Local Collectors Research Articles

Market Chain Analysis of Agro-forestry Products: The Case of Fruit at Tembaro District, Kembata Tembaro Zone South Ethiopia

Ethiopia has a variety of fruit crops grown in different agro ecological Zones by small farmers, mainly as a source of income as well as food. The nature of the product on one hand and the lack of market system on the other hand have resulted in low producers’ price and hence low benefit by the producers. This study was carried out to analyse the market chain of agroforestry products such as mango, avocado and banana. Two kebeles were selected based on the presence of fruit production. Data was collected from 140 mango, banana and avocado producing households, 7 local collectors and 13 retailers through structured interview, focus group discussion, key informant interviews, market assessment as well as field observation. Structure, Conduct and Performance (SCP) approach was used to analyze avocado, banana and mango market also OLS (Multiple linear regression model) was used to analyzed factors that determine banana, mango and avocado market supply of the producers in the area. The market actors in the survey period were producers, rural assemblers, retailers, and consumers. Banana, mango and avocado market structure in the area shows the competitive nature. Among the different variables that were hypothesized as determining factors for volume of marketable supply the econometric result showed that price, access to extension service, distance, access to market information and quantity produced for mango and avocado were significant whereas active family size, distance, quantity produced, access to market information, and price for banana were significant. For each fruit types there are four marketing channels. Among the channels the producer-retailer-consumer channel was identified as the first important marketing channel in terms of volumes of each fruits transacted while the producer-local collector-consumer channel was identified as the least marketing channel in terms of volumes of each fruits transacted. Fruit trading in the study area is considered as a low profile activity mainly handled by female traders. There is a tradition that trading fruits in the study area is not by male. So, it is strongly recommended that stockholders will give awareness creation for the society in order to minimize such kind of tradition from the society and to encourage male fruit traders in the study area.

Pol De Mont and Friends: A Curator, Donations, and Gift Culture in Early Twentieth-Century Antwerp

From 1904 to 1919, Pol De Mont (1857–1931) was curator-in-chief of Antwerp’s Fine Arts museum, one of Belgium’s oldest and most important municipal galleries. One of his tasks consisted of expanding the collection. Local private collectors had already been involved with the museum. In fact, a local tradition of gift-giving dated back to the beginning of the nineteenth century. De Mont acknowledged the potential of private donations and established himself as one of the leaders of Antwerp’s municipal gift culture. At the same time, he respected the viewpoints of donors, some of whom who had been active in the field of fine arts longer than him. In order to direct patrons towards the museum, he created enduring bonds with donors, combining expertise with a personal approach.This article discusses how De Mont’s curatorial practice interacted with the agency of donors and vice versa. He combined research, connoisseurship, and art market insight to establish his authority. Furthermore, this article demonstrates how De Mont persuaded patrons to donate. His analysis of the obligatory nature of gifts was crucial, inherent to the social dimension of what he perceived as a historic gift culture. In this process, De Mont’s personality and creativity also played a role insofar as he was highly persuasive and used language and metaphors to stress the validity of patronage; and he expressed genuine friendship and respect towards patrons and placed his expertise in their service.

Value Chain Agribisnis Mangga Gedong Gincu (Mangifera Indica l) di Kabupaten Majalengka

The objective of this research was to analyze the value chain and efficiency of gedong gincu mango agribusiness in Majalengka Regency. The data collection was conducted by interview techniques, using questionnaire. The samples of this study were: 88 farmers gedong gincu mango taken by using proportional random sampling, 28 sellers taken by snowball sampling, consisted of 15 local collectors, 3 big traders and 10 retailers. Value chain was analyzed using R/C ratio. Marketing efficiency was analyzed by calculating the marketing margin, profit margin, farmer's share and marketing efficiency. The results showed that R/C ratio of farmers, small collectors, big collectors and retailers were >1. Highest profit level was achieved by farmers. Based on marketing margins, farmer's share and marketing efficiency, all marketing channels were categorized as efficient.

