Production Distribution Research Articles

Biomass for energy production characteristics, amount and distribution in Latvia

Biomass is one of the largest renewable energy sources in Latvia. Since 54,7 % of the state area is covered by forests, the firewood, wood chips and pellets play a significant role in the heat production, especially at households and municipal heating facilities. Wood chips and pellets are also important export products. Changes in the energy-producing wood export since 1997 are explained. Other kinds of biomass that can be used for heat and electricity production are various agricultural and food production residues, livestock breeding buy-products, sewage sludge, combustible (organic) part of household and industrial wastes, etc. In the present paper, a variety of biomass forms used as the energy sources are analysed. The characteristics of different types of wood biomass and the variations in their parameters are considered. The following determined parameters of biomass are presented: the calorific value, ash content, bulk density, melting point of ashes, sulphur and chlorine content, and others. The biomass energy potential calculated for different regions of Latvia (the data of 2007) is discussed. On the map of Latvia the amount and energy potential of agricultural straw and other biomass for different regions are shown. Some recommendations elaborated how to improve biomass utilization for heat and electricity production.

Dependence of the Al Distribution in CHA Zeolite on the Presence of Na+ during the Synthesis. An EPR Investigation of Cu Species in CuCHA

AbstractCopper‐exchanged zeolites, such as CuCHA are active catalysts for removing NO and NO2 from automotive exhaust. The zeolite synthesis is decisive for the aluminium distribution in the framework and the properties of the catalyst. We have applied in‐situ EPR spectroscopy on CuCHA based on CHA synthesized in four different ways. We found that different mineralizing agents led to differences in the Cu distribution in the final product. Several distinct Cu sites were present after thermal activation according to the EPR spectra and we found that the presence of Na+ during the synthesis boosted the forming of “paired” Al close to Cu, but at the same time limited the ion‐exchange capacity and the redox activity. Two types of well‐defined EPR spectra were found, Site A and Site B. Site B was redox active and catalytically active for all investigated materials whereas the properties of Site A depended on the CHA material and consisted of two subtypes distinguished by their reactivity towards NO and NH3. Studies with isotope labeled NH3 showed that the system was highly dynamic. In‐situ EPR was proved to be an excellent spectroscopic technique to investigate the Cu distribution directly and investigate the Al distribution indirectly for CuCHA zeolites.

Declining but Pronounced State-Level Disparities in Prescription Opioid Distribution in the United States.

The United States (US) opioid epidemic is a persistent and pervasive public health emergency that claims the lives of over 80,000 Americans per year as of 2021. There have been sustained efforts to reverse this crisis over the past decade, including a number of measures designed to decrease the use of prescription opioids for the treatment of pain. This study analyzed the changes in federal production quotas for prescription opioids and the distribution of prescription opioids for pain and identified state-level differences between 2010 and 2019. Data (in grams) on opioid production quotas and distribution (from manufacturer to hospitals, retail pharmacies, practitioners, and teaching institutions) of 10 prescription opioids (codeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, meperidine, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and tapentadol) for 2010 to 2019 were obtained from the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Amounts of each opioid were converted from grams to morphine milligram equivalent (MME), and the per capita distribution by state was calculated using population estimates. Total opioid production quotas increased substantially from 2010 to 2013 before decreasing by 41.5% from 2013 (87.6 MME metric tons) to 2019 (51.3). The peak year for distribution of all 10 prescription opioids was between 2010 and 2013, except for codeine (2015). The largest quantities of opioid distribution were observed in Tennessee (520.70 MME per person) and Delaware (251.45) in 2011 and 2019. There was a 52.0% overall decrease in opioid distribution per capita from 2010 to 2019, with the largest decrease in Florida (-61.6%) and the smallest in Texas (-18.6%). Southern states had the highest per capita distribution for eight of the ten opioids in 2019. The highest to lowest state ratio of total opioid distribution, corrected for population, decreased from 5.25 in 2011 to 2.78 in 2019. The mean 95th/5th ratio was relatively consistent in 2011 (4.78 ± 0.70) relative to 2019 (5.64 ± 0.98). This study found a sustained decline in the distribution of ten prescription opioids during the last five years. Distribution was non-homogeneous at the state level. Analysis of state-level differences revealed a fivefold difference in the 95th:5th percentile ratio between states, which has remained unchanged over the past decade. Production quotas did not correspond with the distribution, particularly in the 2010-2016 period. Future research, focused on identifying factors contributing to the observed regional variability in opioid distribution, could prove valuable to understanding and potentially remediating the pronounced disparities in prescription opioid-related harms in the US.

