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The food industry is increasingly demanding advanced and eco-friendly sustainable packaging materials with improved physical, mechanical and barrier properties. The currently used materials are synthetic and non-degradable, therefore raising environmental concerns. Consequently, research efforts have been made in recent years towards the development of bio-based sustainable packaging materials. In this review, the potential of nanocelluloses as nanofillers or as coatings for the development of bio-based nanocomposites is discussed, namely: (i) the physico-chemical interaction of nanocellulose with the adjacent polymeric phase, (ii) the effect of nanocellulose modification/functionalization on the final properties of the composites, (iii) the production methods for such composites, and (iv) the effect of nanocellulose on the overall migration, toxicity, and the potential risk to human health. Lastly, the technology readiness level of nanocellulose and nanocellulose based composites for the market of food packaging is discussed.

Background: The doubly labelled water (DLW) method is an isotope-based technique that quantifies total energy expenditure (TEE) over periods of 1–3 weeks from the differential elimination of stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen. The method was invented in the 1950s, but limited ability to measure low isotope enrichments combined with the high cost of isotopes meant it only became feasible to use in humans in the 1980s. It is still relatively expensive to use, and alone small samples are unable to tackle some of the important questions surrounding energy balance such as how have expenditures changed over time and how do expenditures differ with age, between sexes and in different environments? Summary: By combining information across studies, answers to such questions may be possible. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) DLW database was established to pool DLW data across multiple studies. It was initiated by the main labs currently using the method and is hosted by the IAEA. At present, the database contains 6,621 measures of TEE by DLW from individuals in 23 countries, along with various additional data on the study participants. Key Messages: The IAEA DLW database is a key resource enabling future studies of energy demands.

The difficulty in studying nonbreeding birds means that little is known about them or their resource requirements, despite forming a large and significant component of a population. One way to assess food requirements is to examine changes in body mass, because it indicates the amount of food acquired. In terms of body mass changes, our expectation is that nonbreeders will either (a) be in poorer condition than the breeders which potentially explains why they do not breed or (b) remain at a stable higher mass as they are unconstrained by the physiological costs associated with rearing chicks. Here, we interrogate body mass datasets of breeding and nonbreeding birds of two penguin species to assess these predictions and determine whether differences in mass exist between these two groups throughout the breeding season. The first dataset is from a wild Adélie penguin population, where bird mass was recorded automatically and breeding status determined from a resighting program. A second population of captive gentoo penguins were weighed regularly each breeding season. We demonstrate that although there were times in each year when breeders were heavier than their nonbreeding counterparts for both populations, the mass changes showed qualitatively similar patterns throughout the breeding season irrespective of breeding status. Heavier breeders at times during the breeding season are not unexpected but the overall similar pattern of mass change irrespective of breeding status is in contrast to expectations. It appears that breeding status per se and the constraints that breeding places on birds are not the only driver of changes in mass throughout the breeding season and, although not explicitly studied here, the role of hormones in driving changes in appetite could be key to explain these results. These results present a significant step toward understanding food requirements of nonbreeders in avian populations.

The bachelor's thesis deals with the selection of food of European beaver (Castor fiber) in the Tvrdonicko area, specifically in the surrounding stands of six blind branches of the Morava River. Czech and foreign literary sources served as the basis for the literary part of the work. For the practical part of the work, data from the field survey, which took place in the winter period of 2017 and 2018, were used. The most preferred tree species in this area were poplar (Populus sp.), babyka maple (Acer campestre), willow (Salix sp.), ash (Fraxinus sp.) and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa). The beaver preferred the most young stands with individuals of smaller diameters. The damage to the vegetation was very low compared to other localities. The results of this work mostly confirm the information presented so far on the selection of woody plants by a beaver. It also focuses on evaluating the factors that influence food choices.

