Farm structures are often characterized by regional heterogeneity, agglomeration effects, sub-optimal farm sizes and income disparities. The main objective of this study is to analyze whether this is a result of path dependent structural change, what the determinants of path dependence are, and how it may be overcome. The focus is on the German dairy sector which has been highly regulated and subsidized in the past and faces severe structural deficits. The future of this sector in the process of an ongoing liberalization will be analyzed by applying theoretical concepts of path dependence and path breaking. In these regards, key issues are the actual situation, technological and market trends as well as agricultural policies. The methodology will be based on a participative use of the agent-based model AgriPoliS and participatory laboratory experiments. On the one hand, AgriPoliS will be tested as a tool for stakeholder oriented analysis of mechanisms, trends and policy effects. This part aims to analyze whether and how path dependence of structural change can be overcome on a sector level. In a second part, AgriPoliS will be extended such that human players (farmers, students) can take over the role of agents in the model. This part aims to compare human agents with computer agents in order to overcome single farm path dependence.
Deviant behaviour on various levels of the food supply chain may cause food risks. It entails irregular technological procedures which cause (increased probabilities of) adverse outcomes for buyers and consumers. Besides technological hazards and hitherto unknown health threats, moral hazard and malpractice in food businesses represent an additional source of risk which can be termed 'behavioural food risk'. From a regulatory perspective, adverse outcomes associated with deviance represent negative externalities that are caused by the breaking of rules designed to prevent them. From a rational choice perspective, the probability of malpractice increases with the benefits for its authors. It decreases with the probability of detection and resulting losses. It also decreases with bonds to social norms that protect producers from yielding to economic temptations. The design of mechanisms that reduce behavioural risks and prevent malpractice requires an understanding of why food businesses obey or do not obey the rules. This project aims to contribute to a better understanding of malpractice on the restaurant/retail level through comparative case studies and statistical analyses of food inspection and survey data. Accounting for the complexity of economic behaviour, we will not only look at economic incentives but consider all relevant behavioural determinants, including social context factors.
To overcome the limitation in spatial and temporal resolution of methane oceanic measurements, sensors are needed that can autonomously detect CH4-concentrations over longer periods of time. The proposed project is aimed at:- Designing molecular receptors for methane recognition (cryptophane-A and -111) and synthesizing new compounds allowing their introduction in polymeric structure (Task 1; LC, France); - Adapting, calibrating and validating the 2 available optical technologies, one of which serves as the reference sensor, for the in-situ detection and measurements of CH4 in the marine environments (Task 2 and 3; GET, LAAS-OSE, IOW) Boulart et al. (2008) showed that a polymeric filmchanges its bulk refractive index when methane docks on to cryptophane-A supra-molecules that are mixed in to the polymeric film. It is the occurrence of methane in solution, which changes either the refractive index measured with high resolution Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR; Chinowsky et al., 2003; Boulart et al, 2012b) or the transmitted power measured with differential fiber-optic refractometer (Boulart et al., 2012a; Aouba et al., 2012).- Using the developed sensors for the study of the CH4 cycle in relevant oceanic environment (the GODESS station in the Baltic Sea, Task 4 and 5; IOW, GET); GODESS registers a number of parameters with high temporal and vertical resolution by conducting up to 200 vertical profiles over 3 months deployment with a profiling platform hosting the sensor suite. - Quantifying methane fluxes to the atmosphere (Task 6); clearly, the current project, which aims at developing in-situ aqueous gas sensors, provides the technological tool to achieve the implementation of ocean observatories for CH4. The aim is to bring the fiber-optic methane sensor on the TRL (Technology Readiness Level) from their current Level 3 (Analytical and laboratory studies to validate analytical predictions) - to the Levels 5 and 6 (Component and/or basic sub-system technology validation in relevant sensing environments) and compare it to the SPR methane sensor, taken as the reference sensor (current TRL 5). This would lead to potential patent applications before further tests and commercialization. This will be achieved by the ensemble competences and contributions from the proposed consortium in this project.
