An ecological economic interpretation of the Jevons effect

This article develops an ecological economic interpretation of the Jevons effect. Moreover, it is argued that under the neoclassical paradigm there are no elements with which to foresee the long-term existence of this phenomenon. The objective of these arguments is to demonstrate that the Jevons effect can be used to compare the ability of neoclassical and ecological economics describing the social appropriation of nature. This is elaborated in two steps. First, we show the importance of the thesis that the economy cannot be cut off from the biophysical materiality of what is produced to give consistency to the so-called Khazzoom–Brookes postulate. It is made clear that this supposition is exogenous to the neoclassical paradigm. Second, the supposition of the biophysical materiality of what is produced is utilized to make an ecological economic interpretation of the Jevons effect. Afterwards, a comparison is made between the neoclassical and the ecological economic perspectives. This comparison leads to the following conclusions: (i) the persistent presence of the Jevons effect in the long run is an anomaly in the neoclassical paradigm; (ii) the observation of the non-existence of the Jevons effect is a refutation of the supposition that economic growth and biophysical materiality are not separable, a central thesis defended by ecological economists. This situation makes possible to use the Jevons effect as a ‘laboratory test’ to compare the ability of neoclassical and ecological economic paradigms to describe the social appropriation of nature.     

Cassava: constraints to production and the transfer of biotechnology to African laboratories

Knowledge and technology transfer to African institutes is an important objective to help achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Plant biotechnology in particular enables innovative advances in agriculture and industry, offering new prospects to promote the integration and dissemination of improved crops and their derivatives from developing countries into local markets and the global economy. There is also the need to broaden our knowledge and understanding of cassava as a staple food crop. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a vital source of calories for approximately 500 million people living in developing countries. Unfortunately, it is subject to numerous biotic and abiotic stresses that impact on production, consumption, marketability and also local and country economics. To date, improvements to cassava have been led via conventional plant breeding programmes, but with advances in molecular-assisted breeding and plant biotechnology new tools are being developed to hasten the generation of improved farmer-preferred cultivars. In this review, we report on the current constraints to cassava production and knowledge acquisition in Africa, including a case study discussing the opportunities and challenges of a technology transfer programme established between the Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute in Tanzania and Europe-based researchers. The establishment of cassava biotechnology platform(s) should promote research capabilities in African institutions and allow scientists autonomy to adapt cassava to suit local agro-ecosystems, ultimately serving to develop a sustainable biotechnology infrastructure in African countries.     

Biotechnology and sustainability: the role of transatlantic cooperation in research and innovation

Life sciences and biotechnology are increasingly providing sustainable solutions in a wide range of areas from medicine to industry, agriculture and the environment. The United States and Europe are the two largest regions in which the revolution in life sciences and biotechnology has been taking place. Established in 1990, the EC-US Task Force on Biotechnology Research has provided a fruitful forum for the exchange of information, for the discussion of ideas and for the joint sponsoring of research activities between the US and the European Union.     

Trends in biotechnology: Sustainable technology development: From high tech to Eco Tech

Biotechnology as a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary field of science and engineering is regarded to be a key technology for the future, able to essentially contribute to sustainable development. In the first part of this paper, a critical analysis of the status quo in biotechnologies is given in the area of pharmaceutical, agricultural, environmental, and industrial biotechnology as well as food biotechnology. Here the general potential becomes clear, but also a series of disadvantages which are partly the result of the existing paradigm in science and technology and partly in direct connection to bioprocessing itself. Nevertheless, these biotechnologies will contribute to sustainable development, but mainly in a shallow sense of survival and livelihood. In the second part of this paper, another new dimension in bioprocessing is elucidated, which is in agreement with the new ecological, holistic world view. Here the so-called “eco-principles” are derived from a systems analysis of the ecosphere and represent the intelligence of nature as the result of evolution. The eco-principles will serve as guidelines for the general eco-restructuring of technology, being a drastic change within the next 2–5 decades. For the applying of eco-principles, a quantitative measure for sustainability in technology was developed (“sustainable process index”), which will enable us to design the new technology paradigm called “Eco Tech”. Ecological security and social equity, together with economic efficiency will define sustainable technology development in a deeper sense. Following this route, a completely new dimension of biotechnology will be reached, where the technosphere is fully embedded into the natural cycles of the ecosphere on a local basis.     