From French Indochina to Paris and back again: The Circulation of Objects, People, and Information, 1900-1932

This article examines the ways in which the processes of collecting, ordering and governing were imbricated both in the metropole and in the colony. Focused on the ethnographic missions carried out by the Musée d’Ethnographie du Trocadéro(MET) and by the École Française d’Extrême Orient from 1900 to the 1930s, the paper explores the network of local collectors, the methodological protocols and standards, the collecting practices, and how objects were gathered in the field for displays at the MET in Paris and at the forthcoming ethnological museum at Dalat in French Indochina (what is now Vietnam). The article argues that the circulation of objects, and the information related to those objects, conceives both the metropole and the colony as sites for the production of ethnological knowledge. It also seeks to demonstrate that collecting practices entailed distinct government effects both in metropolitan France and in colonial Indochina.

The role of printed books in the dissemination of contemporary South African art and artists

Data from a series of interviews conducted during a recent visit to South Africa inform this explication of the use of print in promoting contemporary artists resident and practising in South Africa to the northern nexus of the global art market. A gallery owner, gallery publisher and an artist present their motivations for publishing books associated with temporary exhibitions and their understanding of the importance of books in representing the artwork to both local collectors and the wider world.

“Into the hands of a well-known antiquary of Cairo”: The Assiut Treasure and the Making of an Archaeological Hoard

The “Assiut Treasure” is a canonical group of early Byzantine jewelry discovered in Upper Egypt, today spread among several European and American collections. The spectacular pieces, generally thought to date from the fourth through seventh centuries, have arguably come to epitomize the courtly luxury of the early Byzantine period. Although most scholarship on the group focuses on the pieces’ technical qualities, this article instead contextualizes the “treasure” within early twentieth-century art market and collecting practices. It concentrates on the interactions of local dealers and collectors through a close study of Maurice Nahman, a dealer based in the Middle East. The paper shows Nahman’s self-conscious positioning as a “scientific” dealer aware of collecting trends in Europe and America. In the larger sense, the story of the Assiut Treasure raises questions about the roles of scholars and dealers in legitimizing and marketing antiquities at a crucial moment in the development of late antique and B...

New Minerals from the Classic Eifel Region

In the recent four years, the authors have jointly organized and conducted several excursions into the classical volcanic field in the Eifel area, Germany. The original goal was to compare its geochemistry and mineralogy with those of the hyperalkaline intrusions of Khibiny and Lovozero on Kola peninsula, Russia. Since none of us had previous experience with the Eifel area, local amateur mineral collectors were contacted and asked for support. These collectors often have been active in their region for decades and, hence, know the various deposits and minerals by heart. Our request was met with great enthusiasm and invaluable support was given to us not only with respect to the organization of the excursions, but the collectors also shared their experience with getting access to the quarries and often offered samples from their own, very well organized and documented, collections. It soon turned out, that – a bit to our surprise - even in such a classical area as the Eifel with its long tradition of geological and mineralogical research new minerals can be found. As a result, 16 new minerals from the Eifel could be described, accepted by IMA, and the results published. Others are still under study. Some of these minerals were found in the field, others were donated by local mineral collectors. In acknowledgement of their invaluable contribution, several minerals now bear names of those or other local collectors. Several of the new minerals belong to well-known mineral groups, but a few represent quite new structures. For example, in the mineral hielscherite, the pyramidal sulfite anion substitutes for planar carbonate in thaumasite, and günterblassite is the first phyllosilicate with a triple tetrahedral layer, thus indicating somehow a structural transition into a tectosilicate.

Crushed? Cairo’s Garbage Collectors and Neoliberal Urban Politics

ABSTRACT:For decades Cairo’s solid waste management, based on local garbage collectors (zabal; pl. zabaleen) was among the most uniquely ecological in the world. In recent decades, the zabaleen’s work has increasingly been pushed aside, as aspects of their services were contracted to multinational companies. This article argues that, with their continued presence, activities, and savvy understanding of urban dynamics, marginalized groups like the garbage collectors hold on to their livelihood in the face of economic pressures. The author illustrates how the zabaleen, who have been targets of oppressive policies and more recently been slated for economic displacement by neoliberal schemes, have for decades experienced injustice, poverty, frustration, and humiliation. In the face of such adversity, they developed and enacted their own forms of responses and activities, as they continued to encroach onto urban spaces, pursue economic possibilities, and devise everyday forms of street politics.

