psychology is full of – is used in daily life and thus its semantics is shaped by the pragmatic, contingent functions it serves in such communicational circumstances. The apparent – from afar ? clearness of the concept does not concern its conceptual, epistemic status, but the capacity of the sign to contribute efficaciously to mediate and regulate the exchange. The theoretical elaboration of the notion of reflexivity can be seen as one of the ways of performing the challenging task of developing an intentional language for Psychology. By working on such a notion one can realize that common sense lies at the core of psychological science and what it means to separate the former from the latter, so as to pursue the foundational task of developing Psychology as a theory?driven science.
Download or read book Reflexive Governance for Sustainable Development written by Jan-Peter Voss and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2006 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors assert that sustainability is not a defined end-state, but should be understood as the capacity of society to learn about the conditions of its future existence. This requires a specific kind of problem solving framework which emphasises the interlinkage of problems and scales.
