Suchergebnisse

Economics is now the dominating force in determining the course of a nation. The agenda of a nation is to rise up to the challenge paved by economic transformation. The aim is to gain a bigger share of the market, promote more investments, and, in turn, create more employment, as well as lower prices to benefit consumers. The hope is to attain a stronger economy that will eradicate poverty and ensure a better life and a brighter future for the people. The Philippines must respond to these changes by veering away from the 'pork barrel' mentality of protectionism and patronage that most often lead to corruption and inefficiency which, in turn, result in the government's failure to uplift the people's standard of living. The country needs self-reliant and dynamic local chief executives who are able to tap funds for investments and revenue-generating projects. As a whole, the nation has to actively wage war against poverty by investing in its abundant labor force and fully opening the economy to foreign investors. However, environmental concerns, human freedoms and dignity, and social justice cannot be sacrificed in the name of development. These factors need to be taken into consideration in changing the nation's economic policies in order to survive in a world that calls for greater economic cooperation among nations.

The Philippines, through the government sector, aggressively pursues agricultural biotechnology (agri-biotech) research to increase productivity in agriculture and fishery. The proliferation of claims of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on modern biotechnology tools, products, and processes worldwide, however, poses constraints to their acquisition, transfer, and commercialization in developing countries. The capacity of the institutions in dealing with IPR issues needs to be enhanced, particularly relating to the generation of technologies and protection in their use. This study is probably the first local attempt at measuring the impact of IPRs on the generation and commercialization of agri-biotech products in the Philippines. Through a survey participated in by 100 scientists and researchers selected from 11 institutions working on agri-biotech under the Department of Agriculture (DA), initially we determined their knowledge and level of preparedness in dealing with issues on agri-biotech and IPR. The data suggests that majority of the scientists are aware of IPR and its surrounding issues, and consider them as significant factors in contributing to the acceleration of the generation and commercialization of public agri-biotech products in the country. The respondent strongly agree that IPR is beneficial to research and development (R&D) work. They believe that biotechnology products need to be commercialized to be beneficial, and IPR is critical in this regard. The study also revealed that DA's IPR policy has started changing the mindset of DA scientists and researchers toward seeking protection and commercializing their IPs. More efforts, however, have to be exerted to further institute IP management in these institutions, to encourage their researchers to protect and commercialize their IPs. This should eventually bring about public-private partnerships, bringing more locally developed agri-biotech products to the market. The findings can serve as reference points in developing frameworks and strategies for the institutionalization of an IPR program at DA and other departments to accelerate the generation and commercialization of public agri-biotech products in the country.

Agribusiness offers promising opportunities to accelerate Africa's agricultural sector development, increase food security, address poverty, youth employment and drive agriculture-led economic growth. This desk research offers a snapshot of the agribusiness activities in Africa with emphasis on the contribution of higher education institutions that are members of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) and selected public universities in Ghana. Our review shows that agribusiness yet in its infancy is gaining traction and longer-term prospects are promising based on initial success and encouraging outcomes in some countries. Various initiatives are taking place in the region, including agribusiness incubation; capacity building, education, and agribusiness knowledge transfer programs at different levels. Partnerships among stakeholders such as government, international groups and private sectors are also growing to boost and encourage better value chain management for agriculture across the African continent. A few RUFORUM university members are setting up the pace in terms of investments to nurture agricultural entrepreneurs through curriculum enhancement; intellectual property and technology transfer policies, and technology commercialization models for conventional and modern technologies through business incubation parks and spin-off companies. Some of the successes and milestones in agribusiness development have yet to happen in many RUFORUM members and in public universities in Ghana. Drawing upon published reports, scholarly articles, and our primary analysis, we highlight several key actions and recommendations that can inform policy and practice to expand and sustain the growth trajectory of agribusiness as a new developmental platform for Africa.

Agribusiness offers promising opportunities to accelerate Africa's agricultural sector development, increase food security, address poverty, youth employment and drive agriculture-led economic growth. This desk research offers a snapshot of the agribusiness activities in Africa with emphasis on the contribution of higher education institutions that are members of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) and selected public universities in Ghana. Our review shows that agribusiness yet in its infancy is gaining traction and longer-term prospects are promising based on initial success and encouraging outcomes in some countries. Various initiatives are taking place in the region, including agribusiness incubation; capacity building, education, and agribusiness knowledge transfer programs at different levels. Partnerships among stakeholders such as government, international groups and private sectors are also growing to boost and encourage better value chain management for agriculture across the African continent. A few RUFORUM university members are setting up the pace in terms of investments to nurture agricultural entrepreneurs through curriculum enhancement; intellectual property and technology transfer policies, and technology commercialization models for conventional and modern technologies through business incubation parks and spin-off companies. Some of the successes and milestones in agribusiness development have yet to happen in many RUFORUM members and in public universities in Ghana. Drawing upon published reports, scholarly articles, and our primary analysis, we highlight several key actions and recommendations that can inform policy and practice to expand and sustain the growth trajectory of agribusiness as a new developmental platform for Africa

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity, especially in low-resource settings, and requires an interdisciplinary response across academia, government, countries, and societies. If unchecked, AMR will hamper progress towards reaching the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including ending poverty and hunger, promoting healthy lives and well-being, and achieving sustained economic growth. There are many global initiatives to curb the effects of AMR, but significant gaps remain. New ways of thinking and operating in the context of the SDGs are essential to making progress. In this entry, we define the next generation of the AMR research network, its composition, and strategic activities that can help mitigate the threats due to AMR at the local, regional, and global levels. This is supported by a review of recent literature and bibliometric and network analyses to examine the current and future state of AMR research networks for global health and sustainable development.