The food industry is increasingly demanding advanced and eco-friendly sustainable packaging materials with improved physical, mechanical and barrier properties. The currently used materials are synthetic and non-degradable, therefore raising environmental concerns. Consequently, research efforts have been made in recent years towards the development of bio-based sustainable packaging materials. In this review, the potential of nanocelluloses as nanofillers or as coatings for the development of bio-based nanocomposites is discussed, namely: (i) the physico-chemical interaction of nanocellulose with the adjacent polymeric phase, (ii) the effect of nanocellulose modification/functionalization on the final properties of the composites, (iii) the production methods for such composites, and (iv) the effect of nanocellulose on the overall migration, toxicity, and the potential risk to human health. Lastly, the technology readiness level of nanocellulose and nanocellulose based composites for the market of food packaging is discussed., This study was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the scope of the strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006684) and BioTecNorte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa Operacional Regional do Norte.” The authors also acknowledge the financial support of the FCT (ESF) through the grant given to Francisco A.G.S. Silva (SFRH/BD/146375/2019)., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Every year fisheries discard >10 million tonnes of fish. This provides a bounty for scavengers, yet the ecological impact of discarding is understudied. Seabirds are the best-studied discard scavengers and fisheries have shaped their movement ecology, demography and community structure. However, we know little about the number of scavenging seabirds that discards support, how this varies over time or might change as stocks and policy change. Here, we use a Bayesian bioenergetics model to estimate the number of scavenging birds potentially supported by discards in the North Sea (one of the highest discard-producing regions) in 1990, around the peak of production, and again after discard declines in 2010. We estimate that North Sea discards declined by 48% from 509,840 tonnes in 1990 to 267,549 tonnes in 2010. This waste had the potential to support 5.66 (95% credible intervals: 3.33-9.74) million seabirds in the 1990s, declining by 39% to 3.45 (1.98-5.78) million birds by 2010. Our study reveals the potential for fishery discards to support very large scavenging seabird communities but also shows how this has declined over recent decades. Discard bans, like the European Union's Landing Obligation, may reduce inflated scavenger communities, but come against a backdrop of gradual declines potentially buffering deleterious impacts. More work is required to reduce uncertainty and to generate global estimates, but our study highlights the magnitude of scavenger communities potentially supported by discards and thus the importance of understanding the wider ecological consequences of dumping fisheries waste. Publisher PDF

A total of 100 mesozooplankton samples collected with NORPAC nets from a 0 to 150-m depth at latitudinal stations (35-44 degrees N) along 155 degrees E each May from 2002 through 2011 were analyzed. The mesozooplankton abundance at each station varied from 39 to 1106 ind. m(-3). The mesozooplankton biomass was consistently higher (80-100 mg DM m(-3)) in the transition domain (40-42 degrees N) than the biomass in the other domains. An empirical metabolic rate-based carbon budget model indicated that production of mesozooplankton suspension feeders was highest (120-175 mg C m(-2) d(-1)) in the transition domain. A comparison between the production of the mesozooplankton suspension feeders and the food requirement of mesozooplankton carnivores indicated that the latter was well fulfilled by the former in the subarctic and transition domains. However, the food requirement of the mesozooplankton carnivores was near equal to or exceeded the production of mesozooplankton suspension feeders in the subtropical domain. As an annual event, the feeding migration of epipelagic fish to the transition and subarctic domains in summer may be interpreted by their utilization of the excess secondary production (production of mesozooplankton suspension feeders). (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Un adecuado bienestar animal resulta un requisito esencial para trabajar bajo BPG-VC. Las buenas condiciones para que los animales logren un adecuado bienestar implican: que se los produzca en situaciones de mínimo estrés, dolor y temor; que se les permita satisfacer sus necesidades nutricionales, sanitarias y comportamentales; que se prevengan sus enfermedades y se les administren tratamientos veterinarios apropiados; que se los maneje y sacrifique de manera humanitaria. Algunos de los próximos requisitos ya fueron abordados en capítulos anteriores de esta guía, sin embargo, se vuelven a presentar destacando su enfoque desde el bienestar animal. Fil: Racciati, Debora. Servicio Nacional de Sanidad y Calidad Agroalimentaria (SENASA); Argentina. Fil: Aguilar, Natalia Alejandra. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Colonia Benítez; Argentina. Fil: Davies, Patricio. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria General Villegas; Argentina. Fil: Grigioni, Gabriela Maria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto Tecnología de Alimentos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET); Argentina. Universidad de Morón (UM); Argentina. Fil: Pacífico, Carlos. Centro de Consignatarios de Productos del País (CCPP); Argentina.

