Traditional agriculture in transition: examining the impacts of agricultural modernization on smallholder farming in Ghana under the new Green Revolution

Following the renewed effort at achieving a new green revolution for Africa, emphasis has been placed on modernizing smallholder agriculture through the deployment of improved inputs especially mechanized technologies. In Ghana, the government has in the last decade emphasized the provision of subsidized mechanized ploughing services to farmers alongside a rapidly growing private sector tractor service market. While mechanized technology adoption rates have increased rapidly, the deployment of these technologies has been without critical analysis of the impacts on production patterns and local agrarian systems. This paper examines the distributional impacts of agriculture mechanization on cropping patterns and farm sizes of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques, and semi-structured interviews with smallholder farmers (n=60). Specifically, comparative analysis of the field sizes and cropping patterns of participant farmers prior to and after the adoption of mechanized technologies was conducted. In-depth interviews were used to contextualize the experiences of smallholder farmers toward understanding how mechanization may be impacting traditional agriculture. Our findings reveal a mechanization paradox in which farm sizes are expanding, while cropping patterns are shifting away from traditional staple crops (pearl millet and sorghum bicolor) to market-oriented crops (maize, rice and groundnuts). This transition we argue, has adverse implications on the cultural dimension of food security, the organization of social life, and climate change adaptation. We recommend a retooling of the current agricultural policy focus to ensure context sensitivity for a more robust battle against food insecurity.     

发现式学习与新课程改革

布鲁纳在20世纪60年代以结构主义理论为基础领导了美国的课程改革运动.虽然此次课程改革以失败而告终,但是发现式学习方法及其教学方法的提出却受到了广泛的关注.布鲁纳也曾就发现式学习进行了专门的论述.本文从发现式学习法的特点、作用出发来探求我国目前正在进行的第八轮新课程改革,试图为我国新课程改革中学习、教学方法的改革提供一个新的视角.     

离子色谱分析中的几个问题探讨

在掌握离子色谱技术最新发展动态的基础上,对离子色谱的新进展、前处理新技术、常用的改善分离度方法、若干注意事项、常遇到的问题等进行了分析探讨,以期用离子色谱技术更多更好地解决实际问题.     

环境污染纠纷调处与环境行政处罚之区别浅析——兼与章锦华同志商榷

指出了环境污染纠纷调处与环境行政处罚的性质，程序，结果等均不相同，在理论上不能将两者混一谈，实践中应区别对待。     

面向新世纪的MARPOL73／78公约及其附则Ⅱ

国际海事组织目前正在对《ＭＡＲＰＯＬ７３／７８公约》附则Ⅱ－控制散装液体有毒物质污染规则作重大修改，内容包手胡毒液体物质和化学品，这很可能对主管机关、船公司和化工界造成严重的冲击。     

浅析新农村建设中主要环境问题及对策措施

对新农村建设中主要存在的生活污染、农业生产活动污染和农村第三产业带来的污染等一系列环境问题进行了分析。要实现新农村建设和环境保护的“共赢”,新农村建设和农村环境保护建设就要同步规划、同步实施、同步发展,推进新农村走上生产发展、生活富裕、生态良好的文明发展道路。     

我国现阶段应采取的节水措施

文中提及我国现阶段节水工作要从提高新水资源利用率入手，在进行节水宣传教育的同时，建立能动的节水机制，充分利用宝贵的降水资源，发挥可利用新水资源最大的效率，为我国未来经济社会的发展创造有利的条件。     

Interfacial effects of suspended particles on biodegradation of N (2,4 dimethyl phenyl) N'' methylformamidine hydrochloride and dibutyl phthalate in waters

ＩｎｔｅｒｆａｃｉａｌｅｆｅｃｔｓｏｆｓｕｓｐｅｎｄｅｄｐａｒｔｉｃｌｅｓｏｎｂｉｏｄｅｇｒａｄａｔｉｏｎｏｆＮ（２，４ｄｉｍｅｔｈｙｌｐｈｅｎｙｌ）Ｎ’ｍｅｔｈｙｌｆｏｒｍａｍｉｄｉｎｅｈｙｄｒｏｃｈｌｏｒｉｄｅａｎｄｄｉｂｕｔｙｌｐｈｔｈ...     

板材成形新技术及其发展趋势(Ⅱ)

介绍了多点成形技术、激光成形技术、冲压智能化技术、成形过程的计算机仿真技术等几种柔性化程度高的板材成形新技术及其发展趋势     

Influence of new town development on the urban heat island - The case of the Bundang area

Five new towns have been developed around the Seoul metropolitan area since 1996. However, these new towns generate lots of traffic and related problems in the areas including those new towns and Seoul as a result of increases in population and a lack of ecological-self-sufficiency. Currently, construction of another new town is under deliberation, and what should be a major consider is the notion that the new town be located within a wide, green zone. Many studies have revealed that green space can play an important role in improving urban eco-meteorological capability and air quality. In order to analyze the urban heat island which will be created by the new urban development, and to investigate the local thermal environment and its negative effects caused by a change of land use type and urbanization, Landsat TM images were used for extraction of urban surface temperature according to changes of land use over the last 15 years. These data are analyzed together with digital land use and topographic information. As a study result, it was found the urban heat island of the study area from 198.5 to 1999 rapidly developed which showed a difference of mean temperature above 2.0. Before the Bundang new town construction the temperature of the residential area was the same as a forest, but during the new town construction in 1991 analysis revealed the creation of an urban heat island. The temperature of a forest whose size is over 50% of the investigation area was lowest, and thus the presence of a forest is believed to have a direct cooling effect on the urban environment and its surroundings. The mean temperature of the residential and commercial areas in the study was found to be 4.5 higher than the forest, and therefore this part of land use is believed to be the main factor causing the temperature increase of the urban heat island.