试论拓宽生物防治范围，发展虫害可持续治理

该文针对我国生物防治资源极其丰富和农民经济实力薄弱的特点,结合我国微孢子虫治蝗和苹果园植被多样化持续治理虫害的成果,论述了应如何发展和拓宽具有我国特色的害虫生物防治,进一步提高综合防治水平,促进农业可持续发展。     

Biotechnology-a sustainable alternative for chemical industry

This review outlines the current and emerging applications of biotechnology, particularly in the production and processing of chemicals, for sustainable development. Biotechnology is “the application of scientific and engineering principles to the processing of materials by biological agents”. Some of the defining technologies of modern biotechnology include genetic engineering; culture of recombinant microorganisms, cells of animals and plants; metabolic engineering; hybridoma technology; bioelectronics; nanobiotechnology; protein engineering; transgenic animals and plants; tissue and organ engineering; immunological assays; genomics and proteomics; bioseparations and bioreactor technologies. Environmental and economic benefits that biotechnology can offer in manufacturing, monitoring and waste management are highlighted. These benefits include the following: greatly reduced dependence on nonrenewable fuels and other resources; reduced potential for pollution of industrial processes and products; ability to safely destroy accumulated pollutants for remediation of the environment; improved economics of production; and sustainable production of existing and novel products.     

The potential impact of plant biotechnology on the Millennium Development Goals

The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are international development targets for the year 2015 that aim to achieve relative improvements in the standards of health, socioeconomic status and education in the world's poorest countries. Many of the challenges addressed by the MDGs reflect the direct or indirect consequences of subsistence agriculture in the developing world, and hence, plant biotechnology has an important role to play in helping to achieve MDG targets. In this opinion article, we discuss each of the MDGs in turn, provide examples to show how plant biotechnology may be able to accelerate progress towards the stated MDG objectives, and offer our opinion on the likelihood of such technology being implemented. In combination with other strategies, plant biotechnology can make a contribution towards sustainable development in the future although the extent to which progress can be made in today's political climate depends on how we deal with current barriers to adoption.     

Coexistence, North American style: regulation and litigation

Globally, biotech crops have left a legacy of success and some notable failures due to regulatory and litigious barriers to entry, with a pipeline of potentially beneficial biotech agricultural products lined up and awaiting approval. Compared with traditional agriculture, these crops provide significant health benefits to environmental and human health benefits, including organic systems. While the rest of the world has increased acreage of biotech crops at a steady annual rate of 10%, North America-the birthplace of most biotech crops-has reached a critical turning point in its regulatory evolution. Biotech crops can play a major role in creating a more sustainable agricultural landscape, which is increasingly well-documented, but future commercial use may be hampered by regulation and litigation that place organic and non-GMO agriculture on a pedestal, which could force many biotech crops into containment. If producers of biotech crops are required to prevent their crops from contaminating these other, high premium specialty crops through migration, innovation in agricultural biotechnology will suffer (as the European experience with agricultural biotechnology clearly demonstrates).     

Supply chain surplus: comparing conventional and sustainable supply chains

In this paper, we first define sustainable supply chain, and its value, as a paradigm which pursues the maximization of supply chain profitability while taking its environmental and societal responsibilities. Secondly, we compare the supply chain surplus between the conventional and sustainable supply chains by means of adopting the basic economic analysis based on the concept of externality and social surplus in welfare economics. Through the proposed analysis, we show the possibility of sustainable supply chains which can provide more supply chain surplus to the companies. Finally, some limitations of this paper and future research directions are also presented.     

Plant concepts for mineral acquisition and allocation

Plant biotechnology is expected to make a major contribution to the steady increase of crop production in the near future. The improvement of mineral assimilation has to meet the challenges of reducing fertilizer application in developed countries, preserving the environment, enabling sustainable agriculture management and generating low-input crops with increased performance in areas where soil infertility limits productivity. Natural genetic resources and engineered plants will help to achieve the implementation of traits for improved mineral assimilation.     

