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Urban Consumers (urban + consumer)
Selected AbstractsTrader associations and urban food systems in Ghana: institutionalist approaches to understanding urban collective actionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF URBAN AND REGIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 1 2003Fergus Lyon This article explores the activities and functioning of urban food trader associations in Ghana. These associations are strong indigenous groups of women traders who have been able to sustain cooperation over many years in contrast to many other forms of collective action. They shape urban food systems and link urban consumers with rural producers. The analysis relates the findings to the literature on socio-economics, institutional economics and collective action. Of particular interest are the social relations and networks within associations that allow traders to access informal credit and information with contracts based on trust. The factors that contribute to the ability to sustain collective action are explored. These include leadership structures and acceptance of the authority of market queens by other women traders, as well as the need to have the benefits that come from membership of associations. Cet article porte sur les activités et le fonctionnement d'associations urbaines de commerce alimentaire au Ghana. Il s'agit de puissants groupes autochtones de marchandes qui ont pu préserver une coopération sur de nombreuses années, contrairement à bien d'autres formes d'action collective. Ces associations configurent les systèmes d'approvisionnement des villes, reliant consommateurs urbains et producteurs ruraux. L'analyse rapproche résultats et références documentaires en socio-économie, économie institutionnelle et action collective. On soulignera les relations et réseaux sociaux au sein des associations, lesquels permettent aux commerçantes d'accéder à des sources parallèles d'information et de crédit sur la base de contrats de confiance. L'article étudie les facteurs facilitant la pérennisation d'une action collective, notamment les structures de leadership et la reconnaissance de l'autorité de reines du marché par d'autres commerçantes, ainsi que la nécessité de tirer des avantages de l'appartenance à ces associations. [source] Brazil: Drug Trafficking in the Federal State of RondôniaINTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 169 2001Christian Geffray This article describes some of the main social and political consequences of the emergence of the cocaine trade in Brazilian Amazonia, taking as an example the state of Acre. Drug trafficking, which concerns all sections of society, has, like other illegal networks, become an alternative to the rubber industry, which has been in crisis since the 1980s. Its implications differ, however, in the northern and southern parts of the state. In the latter, especially in the capital, Acre, the development of a local market of urban consumers is closely connected to police corruption and the illegal use of violence by law enforcement agencies. In the former, where machinery for the social redistribution of illegal income seems to be more effective, the cocaine trade is contributing to a degree of prosperity, thanks in particular to recent growth in the service sector. While violence is, comparatively speaking, less necessary as a guarantee of social control in that region, the control exercised by drug barons and business people over the executive branches of the state means that political life as a whole is criss-crossed by relationships forged in the criminal world. [source] The Drug Trade, the Black Economy, and Society in Western AmazoniaINTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 169 2001Roberto Araújo This article describes some of the main social and political consequences of the emergence of the cocaine trade in Brazilian Amazonia, taking as an example the state of Acre. Drug trafficking, which concerns all sections of society, has, like other illegal networks, become an alternative to the rubber industry, which has been in crisis since the 1980s. Its implications differ, however, in the northern and southern parts of the state. In the latter, especially in the capital, Acre, the development of a local market of urban consumers is closely connected to police corruption and the illegal use of violence by law enforcement agencies. In the former, where machinery for the social redistribution of illegal income seems to be more effective, the cocaine trade is contributing to a degree of prosperity, thanks in particular to recent growth in the service sector. While violence is, comparatively speaking, less necessary as a guarantee of social control in that region, the control exercised by drug barons and business people over the executive branches of the state means that political life as a whole is criss-crossed by relationships forged in the criminal world. [source] Physicochemical, Nutritional, and Functional Characterization of Fruits Xoconostle (Opuntia matudae) Pears from Central-México RegionJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 6 2010Salvador H. Guzmán-Maldonado Abstract:, Xoconostle cv. Cuaresmeño (Opuntia matudae) has attracted domestic and international industry attention; however, variations of composition from xoconostle structures have not been evaluated. Industries discard the pulp (endocarp) and peel (pericarp) as wastes and utilize the skin (mesocarp), which is the edible portion. The physicochemical, nutritional, and functional characterization of structures from xoconostle pear from 3 major sites of production in Mexico were assessed. Skin yield ranged from 58% to 64% and was higher to that of peel (22% to 24%) and pulp (12% to 18%) yields. pH, °Brix, and acidity were similar among xoconostle structures. Total fiber showed by peel (18.23% to 20.37%) was 2-fold higher than that of skin. Protein and ether extract were higher in xoconostle pulp compared to that showed by peel and skin. Iron content of xoconostle peel (6 to 9.6 mg/100 g, DWB) was higher to that of skin and pulp and prickly pear pulp. Soluble phenols of peel (840 to 863 mg GAE/100 g, DWB) were almost similar to