Thermal behavior and production distributions of organosolv-phase oxidization pretreatment of biomass coupled with fast pyrolysis

Organosolv-phase oxidization pretreatment of corncob (OOPC) at ambient pressure and temperature coupled with fast pyrolysis was first performed. The effects of organosolv/water phase with/without oxidation, Fe2+ contents, H2O2 concentrations, pyrolytic behavior, and kinetic analysis on the distributions of pyrolytic products were investigated. The yields of higher oxygen-containing components such as anhydrosugars were obtained from fast pyrolysis of OOPC in comparison with raw, organosolv-phase, and water-phase oxidization pretreated corncobs. With the increase Fe2+ contents and H2O2 concentrations during organosolv-phase oxidization pretreatment, the O/C ratios (0.35–0.51), levoglucosan yield (2.2–160.2 mg/g), and relative content of anhydrosugars (5.5–72.9 %) were remarkably improved whereas the yield of pyrolytic chars (21.4–13.4 %) and average E values (65.5–50.4 kJ/mol) significantly decreased compared to raw sample. The pyrolysis products of OOPC were remarkably transformed from low-molecular compounds of raw sample to high-molecular compounds. The higher Fe2+ contents and H2O2 concentrations were conductive to the elimination of biomass resistant and the formation of oxygen-rich fractions mainly consisting of considerable amounts of C–O, O–CO, and –OH bonds due to the effective removal of carbon-rich fractions (C–C bonds), which were responsible for the increase in anhydrosugars.

Perspektif Ekonomi Islam Terhadap Pendistribusian Zakat Di Baznas Karangasem Bali

Zakat distribution is the distribution, distribution, delivery of goods or services to many people or several places. The distribution of zakat has clear and directed targets and objectives according to the basis stated in the Al-Qur'an which is applied to the form of zakat distribution. The method used in this research is a descriptive method using a qualitative approach which aims to describe zakat institutions in a comprehensive and comprehensive manner through observation, interviews and documentation. The results of this research explain that the forms of distribution of zakat funds carried out by zakat institutions to improve community welfare are consumptive distribution and productive distribution so that they are able to improve people's living standards. The targets of zakat distribution carried out by BAZNAS Karangasem Bali are eight asnaf, namely the needy, poor, amil, converts, riqab, gharimin, fisabilillah, and ibn sabil. The steps for distributing zakat carried out by BAZNAS Karangasem Bali are planning, implementation and supervision. So, with distribution in the form of empowerment and the right targets and good stages at BAZNAS Karangasem Bali, it has succeeded in improving the welfare of the community.

Iron powder in-situ catalytic pyrolysis on coated wooden board: Kinetic, products, and recovery

