Global Agenda Research Articles

Decision-making for circular economy implementation in agri-food systems: A transdisciplinary case study of cacao in Colombia

Sustainable food security represents a significant challenge in advancing the global agenda expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals, including feeding the growing world population while transitioning toward a circular economy. A growing body of literature is focused on developing concepts and documenting circular economic opportunities in agricultural food systems. However, the methodologies for implementing circular economy models at the farm level remain mostly theoretical. This study proposes a transdisciplinary based approach for evaluating circular economy alternatives in agri-food systems while enhancing farmers’ decision-making skills. The transdisciplinary based research methodology combines methods for simulating critical resource and production flows with multi-criteria decision-making, including training and obtaining feedback from farmers. We test the methodology on a cacao agri-food system in Meta (Colombia). Biomass waste and cost-benefit data allow evaluation for decision-making of four circular economy scenarios: composting, vermicomposting, drip irrigation, and valorization of cacao husks. Research outcomes recommend vermicomposting as a viable circular economy innovation for cacao farms to reduce biomass waste and improve economic income at farm level. Other outcomes include capacity building of farmers on circular economy –including resource flow analysis and cost-benefit calculation. Effective decision-making on circular economy adoption at farm level is evidenced by vermicomposting technology implementation. Policy recommendations call for transdisciplinary based approaches for promoting and scaling the transition towards a circular economy in agri-food systems at a farm scale involving farmers participation in operations research (analytics) modelling and interpretation. In addition, policy advise for circular economy technical assistance and finance, includes vermicomposting as a technology for scaling transition of agri-food systems such as cacao and comparable long-term crops.

A GLOBAL AGETECH AGENDA

Abstract AgeTech is increasingly seen as a way to support and enhance the health and independence of older people. However, AgeTech research and innovation agendas overwhelmingly focus on the needs of older people in developed countries and have so far failed to recognise that population aging is a global-level trend that intersects with other “megatrends”, such as climate change, urbanisation and international migration. Drawing on an environmental scan of the current and emerging AgeTech sector, this paper argues that technology research, development and innovation needs a global agenda that engages with initiatives such as the UN’s Strategic Development Goals and Decade for Healthy Ageing. It is also important to situate AgeTech in the wider debate on global disparities. The ongoing impact of colonial legacy (afterlife colonization) continues to reduce life chances, leads to poor health, and is present in everyday relationships between people and institutions at global and local levels. This is particularly apparent in the unequal impact of climate change on people and places, but as yet, the discussion of these issues is notably absent in the narratives surrounding AgeTech. This misses significant opportunities for global reciprocity in health, co-development of useful and appropriate technologies, and more sustainable approaches to innovation (e.g opportunities for frugal innovation), The paper highlights the potential role of older people as active participants in technological change, for example for mitigating climate change and its unequal impact on the Global South

О методических подходах к определению углеродного следа

At the moment, the problem of climate change associated with greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere is one of the most urgent in society. The article notes that over the past decades, in order to address issues related to the global climate agenda, economic liability mechanisms for emitters of greenhouse gases have been developed and improved. One of the innovations is the adoption by the European Parliament in 2021 of a mechanism for cross-border regulation through the introduction of an additional fee on goods that emit a large amount of GHG during the production process. At the international and national levels, a number of agreements and legislative acts have been adopted aimed at reducing emissions of climate-active gases and a number of organizations have been created dealing with issues in the field of carbon regulation. The paper presents a retrospective of the main documents aimed at regulating GHG emissions adopted in the Russian Federation. The authors have considered the fundamentals of methodological support of carbon regulation. It is shown that in order to determine the value of the full carbon footprint of economic and other activities, it is necessary to take into account the emission of greenhouse gases at all stages of the life cycle of products and services. The article talks about the existence of methods or software products, in addition to official ones, that allow calculating the carbon footprint of each person. It is noted that at the national level, the scope of mandatory accounting does not include GHG emissions associated with the company’s activities, but generated outside the territory of the reporting organization, which does not allow to estimate the actual value of the carbon load.

