This thesis analyzes the influence of NAFTA on the agricultural sectors of the United States and Mexico between 1984 and 2004. The thesis is subdivided in three chapters, with each chapter...Show moreThis thesis analyzes the influence of NAFTA on the agricultural sectors of the United States and Mexico between 1984 and 2004. The thesis is subdivided in three chapters, with each chapter presenting one dimension of 'agricultural sector.' These dimensions are, production efficiency (1), trade competitiveness (2), and agricultural employment (3). Three general conclusions were made. NAFTA positively influenced Mexican and American production efficiency (1), NAFTA positively influenced American trade competitiveness, but negatively influenced Mexican trade competitiveness (2), and NAFTA barely influenced agricultural employment in the United States (3).Show less
Smallholders are far from dead. In many cases around the world, smallholder farmers represent the backbone of rural and national economic development and are considered as both “beneficiaries and...Show moreSmallholders are far from dead. In many cases around the world, smallholder farmers represent the backbone of rural and national economic development and are considered as both “beneficiaries and agents of sustainable development”. The expansion of commodity crops has positively impacted rural livelihoods, providing employment and boosting general well-being among rural communities. This, however, changed the way farmers interact with nature, leading to negative externalities such as deforestation practices, wildlife endangerment and unsustainable working environments. Palm oil (PO) has attracted global attention for its ambiguous and often problematic nature. On the one hand, palm oil’s market rapid growth in Indonesia raised dramatic environmental concerns, as its development has come at the expense of fundamental human rights and biodiverse, carbon-rich tropical forests. On the other hand, it brought rural development and increased the national economy, placing smallholder farmers on a leading position. To investigate this trade-off of growth, the thesis was guided by the research question “how does the inclusion of smallholder farmers in the PO GVC contribute to sustainable inclusive development?” and was supported by the following three sub-questions: 1. What are the socio-economic implications of PO expansion on smallholder farmers in Riau and Jambi provinces? 2. What are the environmental implications of PO expansion in Riau and Jambi and how are these linked to smallholder farming? 3. To what extent has smallholders’ participation in the PO GVC contributed to the shift to the sustainable production of the crop and what facilitates this transition? The thesis was built on the sustainable and inclusive development theoretical framework and shed light on the role of smallholder farmers in enhancing rural livelihoods and boosting national economic growth. The analysis concludes that PO production has played a relevant role in poverty reduction and economic growth in Riau and Jambi, Indonesia. More specifically, its expansion manifested into increased income, access to land and capital, rural development through infrastructure and services and improved household dietary quality and food security. However, because of the strong influence of the Indonesian government's transmigration programme, inequality among farmers arised, as transmigrant smallholder families were given financial and technical support, while autochthonous ones generally were left forgotten. At the same time, palm oil expansion has replaced substantial amounts of tropical forests and led to numerous land conflicts across Indonesia.Show less
This thesis analyses the legacy of "tierras malhabidas" from the military dictatorship in Paraguay (1954-1989), and its implications on the country's process towards achieving a consolidated...Show moreThis thesis analyses the legacy of "tierras malhabidas" from the military dictatorship in Paraguay (1954-1989), and its implications on the country's process towards achieving a consolidated democracy, through the case study of "La masacre de Curuguaty".Show less
Climate change poses one of the biggest challenges of our times. One of the main contributors to climate change is agricultural production. The development of more sustainable agricultural...Show moreClimate change poses one of the biggest challenges of our times. One of the main contributors to climate change is agricultural production. The development of more sustainable agricultural practices is needed in order to mitigate the disastrous effects of climate change on future generations. This development can be approached from different disciplines. This thesis looks at the role archaeology can play in contributing to knowledge of agricultural sustainability. Therefore, the research question of this thesis is as follows: how can knowledge of pre-Columbian agricultural practices in the Central Andes contribute to more sustainable agriculture in the present and future? The research question is answered through an in-depth literature study of two case studies. The first case study looks at a research conducted by the Cusichaca Trust, of pre-Inca and Inca terraces in the Cusichaca Valley. The Second case study looks at the raised fields in the basin of Lake Titicaca, a research conducted by Clark Erickson. Both studies have looked at ways that archaeological research of pre-Columbian agriculture can be reused in a contemporary setting. The case studies will also be analyzed for their agricultural sustainability, focusing on the three different components: ecological, economic and social sustainability. This analysis shows that the pre-Columbian agricultural practices described in the two case studies are better environmentally speaking compared to current agricultural practices in the region. However, the analysis of economic and social agricultural sustainability proves to be incomplete and insufficient. This suggest that additional research has to be conducted in order to make any further statements about the implementation of pre-Columbian agriculture as a sustainable alternative for current agriculture in the Central Andes. The difficulties of implementing social and economic sustainability in the Central Andes partially arise from the changed social structures after the Spanish conquest. Even though archaeology cannot contribute to knowledge about all the facets of sustainability, the discipline does provide valuable insights through its long time depth into past agricultural practices. This insights can be of great use for the development of more sustainable agriculture in the present and future.Show less