Catalytic pyrolysis is a promising method for the resource utilization of wooden waste, and in-situ catalysis enhances the process and reduces treatment costs. The selection of catalysts is crucial, as their catalytic effect and service life directly impact treatment effectiveness and economic benefits. In this study, iron powder was utilized to examine its potential in in-situ catalytic pyrolysis of coated wooden boards. The results showed that some of the iron powder could compete for oxygen from lignin/ hemicellulose during the early pyrolysis stage, resulting in the formation of FeO and a decrease in CO2. The formed FeO then promoted cellulose decomposition, reducing the pyrolysis activation energy by 26% ∼ 48%. Despite the addition of iron powder, no obvious impact was observed on the distribution of product yields. However, there are differences in the specific composition: the gas products showed a decrease of CO2 by 26% and CH4 by 13%, while the bio-oil showed an increase of phenol by 8%. This revealed that the iron powder primarily changed the energy barrier of the pyrolysis reaction. There was magnetic separation followed by particle size screening for the recovery of solid products. After separation, the recovery rate of iron powder was determined to be only 65.39%. Two kinds of char particles appeared in the separated products: magnetic (M3) and non-magnetic (NM). Approximately 44.45% of total Fe (from Fe powder and coating materials) contents and 73.62% of total Ti (main metal in the primary coating) were found in M3, while only 1.32% and 10.90% in NM, respectively. Interestingly, the distribution of elements Zn, Ba, and Mg was found to be opposite to that of Fe, which mainly distributed in NM and M2. It might be attributed to the primary coating on the M3 surface, which likely to help facilitated the adsorption of iron particles according to the combination of SEM/EDS and ICP-MS results. The adsorption competition effect of Fe and other metals resulted in significant differences in the distribution of metals on several char particles.

New computational results for integrated production and outbound distribution scheduling problems for a product with a short lifespan

In this paper, we consider an integrated production and outbound distribution scheduling problem with a single production site, and its extension to multiple plants. A set of orders must be satisfied such that the required pieces from a single product must be first processed on a single machine in a plant, then must be delivered to the customers before their lifespan expire using a single vehicle. The goal is to minimize the makespan of the solution, which is the return time of the vehicle after its last trip. We propose an elementary variable neighborhood search to solve the problem, using two new local search operators. Our computational results show that this simple procedure outperforms the existing, sometimes complex approaches on the widely used benchmark dataset. We also review the existing computational results, and demonstrate that in some cases the comparisons in the literature are invalid due to the use of different rounding of the data. By re-evaluating the accessible solutions we provide a fair comparison for each rounding method. We also consider the extension of the problem to multiple plants, and adapt our solution approach for this extension. Our experiments show that our method is competitive in terms of solution quality with the existing solution approach for the problem.

Catalytic gasification of municipal solid waste using eggshell-derived CaO catalyst: An investigation of optimum H2 production, production distribution, and tar compounds

This study reports the optimum hydrogen (H2) production from municipal solid waste (MSW) via waste eggshell derived-CaO catalyst through gasification technology. The response surface model was applied to design the experiments and the data validation. Results showed that CaO catalyst had a better performance that enhanced 15 mol% more H2 production than non-catalytic gasification by mainly involving reaction temperature and catalyst loading as the critical parameters. Tar content was efficiently declined from 11.34 wt. % to 4.7 , wt. %, which ultimately elevated the H2 and syngas from 33.95 mol% to 51.27 mol% and 74.05 to 83.4674.05–83.46 wt. %, respectively. The model showed a strong interaction among the statistical parameters verified through the regression values; R2 = 0.990, P-value = 0.000005, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller techniques investigated the catalyst's structure hence; presented comparable results. From tar analysis, the aromatics were found as the dominant family followed by polycyclic aromatic, phenyls, aliphatic, aromatic heterocyclic, polycyclic, and aromatic ketones. Optimum H2 production of 51.27 mol% (with H2/CO ratio 2.82, LHV 9.47 MJ/Nm3, and H2 yield 22.74 mol kg-MSW−1) was produced which can be a better alternative to depleting fossil fuels and utilized for liquid fuel manufacturing and power generation.