John Lightfoot (1735–1788) and the lichens ofFlora Scotica(1777)

AbstractJohn Lightfoot's account of lichens inFlora Scoticawas the first Scottish lichen Flora and as such it was novel in several respects: 1) it was published in English; 2) it drew on the knowledge and expertise of several key local collectors and treated lichens from alpine areas for the first time; 3) it made lichens accessible in providing Linnaean binomials, colloquial English, and frequently also Gaelic names, together with lively descriptions, details of ecology, and medicinal or traditional uses when these were known. Of the 117 taxa listed, 109 were classified in the genusLichen, five inByssus, two inMucorand one inFucus. Nineteen taxa were newly described, of which five are still in current use. John Lightfoot's life, work and botanical friendships are also briefly discussed.

DESIGNING COCOA TRANSPORT NETWORKS USING A SUPPLY CHAIN NETWORK EQUILIBRIUM MODEL WITH THE BEHAVIOUR OF FREIGHT CARRIERS

This paper presents a multi-channelled supply chain network equilibrium (SCNE) model with the behaviour of freight carriers, which is developed to represent the trading chain of cocoa in Sulawesi, Indonesia. The model takes into account the behaviour of local collectors, local traders, exporters, and freight carriers. Utilising this SCNE in the lower level, a combinatorial optimisation is undertaken in the upper level within the framework of mathematical programmes with equilibrium constraints, where a suitable set of transport network improvement actions is selected from a number of possible actions for improving the efficiency of cocoa supply chain network (SCN). The upper level is solved with a modified probability- based discrete binary particle swarm optimisation. Finally, the model is applied to an actual cocoa SCN in Sulawesi for investigating the impact of transport measures to the international trading of cocoa.

Fishing the last frontier: The introduction of the marine aquarium trade and its impact on local fishing communities in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea has sometimes been called the world's last frontier for relatively undamaged coral reefs and their resources. In 2007, the country joined its neighbours in the marine aquarium trade. By licensing a private company, Papua New Guinea tried an alternative approach to the introduction of this activity. Under the so-called SeaSmart Programme, over 100 fishers were trained in sustainable collection techniques and handling of organisms, until the programme was shut down in 2010, and replaced by its successor, EcoAquariums PNG. This article contains the first study on the introduction of the marine aquarium trade into Papua New Guinea. It evaluates the overall outcomes of the SeaSmart Programme, lists targeted species, and their prices. The main focus is on the local collectors, and on the impacts of this new activity on them and their communities. Benefits from collecting marine ornamentals are assessed and their contribution to household income is quantified. Perceptions on non-financial benefits of the SeaSmart Programme are also gathered. The empirical work was carried out between September 2010 and February 2011 in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea. A total of 199 fishers including 44 aquarium fishers were interviewed in eight different communities in the Central Province of Papua New Guinea. The results show that marine aquarium fishing does provide benefits to local resource collectors, but also that this “sustainable” way of collecting of marine ornamentals might lead to some depletion.

Anatomy of the superficial lymphatics of the abdominal wall and the upper thigh and its implications in lymphatic microsurgery

