title: Alternative food networks and opportunities for transformation towards a sustainable and resilient urban food system

authors: Vieira, Leticia Canal

subjects: Local food supply

abstract: Food systems are suffering from pressures related to population growth, increased urbanisation, climate change, and resource scarcity. These pressures are exacerbated by globalisation, with consumers concentrated in urban areas while producers are dispersed across rural areas that are often remote or even in different countries. To address these challenges and create a more sustainable and resilient future, many local governments have embraced the idea of urban food systems. The literature identifies a range of sustainable and resilient outcomes for urban food systems but finding effective transition pathways remains a challenge. Alternative food networks have emerged with the goal of being more environmentally sustainable and socially just. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify how alternative food networks can contribute to achieving sustainable and resilient urban food systems. The analysis of 50 international case studies showed that alternative food networks may be able to create a food provision system that contributes to: the generation, transfer, and appropriate use of food knowledge and skills; the protection of surrounding ecosystems; more participative decision processes; improved local food supply; and, increased connectivity between urban and rural areas. Social justice and product diversity, however, are issues that remain a challenge. The paper concludes with insights for supporting Australian alternative food networks, including: the further evaluation of alternative food networks capacity of reducing green-house gas emissions and food loss and waste; the inclusion of alternative food networks as a possible climate change adaptation strategy for urban food supply; and an analysis of how governance arrangements can better support these initiatives.

text: Alternative food networks and opportunities for transformation towards a sustainable and resilient urban food system Food systems are suffering from pressures related to population growth, increased urbanisation, climate change, and resource scarcity. These pressures are exacerbated by globalisation, with consumers concentrated in urban areas while producers are dispersed across rural areas that are often remote or even in different countries. To address these challenges and create a more sustainable and resilient future, many local governments have embraced the idea of urban food systems. The literature identifies a range of sustainable and resilient outcomes for urban food systems but finding effective transition pathways remains a challenge. Alternative food networks have emerged with the goal of being more environmentally sustainable and socially just. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify how alternative food networks can contribute to achieving sustainable and resilient urban food systems. The analysis of 50 international case studies showed that alternative food networks may be able to create a food provision system that contributes to: the generation, transfer, and appropriate use of food knowledge and skills; the protection of surrounding ecosystems; more participative decision processes; improved local food supply; and, increased connectivity between urban and rural areas. Social justice and product diversity, however, are issues that remain a challenge. The paper concludes with insights for supporting Australian alternative food networks, including: the further evaluation of alternative food networks capacity of reducing green-house gas emissions and food loss and waste; the inclusion of alternative food networks as a possible climate change adaptation strategy for urban food supply; and an analysis of how governance arrangements can better support these initiatives.

year: 2020

title: Eight questions about brain drain

authors: Gibson, John

subjects: international migration

abstract: The term "brain drain" dominates popular discourse on high-skilled migration, and for this reason, we use it in this article. However, as Harry Johnson noted, it is a loaded phrase implying serious loss. It is far from clear that such a loss actually occurs in practice; indeed, there is an increasing recognition of the possible benefits that skilled migration can offer both for migrants and for sending countries. This paper builds upon a recent wave of empirical research to answer eight key questions underlying much of the brain drain debate: 1) What is brain drain? 2) Why should economists care about it? 3) Is brain drain increasing? 4) Is there a positive relationship between skilled and unskilled migration? 5) What makes brain drain more likely? 6) Does brain gain exist? 7) Do high-skilled workers remit, invest, and share knowledge back home? 8) What do we know about the fiscal and production externalities of brain drain?

text: Eight questions about brain drain The term "brain drain" dominates popular discourse on high-skilled migration, and for this reason, we use it in this article. However, as Harry Johnson noted, it is a loaded phrase implying serious loss. It is far from clear that such a loss actually occurs in practice; indeed, there is an increasing recognition of the possible benefits that skilled migration can offer both for migrants and for sending countries. This paper builds upon a recent wave of empirical research to answer eight key questions underlying much of the brain drain debate: 1) What is brain drain? 2) Why should economists care about it? 3) Is brain drain increasing? 4) Is there a positive relationship between skilled and unskilled migration? 5) What makes brain drain more likely? 6) Does brain gain exist? 7) Do high-skilled workers remit, invest, and share knowledge back home? 8) What do we know about the fiscal and production externalities of brain drain?

year: 2011

title: “This is not a riot, it is a protest”: A discourse analysis of prison violence in New Zealand news media

authors: Membery, Liam

subjects: Prison Violence

abstract: This thesis examines the discourses of prison violence in the New Zealand news media. Prison violence is a pressing social issue that harms those involved and has permeating consequences for the institution. Prison riots, specifically, involve serious instances of disorder and violence that incur physical, psychological, social and economic harm. Despite prisons being private institutions, prison riots are public events that amass large social responses through news media coverage. The public often use news media to co-construct their perceptions of social phenomena, and policymakers use both public opinion and the news media to guide their decisions when shaping policy. Subsequently, the ways in which the news media discursively construct prison riots will have direct consequences for public attitudes and policy relating to prison violence, a phenomenon that exists outside of the public eye. However, there is currently no research that has examined discourses of prison violence and, further, what the consequences of these discourses may be. Therefore, using a Foucauldian approach to discourse analysis, this study examined the discourses in the news media representations of the large-scale prison violence at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility (2013) and Waikeria Prison (2020-2021). The results uncovered three discourses: the riot discourse, the gang discourse, and the protest discourse. The riot discourse was identified as dominant and constructed prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by inherently violent prisoners. The gang discourse worked in conjunction with the riot discourse, constructing prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by gang members. The protest discourse was identified as a counter-discourse and constructed the unrest at both facilities as protests against living conditions and inhumane treatment. Each discourse has consequences for public attitudes and in turn, penal policy and practice.

text: “This is not a riot, it is a protest”: A discourse analysis of prison violence in New Zealand news media This thesis examines the discourses of prison violence in the New Zealand news media. Prison violence is a pressing social issue that harms those involved and has permeating consequences for the institution. Prison riots, specifically, involve serious instances of disorder and violence that incur physical, psychological, social and economic harm. Despite prisons being private institutions, prison riots are public events that amass large social responses through news media coverage. The public often use news media to co-construct their perceptions of social phenomena, and policymakers use both public opinion and the news media to guide their decisions when shaping policy. Subsequently, the ways in which the news media discursively construct prison riots will have direct consequences for public attitudes and policy relating to prison violence, a phenomenon that exists outside of the public eye. However, there is currently no research that has examined discourses of prison violence and, further, what the consequences of these discourses may be. Therefore, using a Foucauldian approach to discourse analysis, this study examined the discourses in the news media representations of the large-scale prison violence at the Spring Hill Corrections Facility (2013) and Waikeria Prison (2020-2021). The results uncovered three discourses: the riot discourse, the gang discourse, and the protest discourse. The riot discourse was identified as dominant and constructed prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by inherently violent prisoners. The gang discourse worked in conjunction with the riot discourse, constructing prison violence as an individualised issue perpetrated by gang members. The protest discourse was identified as a counter-discourse and constructed the unrest at both facilities as protests against living conditions and inhumane treatment. Each discourse has consequences for public attitudes and in turn, penal policy and practice.

year: 2022