Comparative Study of the Rosin-Rammler and Gates-Gaudin-Schuhmann Particle Size Distribution Models for Microwave-Assisted Crushing Analysis

Microwaves selectively heat dielectric minerals within the ore particles during a relatively brief exposure period, inducing thermal stresses that generate cracks, thereby diminishing the structural integrity of the ore particles. The immediate effect of employing this technique is an alteration in the particle size distribution (PSD) of the comminution product. In this research, two types of diamond-bearing kimberlite ore underwent microwave irradiation before the crushing process. The microwave experimentation was carried out utilizing a multi-variable power system with a maximum capacity of 15 kW, within a single-mode cavity structure. The exposure time was adjustable to vary the input microwave energy, which ranged from 6 kJ to 270 kJ. Three distinct narrow feed size classes were examined: -31.5 +16 mm, -16 +6.7 mm, and -31.5 +6.7 mm. Each sample weighed five hundred grams. Both the microwave-treated samples and the untreated samples (as-received) were subjected to crushing using a single-roll crusher. The PSD of the crushed product was determined through a standard sieving test and subsequently analyzed using empirical PSD models. These models are advantageous for enhancing the accuracy of PSD analysis by linearizing datasets that often exhibit skewness towards the distribution's tail end. Two widely recognized empirical PSD models, the Rosin-Rammler (RR) and Gates-Gaudin-Schuhmann (GGS) models, were employed to assess how microwave pre-treatment influences the PSD of the crushed product. Various comparative parameters derived from these models, such as the P50, distribution uniformity (DP), and critical fine sizes, were evaluated for both untreated crushed samples and the samples treated with microwaves. The findings indicated that crushed products treated with microwaves generally displayed improved alignment with both PSD models in comparison to the untreated samples. Notably, the GGS model exhibited marginally higher overall r-squared values compared to the RR model. Moreover, the microwave-treated samples showcased a slightly coarser and more uniform PSD when contrasted with the untreated counterparts. Among the various microwave energy inputs tested, the lowest input at the highest power level yielded the most substantial increments in P50 and DP. Simultaneously, it led to the most significant reduction in fractions corresponding to critical fine sizes.

Hybrid Tabu-Grey wolf optimizer algorithm for enhancing fresh cold-chain logistics distribution.

The increasing public demand for fresh products has catalyzed the requirement for cold chain logistics distribution systems. However, challenges such as temperature control and delivery delays have led a significant product loss and increased costs. To improve the current situation, a novel approach to optimize cold chain logistics distribution for fresh products will be presented in the paper, utilizing a hybrid Tabu-Grey wolf optimizer (TGWO) algorithm. The proposed hybrid approach combines Tabu search (TS) and Grey wolf optimizer (GWO), employing TS for exploration and GWO for exploitation, aiming to minimize distribution costs in total and establish efficient vehicle scheduling schemes considering various constraints. The effectiveness of the TGWO algorithm is demonstrated through experiments and case studies compared to other heuristic algorithms. Comparative analysis against traditional optimization methods, including Particle swarm optimization (PSO), Whale optimization algorithm (WOA), and original GWO, highlights its superior efficiency and solution quality. This study contributes theories by demonstrating the efficacy of hybrid optimization techniques in complex supply chain networks and dynamic market environments. The practical implication lies in the implementation of TGWO to bolster distribution efficiency, cost reduction, and product quality maintenance throughout the logistics process, offering valuable insights for operational and strategic improvements by decision-makers. However, the study has limitations in generalizability and assumptions, suggesting future research areas including exploring new search operators, applying additional parameters, and using the algorithm in diverse real-life scenarios to improve its effectiveness and applicability.

Influence of gadolinium content on magnetic property and oxidation mechanism of Fe-B-Nb-Gd metallic glass