The recent advent in the surgical treatment of lymphedema necessitates a more detailed understanding of the anatomy of the lymphatic system. Lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) requires a precise knowledge of the anatomy of the superficial lymphatic collectors in relation to the superficial veins. In vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT), donor site lymphatic function must be preserved. Using the previously described technique, the superficial lymphatic drainage of 8 anterior hemi-abdomen/upper thigh specimens from 4 fresh human cadavers was investigated. The upper and lower abdominal collectors were found above Scarpa's fascia immediately below the subdermal venules. They were thin-walled and translucent and their diameter ranged between 0.2 and 0.8mm. In the upper thigh two distinct groups of superficial collectors were found. The collectors of the ventromedial bundle constituted the majority of the superficial collectors, were deep in the subcutaneous fat, measured 0.6-1mm in diameter, had thick walls, and consistently drained into two large nodes inferolateral to the saphenous bulb. The local collectors of the thigh were immediately deep to the subdermal venules, measured 0.3-0.5mm, had thin walls, and drained into the superolateral group of the superficial inguinal nodes which also drained the lower abdomen, the lower back and the upper gluteal region. When raising the groin lymphatic flap for VLNT, the medial extent of the dissection should be limited to the lateral border of femoral artery. When following up patients after VLNT with a groin donor site, circumference measurements must include the upper thigh.

Digital Philanthropy: Increasing Access through Donor Collaboration

Over the past three years, Stanford University Libraries has embarked on a program to work directly with local Bay Area map collectors to scan and provide online access to their private collections. These collections mainly include items not owned by the Libraries, allowing Stanford to increase its digital holdings of rare and valuable materials. The program benefits not only Stanford's scholars and students, but also the donors who are able to make their collections available to a public they could not easily reach. The collections typically have been built over decades, focusing on specific regions or themes giving one a unique view of a topic or geographic area. This paper will focus on the steps taken to put the program in place, including developing work flows, writing contracts, moving materials, manipulating metadata, and creating points of access.

Ethnoecological appraisal of Acacia modesta Wall. common tree of dry ecosystem in Pakistan

Ethnoecological studies on Acacia modesta Wall. (Mimosaceae) growing wild in Dargai area of Malakand District (Pakistan), demonstrated a great demand due to the medicinal value of its flowers oil, gum, resins and sticks for honey bee. The plant as a whole is also valuable as fuel-wood and as construction material for income. Locally, common folk used it as fodder, timber, fencing, and household items and as a source of honey bee production. The tree was found to be abundant in some villages of Dargai area. The frequency being: 35% in Jaban, 15% in Kot, 25% in Mehrdi, 10% in Wartair, and 15% in Qaldara villages of Dargai. Interestingly, a great variation was noticed in the local selling prices of the gum which were also found higher in national as well as international markets. Ecological studies showed that A. modesta trees growing on all ranges of soils including: dry to wet, sandy to calcareous and acidic soils along with association of Olea cuspidata, Ziziphus jujuba, Zizyphus nummularia, and Acacia arabica. Phonological studies revealed all the three stages of trees from juvenile, young and rare older trees, in the region under study. Market survey and interviews with local collectors showed that Dargai was the major trade route for medicinal plants. In general, there are locally well known centers where A. modesta is growing in abundance. Dargai is believed to be a regional herbal medicines market route where the transportation of A. modesta gum and other herbals to other areas, have well been recorded. During the current study, it was observed that major plant collectors in the area were local women and children, however, many workers were Afghan refugees. Local men were cornered from open field work, perhaps due to safety reasons. Men participate in cutting of bigger plants whenever demand arises. There is a need that, along with conservation of valuable timber by participatory approach, A. modesta must also be included in these efforts to make its availability in long term for poor local collectors whose one the major source of income is from gum and fuel wood collection. Key words: Acacia modesta Wall. (Mimosaceae), Dargai, Malakand, Pakistan, useful plants for humans.

Finding that ‘eureka’ moment: the importance of keeping detailed field notes

In 2005–2006, I conducted 14 months of fieldwork on the political economy of bio-prospecting in Madagascar. I was in the deep south of Madagascar investigating the industrial production of the prized medicinal plant, rosy periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus). The goal of my research was to examine how foreign pharmaceutical companies gain and maintain access to the plant and if Malagasy benefited from the trade. During that time I had the unusual opportunity to observe a sacrificial ram ceremony. In the moment, the sacrifice seemed irrelevant to my work. It was quick and before I knew it, it was over and the local periwinkle collectors were getting back to the hustle and bustle of market day. It did not seem very significant to any of them, so I let it pass as well. However, after a full review of my data back home, I realized that the sacrifice was one in a series of ‘mechanisms of access’ that companies will employ to overcome the social barriers to production and continue the flow of periwinkle out of the area. Drawing on my own experiences in Madagascar, I describe the importance of keeping detailed field notes to the success of the overall research project.