In this study, 33 spring and winter wheat genotypes were analyzed for carotenoid content and composition. Investigated genotypes were divided into four genotype groups i.e., spelt, landraces, old cultivars and primitive wheat. The results showed a high level of variation among the genotypes in amount of carotenoids in the grain with high values (around 4 mg/Kg) especially in one of the genotypes—Öland 8. Lutein was the most common carotenoid in all the investigated genotypes, contributing 70%–90% of the carotenoids in the grain. Variation in carotenoid content and composition was found not only among genotypes, but also between genotype groups and wheat type, although there is a need to analyze more genotypes to confirm the differences found between groups and types. This study showed that 40% of the daily requirements of lutein can be achieved from the genotypes with the highest lutein content (Öland 8) produced using organic farming through the average human consumption of 200 grams of wheat per day. Furthermore, this study showed, by the use of principal component analyses, an opportunity to select genotypes combining high values of certain nutritional compounds. By a further breeding and commercial production of such genotypes, the nutritional value of wheat flour for human consumption can be improved.

The assessment of temporal and spatial availability of food resources is an important prerequisite in developing improved management tools for effective conservation action. It is especially useful in the conservation of avian scavengers inhabiting regions where livestock move on a regular basis (transhumance). Important management decisions can be taken on the basis of theoretical analyses that need to be regularly checked. In this case study, we consider models of Griffon vulture Gyps fulvus, Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus and bearded vulture Gypaetus barbatus populations in a part of Spain with one of the highest densities of scavenging birds, and where traditional farming practices remain. We applied bioinspired Population Dynamic P System models (PDP) to assess these species’ population trends against the distribution, quantity and availability of carrion for food. We show asymmetries in the availability of food resources, which are substantially higher in summer due to transhumant movements. In the study area, a lack of food resources in winter leads to a seasonal reduction in food supplies to levels unable to meet the energetic requirements of the most abundant vulture species, the Griffon vulture. Our results suggest that regardless of active management (e.g. supplementary feeding sites) and the birds’ use of other potential food resources not included in the model, Griffon vultures are able to find important alternative food resources in more remote areas. We show the importance of variations at spatio-temporal scales in the objective forecasting of population trends, and in the correct application of management actions. Because of the importance of robust assessments for management applications, we discuss the advantages and limitations of ecological modelling for avian scavengers, highlighting the importance of transhumance processes and transboundary approaches., A.M. was supported by a Ramón y Cajal research contract by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RYC-2012-11867). P.O-V. was supported by a research contract by the University of Lleida. This study was supported by MAGRAMA, Government of Navarra (project Necropir-EFA 130/09) and the MINECO project CGL2015-66966-C2-2-R.