Dairy farming across Germany displays diverse production systems. Factor endowment, management, technology adoption as well as competitive dynamics in the local or regional land, agribusiness and dairy processing sectors contribute to this differentiation on farm level. These differences impact on the ability of dairy farms and regional dairy production systems to successfully respond to pressures arising from future market and policy changes. The overall objective of the research activities of which this project is a part of, is to develop a thorough understanding of the processes that govern the spatial dynamics of dairy farm development in different regions in Germany. The central hypothesis of this research project is that management system and technological choices differ systematically across local production and market conditions. The empirical approach will focus on the estimation of farm specific nonparametric cost functions for dairy farms located in across Germany differentiated by time and location. A spatially differentiated data base with information on input use, resource availability, as well as local market conditions for land and output markets will be compiled. The nonparametric approach is specifically suited to disclose a more accurate representation of dairy production system heterogeneity across locations and time compared to parametric concepts as it provides the necessary flexibility to accommodate non-linearities relevant for a wide domain of explanatory variables. The methodology employed goes beyond the state of the art of the literature as it combines kernel density estimation with a Bayesian sampling approach to provide theory consistent parameters for each farm in the data sample.The specific methodological hypothesis is that the nonparametric approach is superior to current parametric techniques and this hypothesis is tested using statistical model evaluation. Regarding the farm management and technological choices, we hypothesize that land suitability for feed production determines the farm intensity of dairy production and thus management and technological choices. With respect to the ability of farms to successfully respond to market pressures we hypothesize that farms at the upper and lower tail of the intensity distribution both can generate positive returns from dairy production. These last two hypotheses will be tested using the estimated spatially differentiated farm specific costs and marginal costs.The expected outcomes are of relevance for the agricultural sector and the food supply chain economy as a whole as fundamental market structure changes in the dairy sector are ongoing due to the abolition of the quota regulation in the years 2014/2015. Thus, exact knowledge about differences and development of dairy cost heterogeneity of farms within and between regions are an important factor for the actors involved in the market as well as the political support of this process.
INFRES is a three year EU FP7 funded study focused on developing innovative technology and logistics for the forest residual biomass supply chain. The goal is to improve the overall competitiveness of forest residue biomass throughout the EU by accelerating technological (equipment and software) development and demonstrations. Following the directive for renewable energy targets in the EU, forest residue will continue to play an leading role in the renewable energy sector. This overall study focuses on the efficient collection, processing and delivery of woody feed stock for heating, power and emerging bio-refining uses. This research and demonstration project involves 23 partners, including nine research universities and organizations and 14 SMEs FELIS: FELIS will be leading Work Package 3, titled 'Business innovations and adaptations of forestry practices to bioenergy supply'. This research effort first evaluates the future customers and markets of forest biomass to 2050 and then focuses on how existing forestry practices may be modified in order to enhance and improve biomass recovery. Partnering with both software companies and regional bioenergy firms, this work task develops business and service innovations in order to improve organization efficiency, lowering cost and improving service.
Natural products remain an important source for drugs and a source of inspiration for medicinal chemists for the design of synthetic drugs and probes for the study of biological functions. The contribution of academic laboratories in natural products discovery has been substantial. The limiting factor of pharmaceutical natural product research has been with the tedious process of purification and identification of the lead molecules from the highly complex crude extract. Recent technological advances enable now a miniaturization of the screening and discovery process for natural product leads. The proposal here is for the purchase of a 500 MHz NMR spectrometer specifically equipped for the measurement of mass limited samples. It includes a recently commercialized 1 mm probe and autosampler and is capable of recording 1D and 2D NMR spectra with microgram (20-100 myg) amounts of natural products and synthetic drug-like molecules. The spectrometer is configured to fit into the technology platforms and the workflows of the Drug Screening Group of the Swiss Tropical Institute and the Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology. The instrument shall be used for various interdisciplinary projects of the two principal applicants and for a consortium which is being established. The major use will be for HPLC-based lead discovery in the area of Alzheimer's disease, Malaria, and neglected tropical diseases. The instrument will also be employed for metabolic fingerprinting of selected plants and phytomedicines. A third application will be in the analysis of compound libraries from external sources which are screened by the applicants in the context of the principal projects. An NMR instrument with this configuration is currently not in operation at a Swiss university. It is the missing link in a technology platform established at the laboratories of the two applicants. This platform should enable a paradigm shift in the way how natural product leads are identified, namely by miniaturizing the entire process of screening, separation and lead identification to the microgram level. A significant gain in efficiency of the discovery process and, thus, in research productivity, both qualitative and quantitative, is anticipated. The equipment will also be of interest to all those scientists in the biomedical sciences who need structural information from mass limited samples such as, for example drug metabolites.
This Specific Support Action concerns the Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform. The SSA will provide the organisational, management and scientific support necessary to facilitate the process of the Technology Platform in order to produce the deliverables: Vision Document, Strategic Research Agenda and an implementation plan for the water sector in Europe. This is done by the Secretariat a delegation of members of the WSSTP Board, together with and on behalf of the Board. The three deliverables will be used as input for FP7. The mission of the WSSTP is: - to strengthen the competitiveness and the potential for technological innovation of the European water industry, of water professionals and research institutions through the development of a strategic science and research agenda, - to meet global challenges and regional demands of ensuring safe, secure and sustainable water supply for human societies and for the environment and sanitation services, within the framework of the available water resources. The WSSTP will contribute to the MDG's of the Johannesburg Summit and the European Union Water Initiative, through active participation of developing countries and of organisations that work in developing countries in the platform. The joint focus of the production of the three main is a very unique process of bringing together the various groups of stakeholders. The Water Supply and Sanitation Technology Platform will have a number of important measurable objectives, to which this SSA will contribute significantly: - The production of the abovementioned documents. - Contributing to the European industry competitiveness, by providing a multi-stakeholder framework. - Wide spread consultation on and dissemination of the results of the platform.
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