Organic agriculture and sustainable practices: towards a typology of innovative farmers

This paper aims to identify the factors that influence the choice of organic farmers to innovate for more sustainable practices that go beyond the strict limits imposed by the certification. Using survey data collected from 352 Italian and Portuguese certified organic farmers, a probabilistic model was estimated. The results show that farmers, in particular women, longest engaged in organic farming are more likely to adopt sustainable practices. They also indicate that farm size, landownership, the existence of some types of complementary activities and the sources of information used by farmers affect the adoption of such practices

O povoado da Idade do Bronze de Santa Catarina, Guimarães (Norte de Portugal). Resultado dos trabalhos arqueológicos de 2002

Com este texto, pretende-se relatar os trabalhos de escavação arqueológica realizados, durante o mês de Julho de 2002, na estação arqueológica de Santa Catarina, no âmbito do projecto "The Entre-Douro-e-Minho landscape since middle of III to the end of II millenium BC" . Este local, bastante destruído, desde os finais do séc. XIX , forneceu importante espólio arqueológico, depositado no Museu da Sociedade Martins Sarmento, em Guimarães, e indevidamente estudado. As escavações recentes, apesar das vicissitudes, permitiram identificar um nível de ocupação da Idade do Bronze, conectável, genericamente, com grande parte do espólio depositado no referido museu e com algumas referências bibliográficas. Tal, contribuirá para uma melhor contextualização cronológico-cultural do sítio, assim como para a sua reconstituição paleoambiental.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Determinantes da utilização na pós-implementação de sistemas integrados de gestão

Os sistemas integrados de gestão, vulgarmente conhecidos por sistemas ERP, são investimentos fundamentais para as organizações que os implementam. Constituindo, geralmente, investimentos avultados, contribuem para a transformação dos processos de negócio quando exigem uma adaptação da empresa às práticas de trabalho que estão subjacentes a este tipo de sistemas. No entanto, para que a implementação dum sistema ERP seja considerada um sucesso, não será suficiente concluir o projeto de implementação em termos de satisfação dos requisitos, tempo e orçamento. O sucesso da implementação dum sistema ERP vai muito para além do seu início de funcionamento. O verdadeiro retorno de investimento ocorrerá quando, após a implementação, a organização utilizar efetivamente o sistema e aproveitar o seu potencial. Para que tal aconteça, deverá existir uma ação concertada das várias partes interessadas e envolvidas na utilização do sistema, isto é, aqueles que na organização mais diretamente podem contribuir e também beneficiar com a utilização do sistema ERP, aqui designados por stakeholders no que à utilização diz respeito. Face à reduzida literatura referente à pós-implementação de sistemas ERP e para a qual se pretende contribuir em mais um contexto de utilização, recorre-se nesta investigação ao estudo de caso num grupo empresarial têxtil que tem implementado um sistema ERP há cinco anos. Partindo da literatura existente para a identificação dum conjunto inicial de determinantes, da sua discussão no âmbito de focus group constituído no caso em estudo, são identificados os stakeholders e para cada um, o fator que se considera mais determinante para a efetiva utilização de sistemas ERP. Dessas discussões decorrem ainda um conjunto de medidas a serem aplicadas por cada um dos stakeholders identificados para a maior e melhor utilização de sistemas ERP após a sua implementação

A duration analysis of on-farm agrobiodiversity conservation: Evidence from portuguese fruit growers

We investigate the factors that influence farmers’ adoption of agrobiodiversity measures using survey data collected at a geographically relevant scale. The current economic theory of technology adoption is used to guide our thinking. While, to date, studies in this area have frequently employed standard probit/logit techniques, we adopt an econometric technique that addresses simultaneously the issue of sample censoring, temporal dependence and the joint determination of the occurrence and timing of adoptions. The use of more appropriate techniques to the analysis of adoption data uncover a sizably higher effect of information on farmers’ decisions than that obtained by standard discrete-choice approaches. The result is an affirmation that good extension services providing reliable and accessible information, as well as technical guidance adapted to local conditions, are fundamental components to effect the adoption of resource-conserving measures.agrobiodiversity, duration analysis, adoption models

Consumers’ valuation of national versus foreign varieties of tomatoes : results of a contingent valuation study in Portugal

The identification and characterization of consumers’ preferences for agricultural products may constitute a valuable tool for producers in identifying market niches for their current production and to plan activity choice for the future. Traditional varieties of fruits and vegetables have been subject to some scrutiny in this respect. However, but for a few studies, consumers’ preferences for tomatoes have rarely been studied. Using the contingent valuation methodology applied to a panel of six different varieties of tomatoes (three national varieties, and three foreign varieties), the present paper provides evidence concerning the most relevant determinants of consumers’ willingness to pay, controlling for place and mode of production of the tomatoes’ varieties. In addition, the study elicits consumers’ rating of these varieties with respect to appearance, taste, smell and texture. Based on our multivariate results, the estimated market price premium for national varieties of tomatoes is 35% relatively to foreign varieties.Support from the project PTDC/EGE-ECO/114091/2009), Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologi

Origin or organoleptic characteristics of Pears : which is more valued in the market?

