Enacting food sovereignty: values and meanings in the act of domestic food production in urban Australia

This article brings to light one aspect of alternative agri-food practices by exploring the values and meanings domestic food producers associate with their actions, thereby making a small contribution to increasing understanding of the act of urban backyard food production. While Australian backyards have long been productive spaces, there has been little examination of this phenomenon in the Australian context. Limited quantitative data give some insight into the extent of domestic production, and while there is an increasing interest in certain aspects of the local food system, including community gardens and farmers markets, there is a dearth of literature that explores the contemporary act of domestic production. This work seeks to situate the act of domestic production within the broader movement calling for change within the global food system, particularly that being articulated by the food sovereignty movement. Drawing on Gibson–Graham's diverse economies framework, and through interviews with eight domestic food producers in one Australian city, this work finds that the act of growing food at home offers space for hope – where small acts can be seen as part of the broader food sovereignty movement seeking to remake our food system.     

The preservation and re-creation of conservation value in mineral workings

The importance of abandoned mineral workings to nature conservation is discussed, together with the conflicts posed by proposed new developments. Four ways of preserving, recreating and/or enhancing conservation value are presented and considered. The need for additional research is emphasised.     

Plants that accumulate metals (Part VI): Further studies of an Australian nickel accumulating plant

Analyses for nickel, copper, cobalt and zinc of some leaf, stem and root samples ofHybanthus floribundus from the Eastern Goldfields area of Western Australia is reported. All four metals appear to behave differently. Nickel is taken into the roots, but accumulates in the tops. Copper is largely excluded, but is evenly distributed at low levels. Cobalt is taken up to a greater extent than copper and is evenly distributed. Zinc is accumulated in the roots and is largely excluded from the tops. Plant-soil metal concentrations are discussed. Extraction studies show that nickel in the leaves, and to a lesser extent in woody parts, is associated with pectic carbohydrates. Accumulation and selectivity of uptake are discussed.     

Socio-economic impact management: programme design and implementation considerations

While larger mineral resource development projects offer new jobs and provide a stimulus to the economy of the area where they are sited, they may also pose problems in rural areas associated with rapid population growth. The purpose of an impact management programme is to anticipate and alleviate project effects that are generally perceived as undesirable and to enhance effects that are beneficial to site area communities. While the effective management of project effects is the end towards which all impact assessment efforts are directed, an integrated approach to impact management has been notably lacking. This paper suggests a systems framework for meeting this need by: (1) reviewing the need for impact management efforts; (2) discussing the objectives of, and considerations in, designing impact management programmes; (3) presenting a conceptual framework for, and key components of, such a programme; and (4) suggesting an approach for implementing such a system as an integral part of the project development process.     

Accelerating progress on salt iodisation in Sudan: time for action

This paper uses a public health approach to examine briefly: (a) the progress of universal salt iodisation (USI) in Sudan; (b) the roles of the main actors involved; and (c) the main issues around accelerating USI. The literature, especially that coming from the UN agencies, is analysed and experiences from the recently revitalised USI programme, and related relevant meetings, are distilled. In Sudan the prevalence of goitre is 22 per cent. It is assumed that productivity among the people affected is reduced by 5–25 per cent. Little apparent progress has been made with USI. The Government of Sudan, UN multilateral agencies, international consultative groups, bilateral agencies, global and national non-governmental organisations and, increasingly, the private sector must work together to find innovative approaches to increase awareness of the broader social, public health and nutritional contexts, and to advocate for increased national nd international funding.     

Maternal serum markers in second-trimester oligohydramnios

The levels of the maternal serum markers alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), and unconjugated oestriol (uE₃) in 35 pregnant women with early second-trimester oligohydramnios differed from those in a reference population of 1699 singleton pregnancies. Maternal serum AFP levels above the 95th centile of the population distribution were observed in 80 per cent (16/20) of oligohydramnios cases with a normal fetus and in only 20 per cent (3/15) of the cases with a fetus displaying urogenital tract malformations. Elevated levels of hCG (above the 95th centile) and decreased levels of uE₃ (below the fifth centile) were encountered in 26 per cent (9/35) and 17 per cent (6/35) of the women, irrespective of the fetal condition. The abnormal profile of the serum markers in early second-trimester oligohydramnios resulted in 57 per cent (20 out of 35) of screen-positive cases for either fetal Down's syndrome or neural tube defects, compared with 8·4 per cent (143 out of 1699) in the reference population.     

Identification of a novel β0 - thalassaemia mutation in a greek family and subsequent prenatal diagnosis

We present a case in which a Greek couple was considered not to be at risk of having children with homozygous β-thalassaemia, an assessment based largely on the father's belief that he carried α-thalassaemia. After their first child was diagnosed with homozygous β-thalassaemia, the case was re-assessed and both parents were shown to have the haematological profile of β-thalassaemia trait. Screening for the common Mediterranean mutations demonstrated that the mother carries the IVS-1 nt 110 G→A β⁺ -thalassaemia mutation. Direct nucleotide sequencing of PCR-amplified DNA revealed that the father carries a novel β⁰-thalassaemia mutation, frameshift codons 9/10 (+T). The couple's second pregnancy was terminated after prenatal testing revealed that the fetus had inherited both parental mutations. This case illustrates the need to confirm the carrier status of individuals prior to assessing their genetic risks, and highlights the importance of being able to identify rare or novel β-thalassaemia mutations.