试论生物经济成长(GREW)战略

生命科学与生物技术的发展推动了"生物经济"概念的形成与生物经济时代的来临,进而导致农业、健康医疗、环保、工业制造等产业的生产与消费方式正在发生深刻变革。分别从生物经济对未来农业、健康医疗、环保及制造业的影响进行分析,提出了生物经济成长(GREW)战略。作为一个战略体系,GREW战略包括相互交叉、相互依存与影响的四个子战略:新型农业(Green biotech based)战略、健康医疗(Red biotech based)战略、绿色环保(Grey or Environmental biotech based)战略,以及绿色制造业(White biotech based)战略。GREW战略的及时提出与逐步形成,对于生物产业发展规划及政策制定具有高度前瞻性意义和指导作用。     

Food vs Fuel

Cover illustration: This special issue of BTJ, edited by Dr. Stefan Nordhoff (Marl, Germany), highlights the potential but also the drawbacks of biotechnology in energy production. What are the economics behind sustainable energy production? How can we face the competition for the use of biomaterials for food or for mobility? What are new developments in the field? How much agricultural land can be converted and where should water for irrigation come from? What are alternative solutions to the world's energy problem? Cover images © Corbis Digital Stock and Brand X Pictures.     

BIOTECHNOLOGY AND IPM: THE RELEVANCE TO SMALL SCALE FARMERS IN TROPICAL ASIA*

Abstract This paper deals with the relevance of biotechnology and IPM to small scale farmers in South and Southeast Asia. IPM may be defined as the combination and integration of approaches to pest management. which maximizes real profitability and genuine sustainability for the users and farming system and gives due regard to the environment. Alternative and practical pest management options should be developed for small scale farmers who could become experts in crop management and capable of making informed decisions through training in field schools. The latest development of biotechnology includes diagnostics, biological pesticides (either genetically manipulated or not genetically manipulated), transgenic plants and animals (vertebrates and invertebrates) and informatics. The place of biotechnology in rice IPM and vegetable IPM in South and Southeast Asia is discussed. Examples of soybean caterpillar in Brazil and rice blast in Vietnam illustrate the benefits of a strong working partnership between farmers, trainers and researchers in creating new knowledge which promotes sustainable agriculture.     

生物技术学和害虫综合防治对热带亚洲小农户的重要意义(英文)

作者是澳大利亚著名昆虫学家,长期在东南亚农村工作,积累了宝贵经验。他在文中提出,害虫综合防治（ＩＰＭ）的含义是综合害虫治理的方法以达到农业上的最大收益和持续发展,同时注意对环境有良好的影响。对小农户应提供确实可行的整套害虫治理方法,并开创他们能自行选择的机会;他们经过田间学校培训后可成为农作物管理专家,并对怎样防治害虫能作出有根据的抉择。与ＩＰＭ有关的生物防治最近的发展包括：对害虫的准确鉴定、经生物工程处理和未处理过的生物杀虫药的应用、对转基因动植物的利用、及情报资料的收集。文章讨论了这些生物技术在东南亚地区水稻和蔬菜综合治理中的应用,以8及巴西大豆害虫和越南稻瘟病的治理,阐明通过农户、技术员和研究人员通力合作所获得的成绩对农业持续的发展起了主要的推动作用。     

加强合成生物技术创新，引领现代农业跨越发展

21世纪初兴起的合成生物技术被誉为影响世界未来的颠覆性技术之一,其在农业中应用将为世界性农业生产难题提供革命性解决方案,培育农业碳经济和氨经济等生物经济新形态,引领细胞农业、低碳农业和智能农业等新动能和新业态革命。简要总结了国际合成生物技术的发展现状与趋势,深入探讨了我国农业合成生物技术创新的发展战略与总体目标。     

Utilization and conservation of genetic resources: International projects for sustainable agriculture

Foreign assistance helps developing countries to achieve economic growth through wise use of natural resources. Conservation interventions and sustainable use of natural resources play a central role in this development. Conservation and utilization of genetic resources have traditionally proceeded as separate approaches. A conceptual approach to project design is presented encouraging greater interaction between those conserving crop genetic resources and those seeking their economic application in a sound land-use management plan. Projects illustrating this approach are being supported by the Agency for International Development. They suggest a paradigm for research and development allowing interdisciplinary activities targeting sustainable agriculture development.     

