The Role of Certificates and Labels for Cocoa in the Face of Climate Change: A Scientific Review

Climate change threatens cocoa quality, raising concerns regarding sustainable premium cocoa production. Evaluating the effectiveness of certification standards is imperative to address this concern effectively. A multi-stage method was employed for a systematic review of 39 peer-reviewed articles to highlight the impacts of climate change on the biophysical environment of cocoa and its implications for adapting Geographical Indications (GIs). Additionally, a comprehensive review was conducted on climate-relevant standards of certificates in Ecuador, Indonesia, and Ghana. The findings of this study provide practical insights into possible difficulties that cocoa-producing countries may encounter in maintaining the distinctive flavours and quality trademarks of cocoa in the face of changing climate. Moreover, the findings emphasize the need for producer countries to prioritize viable adaptation and product differentiation strategies that meet sustainable marketing standards to protect GIs or place-based intellectual property. Furthermore, the findings indicate certificates require effective multi-level climate change management and environmental-social-governance principles that promote scientifically proven mitigation strategies, such as increasing soil organic carbon, zero deforestation, and reducing emissions while striving to leverage local adaptation policies to reduce location-specific vulnerability. Finally, certificates can accelerate the expansion, intensification, and redistribution of sustainable production for gains that outweigh the inconveniences caused by climate change.

Research on Coupling Relationship between Social Economy and Ecological Environment in Jinghe County of Aiby Lake Basin,Xinjiang

Based on the theory of sustainable development,using the theory and method of coupling relationship,the main city of Aiby Lake basin——Jinghe County in Xinjiang is selected. Based on the analyses of natural condition,population growth,land use type and ecological environment,the comprehensive evaluation index systems of socio-economic development level and eco-environment quality in Jinghe County are constructed. Using principal component analysis,a comprehensive evaluation of socio-economic development level and ecological environment quality in Jinghe County is conducted by combining with Excel. Their coupling relationship is studied,and quantitative coordination degree between social economy and ecological environment in Jinghe County is obtained. The results show that in recent 50 years,socio-economic development level in Jinghe County is rising,but the ecological environment quality is falling. Their coupling degree C changes during [- 1. 260, ＋ 0. 482],in other words,their coupling relationship is changing between ＂ reluctant coordination＂ and ＂ not coordination＂. After entering into the 21 stcentury,their coupling relationship is basically ＂ reluctant coordination＂. On this basis,the existing problems in the process of sustainable development in Jinghe County are analyzed,and the suggestions about promoting coordinated development between social economy and ecological environment are put forward.

Factor analysis and countermeasure simulation on the socio-ecological environment risks during the development of coalbed methane:based on the DEMATEL and FCM models

The socio-ecological environmental problem caused by the development of coalbed methane(CBM)is becoming more serious,so it is very significant for accelerating the development of CBM industrialization to identify the main influential factors of socioecological environmental risks and take effective risk prevention measures.Based on the triangular fuzzy number method,this paper firstly establishes a comprehensive correlation matrix.Then,the affected factors of socio-ecological environmental risks are analyzed by the DEMATEL method during the development of CBM.Then according to the aspects of centrality and causality,the key indicators are determined.Furthermore,the scenario simulation based on the FCM,the steady-state value and the comprehensive importance of key indicators,and the core indicators are selected.Finally,the scenario simulation of risk management countermeasure is done.The results show that:①The index weights are calculated by the triangular fuzzy numbers,and the correlation matrix in DEMATEL is obtained by the weight ratio,which reduces the shortcomings and the subjectivity of traditional DEMATEL method.②The correlation matrix in FCM is established based on the comprehensive correlation matrix in the above improved DEMATEL,which not only makes the FCM model more comprehensive and reduces the difficulty that the FCM correlation matrix is obtained considering the indirect influence relationship between indicators,but also makes up for the disadvantages that DEMATEL excludes during the selection of the core indexes,which are the considerations of the dynamic change of the importance of the indicators.③The rate of forestry and grass coverage,the ratio of investment in prevention and construction,the pollution index of soil Merlot,the reliability of machinery and equipment,the standard evaluation index of major pollution factors of underground water,and the ability of personal risk prevention are the key indicators,in which the rate of forestry and grass coverage,the ratio of investment in prevention and construction,and the reliability of machinery and equipment are the core indicators and are extremely important for the management of socio-ecological environmental risks during the development of coalbed methane.④The results of the scenario simulation of risk management countermeasure show that the core variables affect the socio-ecological environmental risks through such indicators as the degree of production mechanization,the degree of demolition and resettlement,and the ratio of economic loss by the influenced mechanism analysis;the ratio of investment in prevention and construction has the greatest impact on the socio-ecological environment risks in the early stage of CMB development,while the rate of forestry and grass coverage is the most important in the middle and late stages by the influenced result analysis.Therefore,this paper puts forward some corresponding stage suggestions on the prevention and control of socio-ecological environmental risks during the CMB development.In the early stage of CMB development,the ratio of investment in prevention and construction should be increased.In the middle stage,it is very important to reduce the damage of vegetation regions and to improve the reliability of machinery and equipment;in the late stage,the investment in prevention and construction should be increased steadily and the recovery of damaged vegetation areas should be focused on.