Herpetofauna da Serra do Brigadeiro, um remanescente de Mata Atlântica em Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil

Apresentamos uma lista de anfíbios e répteis de uma região ao norte do complexo serrano da Mantiqueira, sob denominação local de Serra do Brigadeiro. Esta região compreende um remanescente de Mata Atlântica com destaque para o Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, unidade de conservação com aproximadamente 15 mil ha nos municípios de Araponga, Divino, Ervália, Fervedouro, Miradouro, Muriaé, Pedra Bonita e Sericita, estado de Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil. Através da adoção de métodos complementares como o uso de armadilhas de interceptação e queda e postos de coleta, além de métodos convencionais de busca ativa, encontros ocasionais e registros em coleção científica, a presente lista amplia o conhecimento sobre a herpetofauna dessa região. Nós registramos 98 espécies da herpetofauna, sendo 57 de anuros, um gimnofiono, nove lagartos, uma anfisbênia, 29 serpentes e um quelônio. Embora nenhuma espécie de anfíbio encontrada seja considerada ameaçada de extinção em Minas Gerais, no Brasil ou pela IUCN, 11 espécies (18,96%) são consideradas como Deficiente de Dados. Verifica-se um alto número de espécies exclusivas da Mata Atlântica (46,55%) ou de distribuição restrita (20,68%). Destaca-se o encontro da perereca Gastrotheca ernestoi e a rã Megaelosia apuana, respectivamente o primeiro e segundo registro desses gêneros para Minas Gerais. A cecília Luetkenotyphlus brasiliensis também é redescoberta. Entre os répteis, pode-se destacar a presença do cágado Hydromedusa maximiliani, que aparece como vulnerável nas listas vermelhas de Minas Gerais e da IUCN. Sessenta por cento das espécies de répteis apresentam ampla distribuição na Mata Atlântica, e a presença das serpentes Echinanthera melanostigma e E. undulata, são importantes como, respectivamente, o segundo e terceiro registro dessas espécies para Minas Gerais.

Colonial Taxation, Corruption and Resistance in Igbominaland

The introduction of tax by the British Colonial Administration in the Northern Nigeria Protectorate in 1904 was a function of the prevailing circumstances at the onset of colonial administration in this part of the country. While taxation definitely stimulated economic activities in Igbominaland at this period, the modality for its collection seriously compromised the purpose for which taxes were introduced by Lord Lugard. The Ilorin Native Authority responsible for tax collection was not only corrupt, but the policy guideline on which the system operated was shrouded in secrecy. Corrupt local tax collectors often took advantage of the weakness in the tax collection system, a situation resented by the people. The resentment generated by the activities of corrupt officials and the burden of heavy taxation engendered a string of protests and agitations in Igbominaland. The Resident Officer and the Emir could not ignore the agitators and had to make example of some Ajias who were summarily dismissed from service.

Medicinal plants research in Pakistan.

Out of about 258,650 species of higher plants reported from the world; more than 10% are used to cure ailing communities. Beside many known drugs (e.g.tubocurarine, reserpine, aspirin and morphine etc) are discovered based on traditional knowledge. Majority of the people in Pakistan rely on medicinal plants to find treatment for their minor, even in some cases major diseases. Some wild plants are now being commonly used e.g. Ephedra, Artimisia, St. John’s wort,Hippophae beside some that have been domesticated e.g. Garlic, Ginseng and Cumin etc. There is a local market system (Pansara) specifically dealing with medicinal plants business in Pakistan and several plants are exported. Plants having active constituents are used to treat various ailments in both human and animal. In most instances, certain plant species are considered specific for a particular illness but occasionally they have mixed usage. Women, followed by children, are identified as the principal collectors of medicinal plants. Due to over-collection, several species have gone extinct in the Hindukush-Himalayan regions. Local collectors, vendors, herbal drug dealers and others are the ones who threaten the flora of Pakistan contribute (though unknowingly) to the extinction of some and bringing others to the brink of extinction. Though medicinal plants from wild are important source of income for local communities, but if not properly managed, this may lead to the destruction of habitat and in return extinction of species. There is therefore, a need to find ways to harvest medicinal plants sustainably from the wild, train local collectors (in proper collection techniques, train the people in growing medicinal plants, and remove some of the middlemen from the trading chain. In the present article, an effort was made to review the status of medicinal plants research in Pakistan. Key words: Medicinal plants of Pakistan, research and development, conservational issues, marketing, problems and prospects.