Egypt's Approach and Initiatives Towards Greener Future: Policy Paper

Climate change as a matter had little attention of public debate, especially in developing countries, until the recent floods caused by the dragon storms in the Middle East and the forest fires in the Mediterranean. Egypt, being strategically crucial in Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Arab world, with strong connections to other countries, aimed to go from promises to action and to discover real answers to climate change by building on past COPs. The administration assumed a more prominent role by coordinating the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27). People started to realize that this is not something only happening elsewhere in the world. Egypt took the initiative; Challenges have been assessed to reach suitable mitigation approaches, and Egypt's first NDC has been issued to meet the global agenda. Egypt's vision was to accelerate global climate action at the UNFCCC 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27) through emissions reduction, advanced adaptation, and enhanced flow of appropriate finance, prioritizing developing countries worldwide.

Provisions for Deprived Groups (SEDGs) in NEP 2020

Major policy initiatives related to formal education in India includes National Policy on Education 1986, which was modified in 1992 and New Education Policy (NEP) 2020. All of these policies stressed on importance of education in mother tongue and need for preparing teaching/learning materials in local languages. Various 5 year plans also recognized need for empowerment of socio economically underprivileged groups through educational development. 11th 5-year plan (2007 2012) included one prime goal that up to 2007 every child should attain school. While this period, ‘The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009’ laid down legal underpinnings for achieving universal elementary education. NEP 2020 also laid stress for education in native language, vocational education, compulsory school education and holistic multidisciplinary education. The global education development agenda reflected in the Goal 4 (SDG4) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by India in 2015 seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030.

Russian-Indian trade relations in the period of global economic transformation

Development of bilateral trade relations between countries in the period of deglobalization of world economy is a priority issue of the foreign economic policy of the state, aimed at ensuring its economic security. Particular attention should be paid to the study of trade and economic interrelations of the main actors of world economy, which are representatives of the new gravitational centers of economic activity. The interaction of such states, as a rule, is characterized by macro-regional effects that tend to reach the level of the global agenda. Undoubtedly, Russia’s foreign trade with India belongs to the above type of bilateral cooperation. The study shows the transformation of the countries’ economies over the past 10 years, characterized by the consistency of India’s economic growth and the turbulence of Russia’s economic policy, based on the need to adapt the economy as a result of systemic external pressure. The relationship of this retrospective with the cardinal trade changes in 2022 as a result of the geopolitical and energy crisis is determined. The author concludes that past events is an attempt to break the theoretical paradigm of trade and economic relations between countries that has existed in recent decades.

Refugee and Migrant Integration in Urban Spatial Structures and City Development: Case Study of Busan, South Korea

With the increasing protracted displacements and overall worldwide migration in recent decades, local integration has been considered a durable solution. Accordingly, global agendas have recommended the inclusion of migrant populations, especially within urban frameworks, as cities have always been deemed as migrant hubs. This study examines the influence of migrant spatial integration in city development and municipal policy against the historic backdrop of Busan. From liberation (1945) to post-war industrialization (1960s–1980s), Busan experienced population surges with the inflow of refugees and migrants that historically changed government policies and urban development plans. Based on archival research, secondary data, and GIS mapping, this study explores the influence of migrant populations on the city demographics, physical development, and housing initiatives during different periods. The findings of this study highlight the “local turn” in migrant spatial integration and the production of new urban geographies that portray “humanitarian” and “migrant” urbanism, thereby offering insights into sustainable urban futures for migrant and displaced populations.

Addressing the overlooked: Integrating oral healthcare in a geriatric care system: Insights from Singapore.

Oral health of the older population has long been overlooked in global healthcare agenda. Limited access to oral healthcare for dependent older adults results in poor oral health, negatively impacting their quality of life, nutrition and overall well-being. Especially for nations experiencing rapid ageing population, efforts must be urgently made to integrate oral healthcare services into the current healthcare system and policy. Singapore stands out as one of the most rapidly ageing nations in Southeast Asia, achieving remarkable progress in the healthcare field, as well as advancements in social modernization and economic growth. It now faces the growing burden of the dependent older population and is required to respond to the complex challenges associated with providing holistic eldercare services and ensuring the well-being of its ageing population. This narrative review offers an overview of Singapore's current healthcare policy and system development for the older population, with a specific focus on oral healthcare. The goal is to shed light on this underexplored area, highlighting the challenges that need to be tackled to improve the accessibility of oral health services for dependent older adults.

