Government In Terms Of Policies Research Articles

Organic Food Business in India: A Survey of Companies

<p><em>In recent years, the Government of India has come up with policy initiatives to promote organic food for domestic market and exports. Such measures are expected to increase investment in organic food manufacturing and retailing, and create employment. Indian entrepreneurs have responded positively to these initiatives and a number of start-ups have come up in this sector. Many conventional food manufacturers, retailers, and exporters have diversified their businesses to include organic food products. India’s trade in organic food products has also increased. </em></p><p><em>This paper, based on a primary survey of companies engaged in organic food business in India, analyses their reasons for entering the organic business, their business models and sourcing process, how they work with organic farmers, what opportunities and risks they perceive, and what they want from the Indian government in terms of policies and incentives. It also examines the companies’ perception about the growth of this sector, and makes policy recommendations on how organic food can attract investment across the food supply chain and continue on a high growth trajectory.</em><em></em></p>

Blood service in the Tibetan regions of Garzê and Aba, China: a longitudinal survey.

Garzê and Aba form the second largest Tibetan-inhabited area of China. Blood services have never been reported for this region before. To assess the current situation and analyse whether a safe and adequate blood supply has been developed in both Garzê and Aba. We conducted a longitudinal survey covering the period 2011-2016. The subjects of interest were recruited from non-remunerated voluntary donation, blood testing, clinical transfusion practices and infrastructure of local blood service systems. The donation rate and blood collection volume were below the average levels of both the Sichuan Province and mainland China. Component therapy was widely used, but inappropriate usage of whole blood existed. A lack of national specific standards for people on the plateaus led to local blood transfusions being conducted without full clinical assessment. Endemic and frequently occurring disease, such as hydatid disease and gastrointestinal disease, were inevitable risks for blood utilisation and safety. The potential influence of religious belief and traditions, like 'male-leaving marriages', of Tibetans on donor recruitment and blood safety requires further research. A relatively safe and complete blood service system has been developed in this region. However, there is still an urgent need for comprehensive and effective support from the government in terms of policies and finance. As an epidemic area of hydatid disease and sexually transmitted disease, this region needs to emphasise public health measures, such as blood safety and inappropriate usage of blood products.

Multi-products productions from Malaysian oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB): Analyzing economic potentials from the optimal biomass supply chain

The economic potentials of Malaysian oil palm empty fruit bunch are realized by several motivating factors such as abundance, cheapness and are generally feasible to produce multi-products that range from energy, chemicals and materials. Amid continuing supports from the government in terms of policies, strategies and funding, manufacturing planning and decision to utilize this biomass resource requires a decision-support tool. In this regard, biomass supply chain modeling serves as the supportive tool and can provide economic indications for guided future investments. Sequential steps in modeling and optimization of the supply chain that utilized empty fruit bunch were shown. In a form of superstructure, the supply chain consisted processing stages for converting the biomass into intermediates and products, transportation networks that used truck, train or pipeline, and the options for product's direct sales or for further refinements. The developed optimization model has considered biomass cost, production costs, transportation costs, and emission treatment costs from transportation and production activities in order to determine the annual profit. By taking a case study of Peninsula Malaysia, optimal value showed a profit of $ 713,642,269/y could be achieved which has assumed a single ownership for all of the facilities in the supply chain. Besides, the tabulated values of yields and emission levels could provide comparative analysis between the processing routes. Sensitivity analysis was then performed to perturb the approximated parameters or data that have been used in this study.

Creating the 'Multicultural Coexistence' Society: Central and Local Government Policies towards Foreign Residents in Japan

In March 2006, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) published a report on the promotion of ‘multicultural coexistence’ (tabunka kyōsei) within local communities in response to an increasing number of foreign residents and other demographic changes. This has occurred alongside, and further triggered, a spate of local government ‘multicultural coexistence plans’ to tackle the issues surrounding foreign residents. In the absence of a consistent national approach, local governments have spearheaded policy initiatives at the ‘local’ level to tackle the issues affecting foreign residents. By analysing the MIC Report and a sample of 22 local government plans, I have attempted to understand the role of central government vis-a-vis local government in terms of policies aimed at foreign residents. In many respects, the MIC Report is paving the way for the discourse of multicultural coexistence to provide the framework for an integrated approach. Crucially, the MIC is now positioning itself in a coordinative role, allowing local governments to continue to develop local-level policies while bringing central government back into the picture.

Child wellbeing in the UK is worse than other nations

Children in the UK have come bottom of an international league table for wellbeing, according to a recent report. The authors of the report, compiled on behalf of the United Nations children's organisation Unicef, assessed whether children in the 21 leading industrial nations felt loved and cherished, whether they felt special and supported both within the family and their immediate community, and whether the family and community were themselves being supported in their task by the government in terms of policy and resource.