Consumers’ decision when buying fruit and vegetables is determined by tangible and intangible attributes. In general, intangible attributes, such as the origin of the variety, are not perceived by consumers before or after purchase; thus, information on these characteristics of products must be provided. The origin of the variety is a particularly important intangible attribute in the case of fruit and vegetables. Its relevance is due to the role that traditional varieties may play in the conservation of biodiversity, and also in the local economy. In many instances, however, the higher production costs and lower profitability associated with traditional varieties discourage the continuation of this activity. Arguably, the farmers shall then be compensated by the market (through a price premium) to ensure the maintenance of local traditional varieties. The purpose of the present study is to enhance information about the relative importance of several attributes or characteristics of the product Pears, and to assess consumers’ willingness to pay for the specific attribute Origin of Variety, detecting and quantifying the potential existence of a price premium.Support from the project PTDC/EGE-ECO/114091/2009 Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologi

Streaming contents and RSS feed in a pedagogical environment

A group of university teachers have been developing several contents using streaming technology, since it promotes the support of pedagogical activity as a dynamic resource and due to the fact that is oriented to a model of shared learning contents. Now, a new challenge can be stated: the share and the reutilization of these learning contents. Apart from being an enhanced experience only concerning the sharing of knowledge, it promotes a desired partnership inter/intra-department. In this context the RSS technology introduces a new dimension in the access to streaming media contents. The RSS is a format to syndicate contents enabling users to be aware of new contents that are periodically published. The RSS technology, through the use of RSS Aggregators or RSS Readers, help the user to keep up to date all their favourite information sources that provide their contents as RSS feeds. In the scope of the streaming media contents the definition of RSS feeds enable the students to be up to date of new educational resources that are provided by the teacher. Therefore the students instead of checking the updates that are published in several educational information resources can locally see the new resources that are described and provided in the RSS feed. Some preliminaries results are presented and discussed

The importance of the origin of apple varieties : results from a discrete choice experiment in Portugal

The increased depletion of biological diversity in agriculture can be attributed to the massification and standardization of production. Another argument is the often mentioned lower productivity of these varieties and the lack of a market price premium that compensates for these higher production cost. Policies to address this issue can either rest on market instruments or on command and control initiatives. The paper aims to determine the role that the origin of the apple variety plays in consumers’ choice, controlling for the place of production. Most literature analyzing the role of origin of production finds that national or local productions have a positive effect on consumers’ choices, receiving a positive price premium. However, appellation of origin has, to our knowledge, never been analyzed in the fruit market. Determining, in a controlled design, whether the Portuguese traditional variety has a positive price premium and characterizing the socio-economic characteristics of consumers valuing this attribute the most can provide valuable insights for apple producers and policy makers. It can help designing more effective strategies to increase market shares or identifying market niches for producers and to promote agro-biodiversity more effective by policy makers. Our results indicate that consumers are willing to pay a statistically significant price premium for the national varieties. In addition, consumers that value the national variety, on average, buy larger quantities and buy more frequently, buy specific varieties, are more aware of products characteristics and are on average older. These results are encouraging for policy makers as they demonstrate the potential for policies based on market instruments as consumers are responsive to price. In addition, the analysis of consumers’ heterogeneity typifies the segments that are more willing to buy national varieties. Finally, the results also indicate, to apple producers and marketers, possible ways to increase their market shares by identifying the socio-demographic characteristics of consumers more willing to buy national varieties at higher prices that may compensate for the increased costs of production.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologi

A estação arqueológica de Nossa Senhora da Penha, Guimarães (Norte de Portugal): notícia preliminar das escavações de 2002

Com este texto, pretende-se relatar os trabalhos de escavação arqueológica, realizados durante o mês de Julho d e 2002, na estação arqueológica d a Senhora da Penha, no âmbito do projecto "The Entre-Douro-e -Minho landscape since middle of III to the end of II millenium BC". Este local, profundamente destruído, desde, pelo menos, os inícios do séc. XX. Forneceu inúmero e importante espólio arqueológico, hoje depositado nos Museus da Sociedade Martins Sarmento, em Guimarães, e Nacional de Arqueologia, em Lisboa. As escavações actuais, apesar de não terem fornecido os resultados esperados, permitiram, pelos menos, identificar um nível de ocupação calcolítica, conectável, genericamente, com grande parte do espólio depositado nos referidos museus. Tal, contribuirá para uma melhor contextualização cronológico-cultural do sítio, assim como para a sua reconstituição paleoambiental.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Streaming media in a different contexts : engineering and education graduation

In this paper we describe a functional model that will be used to develop learning units supported by streaming media contents. The mais goal is to test this new methodology by carrying out several padagogical experiences with students and teachers from different scientifies areas, from Engineering to Education. More precisely, the target courses are Applied Mathematics, Computation Systems, Digital Control and Methods and Tchniques of Educational Administration. Steaming media isn viewed as a tool to support innovative padagogical activities, capable of addressing the new challenges introduced by the current demands of pedagogical environments. The teacher must be capable to formulate new teaching strategies to guarantee the expected learning levels and the entailment of the communication and the interativity that shoud exist inside of the classroom (...