Suchergebnisse

AbstractEnhancing carbon sequestration is crucial to mitigate rising global levels of greenhouse gases, and for developing countries, carbon sequestration may also provide economic benefits via international carbon trading schemes. This study aimed to determine the optimal management strategy for tropical planted forests when timber and carbon sequestration are valued. The survey data were collected from 291 household foresters, who were growing Eucalyptus urophylla and Acacia mangium in Yen Bai Province, Vietnam. The regression exercise suggests that financial status was negatively correlated with forest management practices, and ethnicity and financial status were correlated with carbon sequestration management. The survey results suggest that the mean rotation age employed by household foresters is five years. However, the optimization modelling suggests that the optimal rotation age for maximizing net present value is greater than nine years. The differences between current practices and optimal practices therefore favour a role for government policy interventions.

AbstractNew Zealanders can cross borders freely, work and live in Australia indefinitely thanks to the Trans‐Tasman Travel Agreement. This paper uses a recently developed decomposition method to decompose the weekly wage gap at various quantiles on the wage distribution between New Zealand‐born (NZ‐born) and Australian‐born workers, and between NZ‐born workers, migrants from other English speaking countries (OESC), and from non‐English speaking countries (NESC) to determine how free and regulated migration influences migrants' performance in the Australian labour market. We found that NZ‐born workers earned higher weekly wages than both Australian‐born and NESC workers but earned lower wages than OESC migrants. Differences in endowment were primarily responsible for the wage gaps between NZ‐born and Australian‐born workers and between NZ‐born and OESC migrants. However, differences in returns to worker and job characteristics are mainly responsible for the wage gap between NZ‐born and NESC migrants.

BACKGROUND: Bread is an important component of the diet in many countries and provides needed nutrients but also typically too much of other nutrients e.g., sodium. We therefore aimed to use linear programing to determine the optimal design of low-cost "heart healthy bread" (HHB) and to compare the results with commercial breads in 15 countries. METHODS: Optimization using linear programing focused on achieving set loaf prices (at NZ$1.5 and $3) and for a range of minimal sodium levels. Then within those constraints, levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) were maximized, then dietary fiber, and then polyunsaturated fatty acids. Data from New Zealand (NZ) was used for the HHB designs and comparison nutrient and price data came from breads in 15 high-income countries. RESULTS: The optimized loaf costing NZ$1.50 in ingredients (HHB$1.5) was superior to the commercial white loafs in three out of the eight heart health nutrient categories. The optimized loaf that was high in linseed and cost NZ$3 in ingredients (HHB$3), was nutritionally superior to the commercial loafs with seeds/nuts in six out of the eight heart health categories (i.e., in terms of sodium, potassium, fatty acid ratio and fiber). In terms of value-per-weight, a commercial white loaf from the UK was slightly cheaper than the HHB$1.50 loaf (at US$0.07 vs US$0.10 per 100 g loaf). But compared to the other seed/nut loafs, the HHB$3 loaf was the best value at US$0.17 per 100 g, vs a mean of US$0.85 per 100 g across international comparators. CONCLUSIONS: This proof-of-concept study suggests it is possible to design breads that are nutritionally superior to commercially available breads from a heart health perspective, as well as being lower cost. Such HHB designs could be promoted by health agencies and utilized in conjunction with a government-funded bread voucher system for those at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Abstract Background Bread is an important component of the diet in many countries and provides needed nutrients but also typically too much of other nutrients e.g., sodium. We therefore aimed to use linear programing to determine the optimal design of low-cost "heart healthy bread" (HHB) and to compare the results with commercial breads in 15 countries. Methods Optimization using linear programing focused on achieving set loaf prices (at NZ$1.5 and $3) and for a range of minimal sodium levels. Then within those constraints, levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) were maximized, then dietary fiber, and then polyunsaturated fatty acids. Data from New Zealand (NZ) was used for the HHB designs and comparison nutrient and price data came from breads in 15 high-income countries. Results The optimized loaf costing NZ$1.50 in ingredients (HHB$1.5) was superior to the commercial white loafs in three out of the eight heart health nutrient categories. The optimized loaf that was high in linseed and cost NZ$3 in ingredients (HHB$3), was nutritionally superior to the commercial loafs with seeds/nuts in six out of the eight heart health categories (i.e., in terms of sodium, potassium, fatty acid ratio and fiber). In terms of value-per-weight, a commercial white loaf from the UK was slightly cheaper than the HHB$1.50 loaf (at US$0.07 vs US$0.10 per 100 g loaf). But compared to the other seed/nut loafs, the HHB$3 loaf was the best value at US$0.17 per 100 g, vs a mean of US$0.85 per 100 g across international comparators. Conclusions This proof-of-concept study suggests it is possible to design breads that are nutritionally superior to commercially available breads from a heart health perspective, as well as being lower cost. Such HHB designs could be promoted by health agencies and utilized in conjunction with a government-funded bread voucher system for those at high risk of cardiovascular disease.