[EN]: Studying the diet of wild animals is central for understanding their flexibility in food requirements. The Black Harrier Circus maurus is an endangered raptor in South Africa and Namibia. To date, information about the diet of the species is insufficient for a comprehensive understanding of its ecology. We studied the diet composition of breeding Black Harriers using c. 1 000 pellets (>1 700 identified prey) collected at nest sites in two geographical regions (coastal vs inland) over 10 breeding seasons (2006–2015). We show the importance of small mammals in Black Harrier diet (64.4% and 78.2% of prey and consumed biomass, respectively), with the four-striped mouse Rhabdomys pumilio being a main trophic resource. We also reveal the importance of birds and reptiles as alternative prey, particularly in inland regions, and show inter-annual variations in diet in both regions. Our study confirms that this species can be considered a small mammal specialist. Specialist predators are more vulnerable than generalist ones and diet specialisation has been linked with a poorer conservation status in other species. Our results thus have implications for the conservation of this species in southern Africa. These are highlighted for the long-term sustainability of this threatened endemic species. [FR]: L’étude du régime alimentaire des animaux sauvages est essentielle afin d’étudier leurs besoins, leur flexibilité ou dépendance. Le busard noir Circus maurus est un rapace rare et menacé, endémique d’Afrique méridionale. L’information actuelle sur son alimentation est insuffisante pour une compréhension globale de leur écologie. Dans cet article, nous étudions le régime alimentaire d’individus reproducteurs en utilisant l´analyse d’environ 1 000 pelotes de rejection (>1 700 proies identifiées) collectées au nid dans deux régions géographiques contrastées (côtière et intérieur) pendant 10 saisons de reproduction (2006–2015). Nous montrons l’importance des micromammifères dans l’alimentation du busard noir (64.4 % de proies et 78.2% de biomasse consommée) et en particulier du rat de champ rayé Rhabdomys pumilio qui est la principale ressource trophique. Nous révélons également l’importance des oiseaux et reptiles comme proies alternatives, notamment dans les régions de l’intérieur, et montrons des variations interannuelles du régime alimentaire dans les deux régions. Notre étude confirme que cette espèce peut être considérée comme spécialiste de micromammifères. Les prédateurs spécialistes sont d’ordinaire plus vulnérables que les généralistes, et leur spécialisation alimentaire va généralement de pair avec un statut de conservation plus défavorable que pour d’autres prédateurs généralistes. Nos résultats ont des implications pour la conservation et la viabilité à long terme de cette espèce endémique et menacée d’Afrique méridionale. This study was funded by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (NRF; Grant no. 90582 to RES), the DST-NRF Centre ofExcellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, the CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas PIE 201330E106) and by private landowners and organisations. Particular thanks for economic support are due to BirdLife South Africa, Inkwazi and Wits Bird Club, “Golden Fleece Merino”, the University of Cape Town Research Council (URC), Jakkalsfontein Private Nature Reserve, the Two Oceans Slope Soarers (TOSS), Natural Research UK, Hawk Mountain (USA), the Peregrine Fund, Sven Carlsson-Smith, Nial Perrins, Chris Cory, Gisela Ortner and James Smith. FM and BA thank the University of Cape Town for financial support (2015 Science Faculty Distinguished Visitor award to FM; and Foreign Research Fellowship through A Amar to BA).

This paper investigates the use of early warning tools as part of Ethiopia's Disaster Risk Management framework. Analyzing, in particular, the Livelihoods, Early Assessment and Protection tool, Livelihood Integrated Assessment and Hotspots Assessments, the paper delineates the scope and objectives of existing early warning tools, their commonalities and limitations. From a disaster risk financing and insurance perspective, the paper investigates possible enhancements in the existing early warning framework and its use that could facilitate greater timeliness of drought response. The paper argues that based on the existing early warning instruments and continued improvements to the early warning systems, it is possible to enable early action during the onset of a drought.

The relationship between violence and chronic poverty has been studied mostly in the context of war or long-term episodes of conflict. In contrast to previous studies, this paper explores whether violence that does not include the shattering of infrastructure impacts the chance that poverty may remain chronic. A long-run perspective is gained by analyzing unique, recently gathered panel data at the municipality level in the Mexican context, covering the period from 1990 to 2010. Violence is measured as the number of non-drug-related homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. A municipality is classified as chronically poor if the percentage of people in food poverty remains above the national average during two consecutive periods. Econometric analysis is carried out through discrete choice models. Putting the results in context, consider of a chronically poor municipality in 2005 in which average household income is below the 25th percentile in 2000. If this municipality had a 10.47 non-drug-related homicide rate, the 75th percentile in 2000, its chance of remaining chronically poor into 2005 was almost double the corresponding chance of a municipality with the same mean household income but at the national median of violence in 2000 (zero non-drug-related homicides).

Iraq was plunged into two simultaneous crises in the second half of 2014, one driven by a sharp decline in oil prices, the other, by the war against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The severity and recurrent nature of these crises demand a fast understanding and quantification of their welfare impact, which is critical for policy makers. This paper employs an innovative extension of the micro-simulation methodology to provide an ex ante estimate and analysis of the complex and dynamic poverty and distributional impact of the twin crises. The results show an almost complete erosion of the welfare gains of the past, with poverty falling back to 2007 levels and a 20 percent increase in the number of the poor. While the incidence of poverty is higher among internally displaced persons than the rest of the population (except in the Islamic State–affected governorates, where poverty is higher), internally displaced persons make up only a small proportion of Iraq's eight million poor in 2014. The rest comprise of households who already lived below the poverty line, or those who have fallen below the poverty line in the face of the massive economic disruptions the country is facing. The welfare impact of the crises varies widely across space, with the largest increases in poverty headcount rates in Kurdistan and the Islamic State–affected governorates. Yet, the poorest regions in the 2014 crisis scenario are the same as in 2012, the currently Islamic State–affected, and the South, with poverty rates of 40 and 30 percent, respectively. Although the simulated results are not strictly comparable to ex post micro data estimates, because of survey coverage constraints, overall the results are very much in line, particularly in Kurdistan and the South.