In this work, we use the rapid solidification technique to prepare five kinds of metallic glasses with different Gd content, and investigate in depth the influences of Gd content on the amorphous formation capability, thermal stability, and magnetic properties of (Fe<sub>73</sub>B<sub>22</sub>Nb<sub>5</sub>)<sub>100–<i>x</i></sub>Gd<sub><i>x</i></sub> (<i>x</i> = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) alloys. By comparing the microstructural morphology and solute distribution of oxidation products before adding Gd and those after adding Gd, the amorphous oxidation mechanism is analyzed systematically. With the addition of Gd, the atomic size difference of the alloys exceeds 13%, and the configuration entropy increases from 7.27 kJ/(mol·K) to 9.44 kJ/(mol·K). The glass-forming ability of the alloy is significantly improved. The increase of Gd content can increase the glass transition temperature of the alloy to 864 K, and the undercooled liquid region can reach 73 K, significantly enhancing the thermal stability of the metallic glasses. The Gd limits the local anisotropy of the alloy and reduces the density of quasi-dislocation dipole defects. This can effectively reduce the pinning sites that hinder the rotation of magnetic domain walls, thereby improving the soft magnetic property. By comparing with the metallic glasses without Gd, only 2% (atomic percentage) Gd can reduce the coercivity by 8%. Moreover, the Gd makes the metallic glasses more sensitive to temperature variation in the oxidation process, and the temperature of the maximum oxidation rate is reduced by 15 K. However, their antioxidant performance does not deteriorate. The Gd atoms are influenced by binding energy and migrate to the surface, forming Gd-rich oxides. They fill surface defects and occupy a large part of the top space, leading to the structure becoming more compact near the surface. This structure reduces the channels for oxygen atoms to diffuse through the microstructure interface, which helps to improve antioxidant capability. This work provides a new approach for designing high performance Fe-based metallic glasses.

Развитие как ключевое оценочное понятие трансформации пространственных систем

This article examines the spatial socioeconomic development problems that have emerged prominently in Russia in recent years. A special focus is the notion of ‘razvitie’ (development) gaining mainstream traction in the vocabulary of Russian politicians, researchers and media professionals. Authoritative scholarly opinions are cited, describing development as a process of changes in objects and phenomena without implying a positive connotation. Using the example of external regulation of anthropogenic spatial systems, it is shown that development should enhance the stability of the systems’ functioning, considering their equifinality and potential for self-organisation (self-development). A genetic connection is established between the concept of ‘spatial development’ and the global advances in economic geography. Attention is paid to the features of spatial and regional development as strategic planning objects. The article also examines the feasibility of accurately assessing the outcomes of a spatial development strategy by quantifying the achievement of its goals and targets. It is emphasised that results highlighting regional disparities and settlement patterns should be compared within groups of similar regions and macro-regions, such as northern, central and southern provinces of European Russia, Siberian territories, the Far East, the Arctic Zone and the republics of the North Caucasus. For demographic processes, comparisons should be based on specific population groups: children, youth, the working-age population, pensioners and migrants. Specific changes in productive forces distribution that align with target indicators should be verified by population assessments based on annual surveys.

Pricing Strategies of Organic Products in Surkhet Valley, Nepal

This study explores the pricing strategies of organic products in Surkhet Valley, Nepal. It seeks to examine how several factors, including production costs, market demand, competitor prices, distribution costs, and overall economic conditions, interact with one another. The study uses a quantitative methodology and includes 150 participants from the Surkhet Valley of Nepal, including farmers and organic products vendors. The study uses statistical tools to analyze the data gathered, concentrating on Smart PLS-4. The study finds that there is a strong relationship between important variables such as market demand, competitor prices, distribution costs, economic conditions, production costs and the price of organic products. The results highlight how important it is for companies to keep an eye on rival pricing strategies, minimize distribution expenses, and modify price strategies in reaction to shifting market dynamics. For businesses in Surkhet Valley, Nepal, to thrive sustainably, they must improve their comprehension of the factors that affect the price of organic products. The report emphasizes how crucial it is to keep production costs under control and match pricing policies to the demands of the market. It also emphasizes how important it is to monitor rival pricing, streamline distribution procedures, and maintain flexibility when modifying price tactics. Restrictions include the sample size and the exclusive focus on Surkhet Valley, which make it dangerous to extrapolate the findings to other settings. Still, the study provides a valuable starting point for businesses looking to expand sustainably in the organic product space.

