• Other research productsclose
• Open Access close
• DK close
• Roskilde Universitetscenter's Digitale Arkiv close
• Rural Digital Europe close

This paper examines the impact of the Estonian initiative and push for the implementation of the Once-Only Principle on a European Union level by engaging in an analysis framed within the theoretical frameworks of Michel Foucault, Daniel R. McCarthy and Hartmund Rosa, and will attempt to do so by synthesizing these theories’ notions of power and social acceleration. The paper concludes that the OOP can be seen as a mechanism that reproduce and maintain cultural hegemony, and that this furthermore is both a result of, and a catalyst for social acceleration.

Policy making is a lengthy, legislative process, liable to be subject to various internal and external factors of influence, each practiced within their code of conduct. One influence often kept low-key is that of the interest organisation, attempting to set the agenda to the benefit of its members. A particularly current case of this is the case of the law of buffer zones in Denmark, which allowed for engaged reactions by the agricultural interest organisations. This project is set to examine the workings of these interest organisations, and how they practice lobbyism in order to further their own case via closed door meetings - a black box in the legislative process. Our focus, as such, will be on the current case of buffer zones and how these agricultural interest organisations acquire their influence and thusly may enable themselves to affect legislation. We will largely acquire our empirical data through interviews with agricultural interest organisation representatives and we will base our analysis on several theories regarding democracy, interest organisations and group theory.

Bolivian produced quinoa is the fulcrum of a global value chain-analysis with focus on technology, organizations and production. The report contributes to answering why Bolivian produced quinoa have developed from a local product to a global value chain. The analysis follows an ontological realistic and epistemological relativistic perspective. It is based on statistical data and other scientific theses about the subject, which supports a retroductive approach. Quinoa is a healthy, edible seed, which can grow under various climatic conditions, but primarily is cultivated in the Andes Mountains. The seed has a long history in Bolivia (The Plurinational State of) that involves the Incas, the Spanish inquisition and the present organizing of peasants, which makes mechanization possible. Research and the new technology have enabled an expanding production and a more efficient processing why it is now possible to export. This has attracted new agents from the whole world who have spread the product to new markets. The development is furthermore analyzed as spatial change involving the production of space, new relational space and the breaking down of spatial barriers, which all contributes to a holistic understanding. It is partially therefore concluded that quinoa is a complex object with inner causal potentials that enables a change in its present context.

Abstract This project critically assesses the shift from Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAP) to Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) by the World Bank and IMF in Zambia. The project is a case study of the agricultural sector in Zambia, which has been chosen on the basis that a vast majority of poor people are situated in rural areas and employed by the agricultural sector. The data on which the project is constituted is therefore the relevant policy-papers and secondary literature. The analytical model, on which the project is based, is framed by a critique of the neoclassical development theory. The critique is grounded in an institutional approach, which together with a framework of theoretical linkages between poverty and agriculture creates the analytical framework. By analysing policy-papers from periods of development assistance loans, the project examines how the strategy-shift can be seen in the policies. The policies that Zambia implements under the SAP and the PRSP are analysed in order to show whether the poor are taken into consideration or not. The analysis of the policies implemented under SAP show that growth, liberalization/privatization and competition was the main focus. Thereby that period of development in Zambia happened very much under the influence of the neoclassical development theory, which entails that market forces and global capital market shall develop a stable and growing economy. The analysis of the PRSP from 2002 shows a shift towards a more nuanced approach. Poverty reduction is in focus, although it is supposed to happen combined with neoclassical ideas of growth and competition. The following progress reports shows that there were constraints to the reduction of poverty. One of these were the institutional inability to effectively allocate and disburse the allocated funds, which made a large part of the capital stay in domestic banks. Another central issue is shown to be the continuing government borrowing from domestic banks, a problem which is argued to be related to the substantial debt servicing. This kept the interest rate at a very high level, impeding investment opportunities for small scale farmers. The latest major policy-paper shows a continuing of the pro-poor tendency, and although it is as vague as the first PRSP it shows a number of pro-poor initiatives and programs. The project concludes that the focus on poverty reduction has increased with the implementation of the PRSP, although there are some constraints to reducing poverty. These include institutional incapacities to effectively invest in poverty reduction programs and debt servicing.

