title: Biofuels and the poor: Global impact pathways of biofuels on agricultural markets

authors: Huang, Jikun

subjects: Biofuels

abstract: This study seeks to assess the future impacts of biofuel production on regional agricultural and related sectors over the next decade with a specific focus on the vulnerable regions of developing nations. Using a modification of the GTAP modeling platform to account for the global interactions of regional biofuel and food markets, the analysis shows that biofuel production levels depend on the assumption about the future price of energy and the nature of the substitutability between biofuels and petroleum-based transport fuels. Low energy prices reduce the demand for biofuels and thus require greater government support to meet the desired production targets. At the other extreme, when prices are high and there is scope for substituting biofuels for petroleum-based fuels, the volume of biofuels produced will exceed the mandates. Even when biofuels are being mainly produced in developed countries, our results indicate that there are impact pathways that extend far beyond the borders of the US, Brazil and the EU. Prices of feedstock and non-feedstock commodities rise in developing countries. There is also a rise in value added from the agricultural sector—a gain that is enjoyed by the owners of land and labor, including unskilled. Hence, to the extent that agriculture is a key sector in getting growth started and addressing poverty needs, the emergence of biofuels can (in this way at least) be a positive force.

text: Biofuels and the poor: Global impact pathways of biofuels on agricultural markets This study seeks to assess the future impacts of biofuel production on regional agricultural and related sectors over the next decade with a specific focus on the vulnerable regions of developing nations. Using a modification of the GTAP modeling platform to account for the global interactions of regional biofuel and food markets, the analysis shows that biofuel production levels depend on the assumption about the future price of energy and the nature of the substitutability between biofuels and petroleum-based transport fuels. Low energy prices reduce the demand for biofuels and thus require greater government support to meet the desired production targets. At the other extreme, when prices are high and there is scope for substituting biofuels for petroleum-based fuels, the volume of biofuels produced will exceed the mandates. Even when biofuels are being mainly produced in developed countries, our results indicate that there are impact pathways that extend far beyond the borders of the US, Brazil and the EU. Prices of feedstock and non-feedstock commodities rise in developing countries. There is also a rise in value added from the agricultural sector—a gain that is enjoyed by the owners of land and labor, including unskilled. Hence, to the extent that agriculture is a key sector in getting growth started and addressing poverty needs, the emergence of biofuels can (in this way at least) be a positive force.

year: 2012

title: Trust- and location-based recommendations for tourism

authors: Hinze, Annika

subjects: computer science

abstract: Recommender systems in a travel guide suggest touristic sites a user may like. Typically, people are more willing to trust recommendations from people they know. We present a trust-based recommendation service for a mobile tourist guide that uses the notion of directly and indirectly trusted peers. The recommendations combine information about the peers’ ratings on sights, interpersonal trust and geographical constraints. We created two trust propagation models to spread trust information throughout the traveller peer group. Our prototype supports six trust-based, location-aware recommendation algorithms.

text: Trust- and location-based recommendations for tourism Recommender systems in a travel guide suggest touristic sites a user may like. Typically, people are more willing to trust recommendations from people they know. We present a trust-based recommendation service for a mobile tourist guide that uses the notion of directly and indirectly trusted peers. The recommendations combine information about the peers’ ratings on sights, interpersonal trust and geographical constraints. We created two trust propagation models to spread trust information throughout the traveller peer group. Our prototype supports six trust-based, location-aware recommendation algorithms.

year: 2009

title: Te mātauranga whakatere waka

authors: Tuaupiki, Jackie Whetumarama

abstract: Hei tēnei tuhinga e whai ake nei, ka tirohia te hangarau waka a ngā tūpuna o Te Moana nui a Kiwa i whakawhiti ai rātou ki ō rātou moutere tae atu ki te mātauranga whakatere waka me te arotahi o te titiro ki te whakatinanatanga o aua mātauranga. Ka tāmutu i konā, ka pūhia te titiro i runga i ngā huarere o Poronīhia e kite ai tātou i ngā āhuatanga o Tāwhirimātea i ōna moutere me ngā wero ki te whakatere waka i ērā huarere.

text: Te mātauranga whakatere waka Hei tēnei tuhinga e whai ake nei, ka tirohia te hangarau waka a ngā tūpuna o Te Moana nui a Kiwa i whakawhiti ai rātou ki ō rātou moutere tae atu ki te mātauranga whakatere waka me te arotahi o te titiro ki te whakatinanatanga o aua mātauranga. Ka tāmutu i konā, ka pūhia te titiro i runga i ngā huarere o Poronīhia e kite ai tātou i ngā āhuatanga o Tāwhirimātea i ōna moutere me ngā wero ki te whakatere waka i ērā huarere.

year: 2017