Stakeholder Analysis as a strategic tool in framing collaborative governance arenas for marine litter monitoring

Monitoring and assessment of marine litter requires multi-stakeholder involvement at national and subnational levels. Collaborative governance approaches are important, but often fail without adequate effort towards identifying and engaging stakeholders with appropriate profiles for the issue at stake. Stakeholder Analysis (SA) is increasingly used to ensure efficient governance arrangements. Our hypothesis is that SA contributes to collaborative governance processes for marine litter policies. We explored a pioneer participatory process in Brazil, where SA was applied to identify, categorize, and prioritize stakeholders, and analyze their power and interest, for the Strategic Plan for Monitoring and Assessing Marine Litter in the state of São Paulo. A top-down/bottom-up approach revealed that snowball sampling complemented the stakeholder assemblage identified by the consultation of experts. Prioritization of data-related stakeholders streamlined the participatory process. The interest-power matrix evaluated stakeholders' influences, guiding specific engagement strategies. We highlight the significance of SA in collaborative governance and mobilizing key stakeholders for effective marine litter monitoring initiatives, contributing to the global agenda to combat marine pollution.

Geografia da conservação: abordagens, limites e potencialidades

Biodiversity loss has been a major issue on the Global Agenda since at least the 1990s. Several scientific fields are in charge of addressing this issue, especially Conservation Biology, Landscape Ecology, and even Geography. Although the scientific and epistemological advances of the first two fields are notorious, the current causes of biodiversity loss have multiple facets, which include territorial, social, and political dimensions. To aid in the thought process of the issue, the present study used documentary research as a method, reviewing specialized literature in journals, theses, and dissertations to cover the main concepts involved in conservation studies and the contribution of related sciences. The literature review also included the perspective of Geography in conservation studies and the emergence of new perspectives, such as Conservation Geography. The main results include the initial intention of Conservation Biology to produce studies with a multidisciplinary focus, observing, however, a predominance of studies of Population Biology and Minimum Areas of Diversity. As a proposal to overcome conservation of the exclusionary type, derived from biological studies, Conservation Geography intends to coordinate the concepts of territory, landscape, and biophysical dynamics to the concept of ecosystems, producing a reading that is closer to the actors that produce the space, as well as the disputes that modify and create the territories, which are the main causes to explain the loss of biodiversity and that, in turn, would allow the production of consistent conservation designs.

Investigating the Socio-Economic Sustainability within the Egyptian Museums over the Last Decade

Over the last few decades, contemporary museums have undergone a radical change: they have become public places that promote socio-economic sustainability through recreation, commercial, and cultural activities. This shift has altered public perception of museums globally and had a profound impact on today’s museums, resulting in new prototypes that differ significantly from prior ones. This study tries to answer the following questions: How far have Egyptian museums evolved over the last decade? what degree can the radical transformation in museum design assist in fulfilling Egypt’s SDGs? To answer these questions, this study attempts to explore how far Egyptian museums have adapted to this fundamental change, by tracing the evolution of Egyptian museum design compared with the findings of the author’s previous thesis in 2012 and Egypt’s SDGs. This study used qualitative methods, which began with a thorough literature review, followed by a comparative analysis of the selected case studies. The findings revealed that the contemporary design of recent Egyptian museums, by including social and economic activities, significantly supports the national and global agenda in terms of SDG. This article provides architects, designers, and policy makers with clear design criteria to enhance the social and economic role of museums, towards fulfilling SDGs.

Groundwater is a hidden global keystone ecosystem.