多功能农业景观:内涵、进展与研究范式

多功能农业景观是景观尺度下农业多功能性的空间表征,具有生物多样性保护、田园风光留存和地域文化传承等多种重要的非经济功能。构建多功能农业景观是促进区域农业可持续发展与人类福祉提升的重要途径,同时也是多学科交叉的综合性研究。在已有景观生态学研究范式的基础上,探讨了多功能农业景观的内涵和国内外相关研究进展,并提出了"格局-功能-需求-管理"的多功能农业景观研究范式。与此同时,绘制了新研究范式的概念框架,通过划分四大研究模块具体分析了如何基于新研究范式开展多功能农业景观的构建、评价和管理等工作。本研究为实现区域农业景观的可持续发展和阐明多功能农业景观的内在运行机制奠定理论基础提供支持,为乡村生态景观营造关键问题的解决与多功能农业景观的实际构建提供帮助。     

Influence of cultural and disciplinary identity on the way teachers in agricultural education in France relate to knowledge in biotechnology

Socio-professional identity of teachers may have an impact on their way of teaching biotechnology. Livestock and crop production teachers have been trained according to the intensive agriculture model. They have been affected by the emergence of limits to this model; an identity crisis has appeared due to the gap between their disciplinary culture and new social demands. Biotechnology applications have various repercussions in different disciplinary fields, whether in the humanities or in science an technology. To identify the influence of the prevailing culture in various disciplines, a comparative study of opinions (arguments, emotions, behavioural intentions) on various biotechnology applications held among teachers of different disciplinary options has been made in agricultural education in France. In the fields of ethics, human health and the environment, the opinions among teachers in the humanities (economics, modern languages and history/geography) differed significantly from opinions among teachers with scientific and/or technical training (in biology and livestock and crop production). The former expressed more disquiet than the latter. Biology teachers felt less concern about the development of biotechnology applications.     

全球生物制造产业市场与融资现状分析*

作为现代生物产业的核心,生物制造涵盖了从生物资源到生物技术,再到生物产业的价值链,集中体现了现代生物技术在医药、农业、能源、材料、化工、环保等多个工业领域的应用,对经济社会可持续发展进程有重要推动作用。当前,生物制造已成为世界主要发达经济体科技产业布局的重点领域之一,吸引了大量公共投资和社会资本,形成了价值数十亿美元级别的投资风口。调研统计2018~2019年全球150家生物制造相关企业201次融资事件,梳理生物制造产业的国内外发展环境和融资现状,为我国生物制造产业发展提出建议,以期引导领域科技成果转移转化、技术资本对接和行业繁荣发展,为我国经济社会可持续发展做出贡献。     

Bioeconomy for Sustainable Development

Bioeconomy is an emerging paradigm under which the creation, development, and revitalization of economic systems based on a sustainable use of renewable biological resources in a balanced way is rapidly spreading globally. Bioeconomy is building bridges between biotechnology and economy as well as between science, industry, and society. Biotechnology, from its ancient origins up to the present is at the core of the scientific and innovative foundation of bioeconomy policies developed in numerous countries. The challenges and perspectives of bioeconomies are immense, from resource‐efficient large‐scale manufacturing of products such as chemicals, materials, food, pharmaceuticals, polymers, flavors, and fragrances to the production of new biomaterials and bioenergy in a sustainable and economic way for a growing world population. Key success factors for different countries working on the bioeconomy vary widely from high‐tech bioeconomies, emerging diversified or diversified bioeconomies to advanced and basic primary sector bioeconomies. Despite the large variety of bioeconomies, several common elements are identified, which are simultaneously needed altogether.