that of skin (919 to 986 mg GAE/100 g, dry weigh basis); meanwhile, ascorbic acid concentration of skin was 2-fold higher compared to that of peel. The phenolic fraction of xoconostle structures consisted of gallic, vanillic, and 4-hydroxybenzoic acids; catechin, epicatechin, and vanillin were also identified by high-performance liquid chromatography,didoe array detection (HPLC-DAD). Xoconostle peel showed higher antioxidant activity (TEAC) compared to that of skin (2-fold) and pulp (6-fold) of commonly consumed fruits and vegetables. The potential of xoconostle peel and pulp for the production of feed or food is promissory. Practical Application:, Outstanding nutritional and functional properties of xoconostle cv. Cuaresmeño fruits are demonstrated. Increased consumption could contribute positively to improve the diet of rural and urban consumers. The high fiber, mineral, and antioxidant components of xoconostle peel and pulp suggest that these fruit structures, which are currently discarded as waste, have promissory use as feed or food by industry. [source] Managing the Commons Texas Style: Wildlife Management and Ground-Water Associations on Private Lands,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 3 2007Matthew Wagner Abstract:, As nearly all of Texas' rural lands are privately owned, landowner associations for the management of white-tailed deer and ground-water have become increasingly popular. Deer are a common-pool resource with transboundary characteristics, requiring landowner cooperation for effective management. Ground-water reserves are economically important to landowners, but are governed by the "rule of capture" whereby property rights are not defined. One ground-water association and four wildlife management associations (WMAs) were surveyed to characterize their member demographics, land use priorities, attitudes, and social capital. Members of the ground-water cooperative were part of a much larger, more heterogeneous, and more recently formed group than members of WMAs. They also placed greater importance on utilitarian aspects of their properties, as opposed to land stewardship for conservation as practiced by members of WMAs. If ground-water association members could be more locally organized with more frequent meetings, social capital and information sharing may be enhanced and lead to land stewardship practices for improved hydrologic functions and sustained ground-water supply. This, coupled with pumping rules assigned by the local ground-water district, could yield an effective strategy that is ecologically and hydrologicaly sound, and that allows rural provision of water supply to urban consumers. [source] Variations in the contents of heavy metals in arable soils of a major urban wetland inlet drainage system of Lake Victoria, UgandaLAKES & RESERVOIRS: RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2010Jolocam Mbabazi Abstract Little is known about the effects of urbanization on the chemical quality of soils in suburban wetland inlet drainage systems to the Uganda side of Lake Victoria, on which food crops are extensively grown. It is feared that pollution in the soils might eventually enter food chains through such crops being consumed by urban populations unaware of their occurrence. Soil samples were collected from cultivated areas of a major wetland drainage system (Nakivubo Channel), at Kampala, Ubanda, near Lake Victoria and from a rural control wetland site (Senge). The soil from this site had similar properties as those from the urban test site (i.e., soil texture; porosity; humus content). Analysis of heavy metals with atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) yielded the following soil concentration ranges: manganese (190,780), cadmium (<0.001,1.0), zinc (6.0,10.0) and lead (10,20 mg kg,1) dry weight for the control site, and 450,900, 1.0,2.0, 131,185, 40,60 mg kg,1 dry weight, respectively, for the urban wetland, indicative of relatively heavy metal pollution in the suburban drainage system. Heavy metal levels in cocoyam (Colocasia Esculenta) and sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum) grown on both wetland soils also were evaluated via AAS with a modified wet-acid-digestion technique. The results highlighted high cadium and lead levels (P , 0.0003) in the crops from urban wetland cultivation. Cadmium and lead concentrations in cocoyam from urban wetland soils exceeded those from the control site by 0.17 and 3.54 mg kg,1, respectively. The corresponding results for sugarcane indicated a similar increase of 0.56 and 2.14 mg kg,1 of juice extract. Cadmium and lead levels in both urban wetland crops were higher than the maximum permissible limits of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, indicating that these concentrations pose potential health risks to urban consumers, and call for early counter-measures to combat urban pollution entering the lake. [source] Sustainable consumption and production: Trends, challenges and options for the Asia-Pacific regionNATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 1 2010Wei Zhao Abstract This paper highlights current trends in consumption and production patterns in Asian developing countries and emerging economies. It describes the main challenges and opportunities for Asian countries making the transition towards sustainable consumption and production patterns. The main challenge for Asian economies is to address the unsustainable consumption patterns of urban consumers, which entails a policy shift from the current focus on pollution and inefficient industrial production. In view of future consumption trends and the global convergence of consumption patterns, the characteristics of the emerging ,global consumer class' are examined, with particular focus on urban ecological footprints and carbon emissions. Furthermore, the difference between urban and rural consumption is discussed, together with opportunities for low-carbon urban development in the megacities of Asian developing countries. To conclude, the paper presents an overview of current policy measures taken in Asian countries to green economic development and realise sustainable consumption and production patterns. [source] | |||||||||||||