Groundwater is a vital ecosystem of the global water cycle, hosting unique biodiversity and providing essential services to societies. Despite being the largest unfrozen freshwater resource, in a period of depletion by extraction and pollution, groundwater environments have been repeatedly overlooked in global biodiversity conservation agendas. Disregarding the importance of groundwater as an ecosystem ignores its critical role in preserving surface biomes. To foster timely global conservation of groundwater, we propose elevating the concept of keystone species into the realm of ecosystems, claiming groundwater as a keystone ecosystem that influences the integrity of many dependent ecosystems. Our global analysis shows that over half of land surface areas (52.6%) has a medium-to-high interaction with groundwater, reaching up to 74.9% when deserts and high mountains are excluded. We postulate that the intrinsic transboundary features of groundwater are critical for shifting perspectives towards more holistic approaches in aquatic ecology and beyond. Furthermore, we propose eight key themes to develop a science-policy integrated groundwater conservation agenda. Given ecosystems above and below the ground intersect at many levels, considering groundwater as an essential component of planetary health is pivotal to reduce biodiversity loss and buffer against climate change.

A simulation and risk assessment framework for water-energy-environment nexus: A case study in the city cluster along the middle reach of the Yangtze River, China

In the Anthropocene, there is a strong interlinkage among water, energy, and the environment. The water-energy-environment nexus (WEEN) has been vigorously advocated as an emerging development paradigm and a global research agenda. Based on the nexus concept, a framework for the WEEN complex system simulation and risk assessment is developed. The three metropolitan areas of the city cluster along the middle reaches of the Yangtze River (CCMRYR) are taken as the objects. Regional policies are combined with generic shared socio-economic pathways (SSPs) to form a localized SSPs suitable for the research region. The dynamic simulation of the WEEN complex system and the risk analysis are carried out with the combination of system dynamics models and copula functions. Results show that: There are obvious differences in water utilization, energy consumption, air pollutant emissions, and water pollutant emissions among the three metropolitan areas. The issue of high carbon intensity in the Wuhan Metropolitan Coordinating Region needs to be emphasized and solved from the perspective of optimizing the industrial structure. Adhering to current development patterns, there will be successive peaks in water utilization, energy consumption, and carbon emissions in Wuhan, Dongting Lake, and Poyang Lake Metropolitan Coordinating Region by 2030, leading to high synergy risks at the systemic level, with maximum values of 0.84, 0.85, 0.62, respectively. A development path based on conservation priorities indicates that future policymaking needs to prioritize a resource-saving and pollution-control development pattern directed by technological upgrading against the backdrop of scarce natural resource endowments. The localized SSPs are a beneficial extension that enriches the narrative of regional-scale SSPs. The evolutionary trajectories and risk assessments of WEEN complex systems under different localized SSPs provide a sweeping insight into the consequences of policy decisions, thus enabling policymakers to appraise policy rationality and implement appropriate corrective measures.

Vulnerability of multi-designated landscape and its connectivity toward conservation: A case study in Kampar Kerumutan, Riau, Indonesia

Indonesia is declared by the United Nations as a country that meets its conservation targets. However, Indonesia has not maximized the potential conservation of its territory, and the ecosystem is still threatened by anthropogenic activity, particularly due to small and large scales cultivation. Besides, the Government of Indonesia (GoI) built taskforces at the national level to avoid greenhouse gas emissions through FOLU Net Sink 2030 that could tackle climate and biodiversity crises. Therefore, identifying OECMs and creating a sustainable management framework by elaborating on the carbon pool and its dynamics across the Indonesian landscape is crucial to meet the targets of the global conservation agenda. Kampar Kerumutan Landscape (KKL) is one of the critical landscapes in Indonesia with high potential conservation for biodiversity and high intervention from various concessions. Our result showed that most KKLs were categorized as potential restoration areas. Industrial forest plantations (IFP) had the highest threat for conservation. To connect the potential highly conserved areas within KKL for species mobility, restoration projects (particularly in IFP, Protected Areas, and Non-managed areas) should be conducted to achieve human and nature balance in the KKL.

Spectacular International Labor Law: Ambush Counter-Marketing In the Spotlight of Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup

AbstractOne year ago, the Qatar World Cup was in full swing, and Qatar was omnipresent in our public and private spheres. For many, the Qatar 2022 World Cup will forever be intimately connected with the plight of migrant workers. This Article dives into the confluence of spectacle, counter-marketing, international—labor and human rights—law, and local reforms, which came together in the long decade which followed FIFA’s fateful decision in December 2010 to give the 2022 World Cup to Qatar. It starts by situating the FIFA World Cup 2022 within Qatar’s drive for soft power and nation branding, before turning to re-counting how the 2022 World Cup was “ambushed” in the name of Qatar’s migrant workers and their rights, putting the issue on the global agenda and triggering the involvement of the ILO. Thereafter, the Article discusses the effects of this ambush counter-marketing by engaging with the labor reforms introduced by the Qatari government, while highlighting their limits in terms of scope and implementation. The Article concludes with a general discussion on the blind spots and shortcomings of the turn to counter-marketing as a strategy to vindicate international human rights or labor rights.