The main objective of this Economic and Sector Work (ESW) is to identify opportunities for stronger linkages between domestic agricultural supply chains and the tourism sector in the OECS, and to outline priority interventions with potential to strengthen these linkages. Since this topic has been analyzed in a number of studies, the approach for this ESW is not to conduct yet another comprehensive study. Instead, the goal is to validate and build on previous work through detailed field interviews with a selected sample of ‘game changers in the private and public sectors, and to come up with priority areas of focus and investments. The continued focus on strengthening the agriculture-tourism linkages is appropriate given the unexploited possibilities for increasing the share of locally sourced food purchased by the tourism sector and reducing the growing food import bill. The studies also identified specific types of food with potential to satisfy demand from the tourism sector. Both studies caution, however, that the potential for local production to replace imports is limited, given the regions agro-climatic conditions and price competitiveness. The World Bank, FAO study estimated that the scope to substitute tourism import demand by local produce is limited to around 11 percent of hotel food imports, equivalent to approximately 2 percent of the total food import bill. The study estimated that the annual ‘leakage of the tourism sector in fresh products could be reduced by about US$10 million, arguing that local and regional markets have greater potential to lower the food import bill.

The report Africa Can Help Feed Africa (World Bank 2012) showed that increasing food staples1 supply can be met by better connecting African markets to each other. That report called for a stronger focus on removing trade barriers and building on the forces of regional integration. This report builds on the lessons of Africa Can Help Feed Africa by looking into the specific circum¬stances met in West Africa, home to one-third of the continent’s population and to some of its most vulnerable countries. Staple foods are the main source of calories in Africa and in West Africa. In that region, rice, followed by maize and cassava, provides the main source of calories in coastal countries, with millet and sorghum being an important source of food in Sahelian countries (Haggblade et al. 2012). The challenge of food supply is particularly acute in West Africa with some of the world’s fastest growing populations, including urban populations. West Africa’s 2011 population of 342 million is expected to increase to 516 million by 2030 and to 815 million by 2050 (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division 2013); in this time frame, the region’s urban population will grow from 44 percent to 63 percent of the total population (United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division 2014). As this report will show, strong reasons exist to bring a more strategic focus on promoting regional trade. The first compelling reason is that there is already a sizeable amount of trade in the region, revealing existing important complementarities between countries in the ECOWAS space. Because a large share of this trade is informal, this reality is not always well taken into account. A second reason is that developing these complementarities by facilitating trade and creating the regional soft and hard infra¬structure to incite cross-border flows would further enable (a) the exploitation of comparative advan¬tages and economies of scale in the region; (b) access to and diffusion of better production technologies; (c) competitive access to inputs, research, and extension services; and (d) improved security in the face of shocks that lead to food crises. Finally, a third reason is that existing national policies that affect trade are, by and large, inefficient and incoherent at the regional level; therefore a better use of policy making and institutions is needed to achieve food policy objectives.

This report presents a comparative analysis of the food legislation requirements of the European Union (EU) and the Customs Union. Its purpose is to guide food business operators and public authorities engaged in reforming national food safety systems in the peculiarities of EU and Customs Union legal requirements and help them evaluate their capabilities in meeting those requirements. This report supports the International Finance Corporation’s efforts to facilitate the opening of new markets for the producers in emerging markets. This report compares the most critical aspects of food legislation of the EU and the Customs Union, such as: requirements and arrangements of food control; requirements to food quality; requirements to food labeling; food and food-related articles and materials that require special authorization; and laboratory control and food safety criteria. Ensuring food safety and consumer protection increasingly occupy the agendas of governments, which are looking to expand their trade networks. Likewise, food businesses interested in widening their export range need to understand quality and safety requirements in their target markets. This report offers unique, up-to-date information on the similarities and differences of the food safety requirements of the EU and Customs Union, with detailed assessments of the regulations that govern food safety.