The agricultural virtual water trade is estimated to contribute 248 billion cubic metres to the water security of the MENA region every year, and this thesis examines the theory of the virtual...Show moreThe agricultural virtual water trade is estimated to contribute 248 billion cubic metres to the water security of the MENA region every year, and this thesis examines the theory of the virtual water trade to find out how exactly the region has integrated into that trade. Despite sizeable and growing virtual water dependence in the region, and a state of abstract water scarcity, 85 percent of MENA water withdrawals are still committed to agriculture. For the region to commit its scarce water resources to low-value productivity such as agriculture carries a very high opportunity cost. This paper will ask the following questions: How has the MENA region integrated into the virtual water trade, what is the opportunity cost of its agricultural policies, and how does it perpetuate its agricultural policies? This paper makes two principal arguments. Firstly, this paper acknowledges the important role played by imported foodstuffs in meeting the food and water security needs of the region. Generally, the region imports low-value water-intensive crops such as wheat, and exports higher-value crops such as tomatoes and citrus fruits, though until recently wheat production has also been prominent and widespread in the region. This paper argues that because the MENA region relies on water from rivers and aquifers (blue water) to irrigate, whereas other parts of the world can make use more of soil moisture (green water), the opportunity costs for the water use in the MENA region are far greater than those in other parts of the world. This paper will make an attempt to calculate those costs, showing that the MENA region exports virtual water for a far higher opportunity cost than is borne by those countries that export virtual water to the MENA region. Secondly, this paper argues that the region’s reliance on imported virtual water backgrounds and conceals policies of water mismanagement and misallocation – policies which are then perpetuated by nationally and internationally funded major water engineering projects that prolong unsustainable practices.Show less
Abstract: This study is a case study of the dairy sector in the West Bank. It is based on qualitative field research and an extensive literature review. By asking how dairy farmers and dairy...Show moreAbstract: This study is a case study of the dairy sector in the West Bank. It is based on qualitative field research and an extensive literature review. By asking how dairy farmers and dairy factory owners in the Hebron governorate perceive opportunities for and constraints to the expansion of their holdings, it analyses them in light of occupation policies and their implications for economic autonomy in the occupied Palestinian territories. On an empirical level, it concludes that intensive dairy cattle farms are better suited to land and water constraints than other forms of agriculture. On a theoretical level, it finds that Israeli neglect of bilateral agreements and ‘casual constraints’ preclude Palestinian economic autonomy, indicating the latter’s interdependence with the achievement of national sovereignty.Show less
In the course of my thesis I will explore ideas surrounding the ownership and meaning of tradition and national identity from the perspective of the nation and the community, in the specific...Show moreIn the course of my thesis I will explore ideas surrounding the ownership and meaning of tradition and national identity from the perspective of the nation and the community, in the specific context of makkŏlli culture in South Korea. Paying particular attention to the works of Eric Hobsbawm, Stephen Vslatos, Dean MacCannel, and Richard Sennet, I seek to illuminate the ways in which the nation and community speak to one another and to a larger, global audience through cultural expression and a renegotiation of national tradition. The recent revival of interest in makkŏlli began with small communities of brewers and has expanded through craft movements leading to a modern re-invention of the practice. However, the beverage only gained attention domestically after it gained popularity abroad in 2009. As governing elites have become aware of the economic power embedded in associating national identity with a particular ‘brand’, certain aspects of popular or traditional culture have been mobilized to serve this end. In the process we encounter a double dynamic between small community actors and larger political entities both interested in the same objects, in this case makkŏlli — yet their motivations and interests speak to entirely different, and often contradictory concerns.Show less
In this thesis I have examined if and how indigenous religion in north-western Europe (specifically Roman Britain and northern Gaul) changed after the Roman colonization. The basis of my research...Show moreIn this thesis I have examined if and how indigenous religion in north-western Europe (specifically Roman Britain and northern Gaul) changed after the Roman colonization. The basis of my research is the idea that agriculture is a very important factor in shaping culture and religion. Ton Derks (1998) has stated that in northern Gaul, the southern territories were much more accepting of Roman religious customs because the agricultural basis of their society, namely arable farming, was the same as that of the Romans. In the north, were stockbreeding was much more important, people were much less accepting of Roman culture and as a consequence religious habits did not change much after the Roman conquest. In other words, the core of people's beliefs remained the same. I have applied this theory to Roman Britain, as the differences between the highland and lowland zones present us with a very similar agricultural division. This research has shown that, while indigenous religion and world views did become more Roman (especially in the areas were arable farming was more important than stockbreeding), native populations also attempted to preserve, or create new local traditions to retain their own identity. Such changes were not always directly related to local forms of agriculture, but areas were arable farming was dominant were far more susceptible to them than the more conservative pastoral zones.Show less