Global Health Priorities and the Neglect of Menstrual Health and Hygiene

Comfortable management of menstruation is a fundamental need for all women of reproductive age, and its absence is a denial of their basic rights. Yet millions of women and girls do not have access to menstrual hygiene facilities. Through archival research and qualitative document analysis of reports from several multilateral organizations, this paper shows that the issue of menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) has been largely absent from the global development agenda, despite its significant impact on women’s health, education, income, and well-being. It argues that three issue attributes—measurability, cultural sensitivity, and background characteristics of the affected population—have hindered the recognition and prioritization of MHH. The paper contributes to the interdisciplinary literature on agenda-setting, global health, and social movements, and to development studies more broadly. It draws attention to an under-researched subject and is the first, to my knowledge, to examine why MHH was not adopted as an issue of significance within global health. By doing so, this paper offers valuable insights for scholars and practitioners interested in advancing women’s reproductive health and rights and gender equality.

The Rise, Fall and (Potential) Rise Again of East Asian Middle Powers

Middle powers have been defined in hierarchical and behavioural terms. They have significantly impacted on the global governance agenda, especially through their leadership within international commissions and through multilateral forums. Recent challenges to multilateralism have created an impression that the middle power moment is over, especially in East Asia. Yet, this article sees a way forward for the stronger, more regionally focused middle powers to continue to influence international governance.

The Rapid Development of Bioeconomy Policies in the EU and other Regions of the World

SummaryIn the European Union, the bioeconomy is very broadly defined, encompassing all sectors and associated services and investments that produce, use, process, distribute or consume biological resources, including ecosystem services. It is seen as a natural enabler and result of the transformation proposed by Europe's sustainable growth strategy, the Green Deal. EU Member States and regions also have strategies to further target the implementation of the bioeconomy. The bioeconomy and its related policies have shown a rapid development in the EU and other regions of the world. In challenging times, the sustainable and circular bioeconomy is a central element in supporting the transition to an economy that is climate‐neutral, while preserving the biosphere. From the global agenda of United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate change and biodiversity, several other international organisations, global fora, and private initiatives, all provide knowledge, analyses and perspectives for the bioeconomy. Africa's bioeconomy has a huge potential as a catalyser for advancing towards many SDGs. In North America, the US has recently defined bold goals for biotechnology and biomanufacturing. South American countries foster their enormous agricultural and forestry potential in supporting the bioeconomy, while playing a key role for global climate and biodiversity.The bioeconomy in its different designs is thus an important building block for the global transformation towards a more sustainable economic system.

Bargaining in the Security Council: Setting the Global Agenda. By Susan Hannah Allen and Amy Yuen. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022. 224p. $85.00 cloth.

Bargaining in the Security Council: Setting the Global Agenda. By Susan Hannah Allen and Amy Yuen. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022. 224p. $85.00 cloth.

Learning and Teaching of Climate Change, Sustainability and Disaster Risk Reduction in Teacher Education in England and Japan

Abstract This paper reports the study which explored the learning and teaching of the topics of climate change, sustainability and disaster risk reduction in secondary-level teacher education programs in England and Japan. Through interviewing teacher educators, the study particularly probed how teacher education programs used local knowledge and collaboration in discussing the above topics. Geography tends to be the main subject area for these global agendas, but its crammed curriculum is “an ongoing challenge” for teacher education. Some researchers demonstrate that university-based initial teacher education has “ignored” training teachers on how to implement environmental and sustainability education at schools. Besides, the inquiries into how initial teacher education equips geography teachers for the learning and teaching of disaster risk reduction are still scarce. This paper aims to fill this gap by bringing together the fields of geography education, climate change and sustainability education, disaster risk reduction education and initial teacher education.