Modifying the national poverty line to the context of observed consumption patterns of the poor is becoming popular. A context-specific poverty line would be more consistent with preferences. This paper provides theoretical and empirical evidence that the contrary holds and that the national poverty line is more appropriate for comparing living standards among the poor, at least under prevailing conditions in Mozambique and Ghana. The problem lies in the risk of downscaling the burden associated with cheap-calorie diets and the low nonfood component of the rural poor. The paper illustrates how observed behavior may neither reveal preferences nor detect heterogeneous preferences among the poor. Rather, the consumption pattern is the upshot of the poverty condition itself. Poverty is confused with preferences if observed cheap-calorie diets are seen as a matter of taste, whereas in fact they reflect a lack of means to consume a preferred diet of higher quality, as food Engel curve estimates indicate. Likewise, a smaller nonfood component is not a matter of a particular distaste, but an adaptation to the fact that various nonfood items (such as transport) and basic services (such as electricity and health) are simply absent in rural areas.

Many challenges were identified during the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) in Zambia. To address these challenges and realize pro-poor growth, the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP) was set in motion. The SNDP, which covers 2011 to 2015, was designed to accomplish three goals: to accelerate infrastructure development (roads, bridges, air, water, rail and border infrastructure, feeder roads, water canals, tourist access roads), to improve the provision of basic services including water and sanitation, electricity access, health, education and skills development to promote rural investment; and to accelerate poverty reduction, mainly through the continued implementation of the Rural Finance Program and to enhance human development.

Child food insecurity is associated with a range of negative developmental consequences, including behaviour problems. While research shows that the phenomenon is both common and consequential, there is a lack of consistency in what is being measured and how. This results in incomplete information affecting our ability to effectively address child food insecurity, its causes and consequences. We present a review of the literature, and advocate for a global system to measure and monitor individual children’s experiences of food insecurity. The conceptual and practical challenges for developing an effective, efficient, and feasible system for global monitoring of child food insecurity are discussed and alternatives are suggested.

The main objective of this thesis is to analyse a phenomenon of consumer´s protection with respect to the food safety. I have chosen mentioned issue due to its high topicality which could be proved by several medial cases. On the other hand, the constant public discussions of this issue lead to the fact that Czech consumers are becoming to be more self-confident and not afraid to assert their rights although this approach had been unusual recently. This thesis has ambitions to improve awareness of consumer´s protection as well as the food safety. For practical part of this thesis, I have formulated 4 basic hypotheses whose validity have been subsequently verifying through quantitative method, namely by an anonymous questionnaire survey performed in four cities situated in South Bohemia - in Písek, Strakonice, Tábor and České Budějovice. The hypotheses were in following versions: 1.The respondents are not satisfied with current situation in the area of consumer´s protection, 2.The respondents are convinced of the safety of Czech food, 3.The respondents think that the food safety has been worsening after the entrance of Czech Republic to the EU, 4.The respondents believe that imported food can threaten their health. My research has confirmed hypotheses nr. 1 and 2. On the other side, hypotheses nr. 3 and 4 have been rejected. This thesis may be further used for educational purposes regarding customer deeper awareness within a public discussion about this issue.

Copepods are essential components of marine food webs worldwide. In the North Atlantic, they are thought to perform vertical migration and to remain at depths more than 500 m during winter. We challenge this concept through a study of the winter feeding ecology of little auks ( Alle alle ), a highly abundant planktivorous seabird from the North Atlantic. By combining stable isotope and behavioural analyses, we strongly suggest that swarms of copepods are still available to their predators in water surface layers (less than 50 m) during winter, even during short daylight periods. Using a new bioenergetic model, we estimate that the huge number (20–40 million birds) of little auks wintering off southwest Greenland consume 3600–7200 tonnes of copepods daily, strongly suggesting substantial zooplankton stocks in surface waters of the North Atlantic in the middle of the boreal winter.