IT’S THE SAME OLD STORY

These paintings are part of a series that are a pastiche of the Americas tradition of Retablos. The conventional Retablos featured narratives of Christian Gods and Saints in a miraculous realm. They were painted on inexpensive sheets of tin, which allowed for a higher rate of production and wider distribution of as a product. The small paintings were sacred objects whose uses ranged from converting indigenous people to Christianity to being treasured devotional objects for the faithful. In these small 8 inches square (20.32 x 20.32cm) paintings I have expanded the scope of the narrative to move beyond the confines of a deity/saint trope to embrace a wider cast of characters capable of speaking to the miraculous as well as the mundane. They reference ideas of creation myths, evolution, mortality, sex, birth, death, gender, fairy tales, and a variety of binary constructs, all existing in a phallic world. In this series, you can easily find a floating teddy bear as a stand-in for the Archangel Gabriel bringing the annunciation news to Mary who might be sitting next to the Frog Prince waiting to be redeemed by a princess. In fact, those two stories might share the same content about consent and surprise endings. I see these paintings as a collaboration between me and the viewer, where I provide narrative opportunities while the viewer can construct a story.

An integrated Optimization Model of Product Mix, Assortment Packing, and Distribution in A Fashion Footwear Company

Recognizing the paramount importance of operational effectiveness and resource management in supply chain management (SCM) of the fashion industry, this study addresses a specific challenge faced by a prominent Indonesian fashion footwear company. The inefficiency is due to repetitive sorting and packaging processes during product distribution, which significantly impact optimal production mixes and product distribution from the distribution center to the point of sale. A crucial aspect is also the optimization of the delivery route. To address these challenges and minimize the total cost of ownership, the study proposes an integrated optimization model. This model simultaneously determines the optimal production quantity, assortment packaging, and distribution channels, taking into account decision variables related to distribution in configuration boxes, overload and underload products, as well as production numbers that respond to store-specific demand fluctuations. A notable contribution of this research is the integration of product mix decisions into the assortment packaging and distribution model, which represents a novel approach. The optimal solution determined using the LINGO 18.0 software highlights the significant influence of product penalty costs and product demand parameters on the objective function, while shipping costs have no noticeable influence. By emphasizing the integration of product mix decisions into the optimization framework, this research contributes significantly to improving the understanding and practical application of efficient supply chain management in the fashion industry.

Spatiotemporal high-resolution mapping of biological production in the Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean is considered to play an important role in the global biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nutrients. It is still unclear how biological production there impacts climate change owing to the remarkable gap between the current and the ideal state of research. Here, we proposed a new concept of combining Neural Network based parameterization of dissolved inorganic carbon with Biogeochemical Argo floats, showing simultaneously spatiotemporal distributions of net community production and resupply of carbon from the deep ocean based on the dissolved inorganic carbon change. It indicated a total net community production of 4.1 ± 0.3 Pg-C year−1 over the Southern Ocean, which accounts for 45% of global annual oceanic carbon export and is 20% higher than the previous estimates. Furthermore, net community production in the Southern Ocean has decreased by 0.8% year−1 since the 2010s, indicating that it may be contributing as positive feedback to global warming.

PRODUCTIVE ZAKAT DISTRIBUTION OF BUILDING VILLAGE MODEL TO INCREASE MUSTAHIQ INCOME

This study outlines the productive zakat distribution model, with the assisted village model developed by the National Amil Zakat Agency of Karanganyar Regency, which is expected to be able to convert mustahiq into munfiq or even muzaki more effectively and efficiently. BAZNAS or other zakat institutions have never done this model, so it is essential to examine its effectiveness, if it has a positive impact then this model needs to be developed by other institutions/agencies engaged in similar fields. This research is included in the type of field research with qualitative descriptive methods. The primary data in this study was obtained from the Head of Distribution and Utilization of BAZNAS Karanganyar, his Volunteer team, and Mustahik. Secondary data in this study was sourced from the 2020-2021 Karanganyar Regency BAZNAS Accountability Report and other relevant documents. Data collection techniques in this study are interview, observation and documentation techniques. The results showed that the distribution of productive zakat with the assisted village model was very effective, as evidenced by increasing income, developing mustahik businesses and being able to create jobs while increasing production and sales.