Salt marshes are among one of the most productive ecosystems in the world and are important components of estuarine systems, since it provide food and nutrients to both estuarine and coastal ocean consumers, serves as a habitat for young and adult estuarine organisms, and a refuge for larval and juvenile organisms and regulating important compounds of the estuarine chemical cycle. The location of salt marshes as a buffer zone between land and sea and the continuously increasing N-­‐load from land make it a raising concern regarding monitoring and estimation of its vulnerability to eutrophication and interest in its ability to remove N before its enters the estuaries and coastal ocean waters, along with monitoring of the current N status. Remote sensing is a particular helpful tool when trying to extract information from large areas and to estimate N status of vegetation. The spectral reflectance signature of Spartina alterniflora (a dominant salt marsh species) was investigated in 13 sites with varying N input, within two New England salt marshes (Plum Island Sound and Great Sippewisset Marsh, USA), to survey if remote sensing can be use to sense vegetation response to different nutrient input. Two different remote sensing tools was used; a Duel Channel Unispec, which measure canopy reflectance and a SPAD-­‐502 chlorophyll meter, which measure leaf reflectance. Three different vegetation indexes (NDVI, GreenNDVI and EVI) were used to model vegetation biophysical variables. It was not possible to estimate if one index or the other would be better for an overall use to estimate N status but the results indicate the feasibility in predicting N status. SPAD values give an indirect indication of chlorophyll and nitrogen content in leaf biomass but only a low correlation was observed than correlated with red and green reflectance. More emphasis has to be giving on calibration of SPAD measurements to obtain more reliable results. Spectral reflectance data obtained from Unispec measurements, clearly illustrated that the vegetation state in the two sites with highest N input (20 and 300-­‐fold larger than reference sites) represented the healthiest green vegetation with a high plant biomass, which correlated with the N input received. In the remaining sites, there was not observed a clear distinguish between the spectral data and observed N input. Remote sensing can provide information about variations in vegetation and give an insight into important vegetation biophysical features. Therefore using remote sensing to determined N status of vegetation is a low cost useful method, but emphasis on future studies in this area should be a priority.

The following project Agriculture in Liberia - stories from four students seeks to provide a deeperunderstanding about how perceptions of roles and possibilities are linked to their education context.In order to do so an approach inspired by ethnography have been used when carrying out field workat the Oxfam IBIS Education of Youth Empowerment (EYE) center in Zwedru. We have used anexplorative approach doing our fieldwork when collecting our data which gave us the possibility tolet the surroundings influence our topic. Throughout the fieldwork we used informal conversations,participant observations and two types of interview methods. This data being the foundation for ourproject. For the analytical part of the project two theorist, Margaret Somers and Paulo Freire, havebeen used two shed light on the themes we found through coding our empirical data. In the end itbecomes possible to conclude, that the students achieve perspectives about what is possible forthem to change in their own life, but in Liberia as well. These perspectives are related to theagriculture skills accomplish.

Kan radardata fra satellitter bruges til at afdække omfanget af mindre sæsonbetingede oversvømmelser på eksempelvis marker? Hvor meget vand der skal til, før vi kan observere det via radardata? Og ved hvilke værdier defineres vand i datasættet? Hvordan skal data fra radarsatellitterne fortolkes, og hvordan fungerer teknologien? Dette er nogle af de spørgsmål der vil blive besvaret i dette projekt. Der vil blive taget udgangspunkt i empiriske feltstudier. Derudover vil der være data fra Sentinel-1 satellitterne i det Europæiske Copernicus program. Der vil derudover også blive taget udgangspunkt i TRIN-modellen fra Jørgensen 2017, for at forstå teknologien. Derudover vil der blive beskrevet, hvordan de øgede nedbørsmængder forventes at påvirke landbruget, samt risikoen for flere sæsonbetingede oversvømmelser.

Literature review of the debate over the concept 'Sustainable Agruculture'. Agricultural sustainability have been thoroughly discussed in the literature as a multidimensional concept, of which the most important are; system describing or goal prescribing, the three dimensions of sustainability, the geographical extent of sustainability and the role of technology, and as a system approach to sustainability assessment. Several frameworks have been developed, each with a specified geographical extent and timeframe that makes assessment possible. Some scholars have begun to argue that, due to the terms’ ambiguity, it has become a cliché. However, despite its vagueness, the term is comprehensively used by institutions, such as the EU.

Through this project the considerations behind introducing iPads and deliberately choosing not to use technology in two respective kindergartens are analysed. The Danish government, the representatives of the municipalities (KL) and the collective Danish regions (Danske Regioner) developed in 2011 a digital strategy in which they recommend the use of technology in Danish kindergartens. Observations in two the two kindergartens: Børnehuset Søndersø which uses iPads and Selmers Børnehus which does not use iPads, give us an understanding of the necessity of the presence of technology in the development of children’s learning abilities and play. The observations are supported by two interviews with the respective managers of the kindergartens, Susanne Frølund and Benthe Hansen. These interviews show which values are depicted in the kindergartens. Bruno Latour’s Actor-Network-Theory give us an understanding of how important the iPad is for the child as well as how the network created between the child and the iPad can help answer the research question. The theory of systems and lifeworld by Jürgen Habermas is used to determine which elements the kindergartens possess of the two types of society. Furthermore this project features a discussion of the themes derived from the empirical evidence. The themes are following: resources, social interaction, communication between the parents and the kindergarten, learning and development, and creativity. Additionally will the intentions behind KL’s digital strategy be discussed. The purpose of the strategy which is to inspire and encourage kindergartens to start using iPads, divides the Danish kindergartens. Some agree and some disagree. The visions of KL are therefore not necessarily met in all kindergartens. The evidence derived from the research shows, that the iPad can create a greater solidarity in the kindergarten as well as contribute to the development of creativeness and new methods of learning and teaching. The efficiency improvement in communication between the parents and the kindergarten can improve their relationship and at the same time the kindergarten teachers will get more time to take care of the children. On the other hand the iPad can be criticised for hindering the development of children’s creativeness and social competences as only one child can play with the iPad at a time, and this is only within the iPad’s beforehand installed programs.