In this study, 321 winter and spring wheat genotypes were analysed for twelve nutritionally important minerals (B, Cu, Fe, Se, Mg, Zn, Ca, Mn, Mo, P, S and K). Some of the genotypes used were from multiple locations and years, resulting in a total number of 493 samples. Investigated genotypes were divided into six genotype groups i.e., selections, old landraces, primitive wheat, spelt, old cultivars and cultivars. For some of the investigated minerals higher concentrations were observed in selections, primitive wheat, and old cultivars as compared to more modern wheat material, e.g., cultivars and spelt wheat. Location was found to have a significant effect on mineral concentration for all genotype groups, although for primitive wheat, genotype had a higher impact than location. Spring wheat was observed to have significantly higher values for B, Cu, Fe, Zn, Ca, S and K as compared to winter wheat. Higher levels of several minerals were observed in the present study, as compared to previous studies carried out in inorganic systems, indicating that organic conditions with suitable genotypes may enhance mineral concentration in wheat grain. This study also showed that a very high mineral concentration, close to daily requirements, can be produced by growing specific primitive wheat genotypes in an organic farming system. Thus, by selecting genotypes for further breeding, nutritional value of the wheat flour for human consumption can be improved.

Despite the large and growing number of humanitarian emergencies, there is little economic research on the impact of refugees and internally displaced people on the communities that receive them. This analysis of the impact of the refugee inflows from Burundi and Rwanda in 1993 and 1994 on host populations in western Tanzania shows large increases in the prices of nonaid food items and more modest price effects for aid-related food items. Food aid is shown to mitigate these effects, though its impact is smaller than that of the increases in the refugee population. Examination of household assets suggests positive wealth effects of refugee camps on nearby rural households and negative wealth effects on households in urban areas.

Por la importancia que tienen las comunidades bentónicas en las tramas tróficas, y porque algunos de los componentes del bentos forman parte de la dieta de la langosta espinosa (Panulirus argus), se efectuó, durante los meses de Julio y Noviembre (2003) y Febrero (2004), la evaluación del macro y algunos elementos del megazoobentos en tres zonas del occidente de Cuba (Bacunagua, Dayanigua y Coloma), al sur de Pinar del Río. Se tomaron las muestras con una draga modelo Ekman de 0,02 m2 de área efectiva, y se separaron en tamices de 4,0; 1,0 y 0,5 mm de luz de malla. Fueron analizados factores abióticos en agua (temperatura y salinidad) y en sedimento (granulometría). Se registraron en total 1.935 organismos (447,9 org/m2 ), de los cuales 41,8% fueron poliquetos, 11,2% nemátodos, 4,1% sipuncúlidos, 25,0% moluscos, y 5,3% crustáceos. Bacunagua fue el área de mayor densidad de organismos y grupos representados, y Febrero fue el mes de mayor abundancia de macrozoobentos. Con respecto a años anteriores, las densidades totales de organismos mostraron una disminución del 94,6%. Sólo el 49,1% del macrozoobentos resultó alimento potencial para la langosta espinosa, estimando que éste se encuentra disminuido en un 82,7%. Se detectaron elevadas salinidades en zonas próximas a la costa. Se concluye que el macrozoobentos no presenta un desarrollo satisfactorio en las áreas estudiadas, por lo que el potencial alimentario para P. argus se encuentra considerablemente disminuido. Due to the importance of benthic communities in the food chain, and because some benthos components comprise the diet of Spiny Lobsters (Panulirus argus), we evaluated macro- and some elements of megazoobentos in three zones (Bacunagua, Dayanigua, and Coloma) south of Pinar del Río, in western Cuba. Sampling was done in July and November (2003) and February (2004), using an Ekman dredge (0.02 m2 effective sampling area), and separating organisms in sieves with 4.0, 1.0 and 0.5 mm mesh sizes. Abiotic variables in water (temperature and salinity) and sediment (granulometry) were also analyzed. A total of 1,935 organisms were registered (447.9 org/m2 ), including polychaetes (41.8%), nematodes (11.2%), sipunculids (4.1%), mollusks (25.0%), and crustaceans (5.3%). Greater organism density and more representative groups were observed in Bacunagua zone, and macrozoobenthos abundance was highest in February. Total organism density was 94.6% less than in previous years, and only 49.1% of macrozoobenthos represented potential food for lobsters. We estimate that spiny lobsters have diminished by 82.7%. High salinities were detected near the coast. We conclude that macrozoobentos does not display satisfactory development in the study areas, suggesting that potential foods for P. argus may be considerably diminished. Published Spiny Lobster Panulirus argus macrozoobenthos Cuba