Hybrid treatment verification based on prompt gamma rays and fast neutrons: multivariate modelling for proton range determination

Robust and fast in vivo treatment verification is expected to increase the clinical efficacy of proton therapy. The combined detection of prompt gamma rays and neutrons has recently been proposed for this purpose and shown to increase the monitoring accuracy. However, the potential of this technique is not fully exploited yet since the proton range reconstruction relies only on a simple landmark of the particle production distributions. Here, we apply machine learning based feature selection and multivariate modelling to improve the range reconstruction accuracy of the system in an exemplary lung cancer case in silico. We show that the mean reconstruction error of this technique is reduced by 30%–50% to a root mean squared error per spot of 0.4, 1.0, and 1.9 mm for pencil beam scanning spot intensities of 108, 107, and 106 initial protons, respectively. The best model performance is reached when combining distribution features of both gamma rays and neutrons. This confirms the advantage of hybrid gamma/neutron imaging over a single-particle approach in the presented setup and increases the potential of this system to be applied clinically for proton therapy treatment verification.

Poverty alleviation schemes for high escaping poverty probability: Contract-only, compensation, and capacity-building

In this paper, we examine the minimum procurement price and government subsidies for the successful implementation of three Poverty Alleviation Schemes (PASs): Contract-Only Scheme (CO), Contract with Compensation Scheme (CS), and Capacity-building with Training (CT). We consider an agricultural supply chain with a pro-poor enterprise and a group of impoverished farmers who grow, harvest, and sell the product to the pro-poor enterprise, and the government decides to subsidize the pro-poor enterprise for poverty alleviation. The price of the agricultural product and the harvest output are uncertain and negatively correlated. We consider a new type of poverty alleviation objective: the poor farmer escapes poverty if their profit exceeds the poverty line (PEP) and establishes a higher probability of escaping poverty (EPP). We use real coffee and tea prices to capture the skewness of the distribution of product prices in a numerical analysis. We find that (i) the impoverished farmers would benefit from PASs, but the pro-poor enterprise would incur risks because both parties share the uncertainty of harvest output in PASs; (ii) the local government should provide subsidies to the pro-poor enterprise to implement PASs better; (iii) CT and CS have a lower bound for the procurement price as well as local government compensation; and (iv) if the product price exhibits a left-skewed distribution, then the EPP becomes crucial, and a higher procurement price is required to increase the EPP.

Agroforestry Distribution and Contributions in Ancient Hawaiian Agriculture

AbstractAgriculture is one of the most fundamental ways in which human societies interact with the environment. The form and function of agriculture have important socio-political implications in terms of yields, labor requirements, variability and resilience, and elite control. Hawai‘i has been used as a model system for the discussion of coupled human and natural systems, and how the uneven distribution of agricultural opportunities has manifested in the political ecology. However, consideration of agriculture has emphasized forms with physical infrastructure documented through archaeology and have not included arboricultural forms that were extensive among Pacific Islands. We leverage existing, independent data sets to build and validate spatial models of two intensities of arboriculture across the Hawaiian archipelago: Agroforestry and Novel Forest. Model validation demonstrates good accuracy that includes both expected and unexpected sources of errors. Results of the models demonstrate that arboricultural techniques accounted for ~70% of the agricultural potential by area and ~40% of the agricultural potential by yield. Unlike existing agricultural forms modeled, such as flooded wetland terrace cultivation and rainfed field production, which have strong distributional patterns based on the age of the islands, arboricultural potential is well distributed across all the islands. The extent, distribution, and characteristics of arboricultural methods provide important augmentation of the current narrative of production dynamics and distribution, and the political ecology, of pre-contact Hawai‘i.