Herpetofauna em uma área de Floresta Atlântica na Ilha Anchieta, município de Ubatuba, sudeste do Brasil

Este trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo da diversidade da herpetofauna do Parque Estadual da Ilha Anchieta, município de Ubatuba, localizada no litoral norte do estado de São Paulo, enfocando os seguintes aspectos: diversidade, distribuição e padrões de atividade sazonal. Entre julho de 2005 e junho de 2006 foram realizadas viagens mensais à ilha, totalizando 55 dias de trabalhos de campo. Para a amostragem foram utilizados os métodos busca ativa, armadilhas de interceptação e queda, armadilhas de funil e coleta por terceiros, Busca ativa e armadilhas de interceptação e queda apresentaram melhor desempenho, e os demais métodos se mostraram complementares. Foram inventariadas 17 espécies de anfíbios anuros distribuídas em oito famílias, e oito espécies de répteis das quais cinco são espécies de lagartos de quatro famílias e três de serpentes de duas famílias. Como observado na grande maioria das pesquisas em áreas tropicais, a área de estudo apresentou relativamente baixa equabilidade, porém, diferente de outras comunidades estudadas, apresentou um maior número de espécies comuns em relação às espécies raras. A riqueza de anfíbios anuros foi mais alta nas fisionomias consideradas fechadas (mata latifoliada densa e mata latifoliada rala) em relação às abertas, enquanto que a riqueza de répteis foi mais representativa no campo antrópico (fisionomia considerada aberta). A análise de correlação demonstrou que a riqueza de anfíbios não foi significativa em relação aos elementos climáticos, enquanto a riqueza de répteis foi significativamente correlacionada às médias de temperaturas máxima e mínima. A presença de inúmeras peculiaridades reforça a importância da conservação do Parque Estadual da Ilha Anchieta.

Herpetofauna dos remanescentes de Mata Atlântica da região de Tapiraí e Piedade, SP, sudeste do Brasil

Apresentamos aqui a lista de espécies de anfíbios e répteis registradas nos remanescentes de Mata Atlântica contínua e fragmentada da região de Tapiraí e Piedade, Planalto Atlântico de São Paulo, sudeste do Brasil. Amostramos 21 localidades na região, sendo 15 fragmentos florestais e seis localidades do interior e entorno do Parque Estadual do Jurupará, único remanescente legalmente protegido da região. Registramos 47 espécies de anfíbios anuros, uma espécie de gymnophiona, oito espécies de lagartos, uma espécie de anfisbena, 46 espécies de serpentes e uma espécie de quelônio. Esta lista conta com espécimes capturados pelos métodos de armadilhas de interceptação e queda, procura visual e auditiva, encontros ocasionais, capturas por terceiros e, no caso das serpentes, também por registros em coleção científica. A combinação entre métodos foi eficiente na amostragem da herpetofauna da região, evidenciando a necessidade de amostragem com métodos complementares. Os remanescentes de Tapiraí e Piedade apresentam espécies de anfíbios e répteis típicas de áreas de Mata Atlântica e alta riqueza de espécies, em relação a outros estudos realizados no planalto. A presença de espécies de distribuição restrita, ou presentes em listas de fauna ameaçada, reforçam a necessidade de conservação dos remanescentes de Mata Atlântica na região, que apesar de abrigar grande diversidade está ameaçada pelos efeitos da fragmentação florestal.