The social environment is most important for not using snus or smoking among adolescents

Aims: To identify factors, which were related to being smoke-free and snus-free, respectively, among adolescents in relation to adolescents who were smoking and/or using snus, and determine if there were any sex differences. Methods: A questionnaire study was performed among students in year two in upper secondary schools (17-years-old) in southern Sweden in 2009. More than 2200 students completed the questionnaire regarding health and living habits anonymously. The variables were tested by χ2-test, before selection into the logistic model. Because of the salutogenic approach in the study, the results of the logistic regression analyses were expressed as Positive Odds Ratio (POR). Results: The prevalence of being smoke- free was 75.6 percent for girls and 70.2 percent for boys, whilst the prevalence of being snus- free was 95.1 percent for girls and 70.2 percent for boys. Having a tobacco-free best friend was the most important factor that correlated with being smoke- and snus-free as an adolescent, for both boys and girls. Good living habits, such as drinking less alcohol, were also central to being smoke-free and snus-free. Conclusions: The results show that a tobacco-free environment has a great influence on whether or not adolescents stay tobacco-free. As the environment has a big impact, the school has a big challenge to work with the school environment and policies but also with family responsibility, norms and attitudes to tobacco.

Based on Multimedia and Network Social Environment--A study of Pragmatic Acquisition in College English Teaching

With the progress of the times,the number of college students is growing exponentially.But the students who enter the university are various and have their own advantages and disadvantages.Among them,the polarization of students'English level is particularly obvious and serious.Therefore,in view of the contradiction between"not enough to learn"and"unable to learn",this paper makes a preliminary exploration on the pragmatic acquisition mode of College English teaching based on multimedia and network social environment.This paper mainly discusses and analyzes the concept of pragmatic acquisition mode and about how to implement it in practical teaching.In addition,this paper is only for reference in the English teaching industry.

BASF Issues First Report on Economic,Environmental,and Social Performance

Seven key indicators standardize and integrate transparency BASF, the world’s leading chemical company, will enhance its transparency in Greater China by reporting annually on seven key financial, social and environmental indicators: sales, number of employees,

Analyzing the Influences on Women’s Upbringing and Their Educational Significance Using the Case of Estella,the Heroine of Great Expectations

This paper explores the influences on women’s upbringing and their educational significance by using the character Estella from Great Expectations as a case study.Through analyzing the impact of social environment,family education,and self-awakening,this article aims to promote gender equality and the construction of a feminist cognitive community.It delves into the class divisions of 19th-century England,the manipulative family education imposed on Estella by Miss Havisham,and Estella’s journey towards self-consciousness after her foster mother’s death.The study highlights the challenges faced by women in societal constraints,family expectations,and the importance of self-discovery in overcoming these limitations.

Series of Interpretation on Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic (Ⅲ):Unity of Spirit and Body:Views from Huang Di Nei Jing (《黄帝内经》Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic)

Human life activities are inevitably affected by the surrounding environment,such as natural and social environment.It is the basic principle of TCM to set a series of medical practice activities.TCM believes that the social environment has an inestimable influence on the mind and body of human beings.This study introduces the unity of spirit and body in traditional Chinese medicine.

Investigation of the Effect of Acceptance and Commitment Psychotherapy (ACT) on Quality of Life of Adult Women Suffering from Obesity

Background and Purpose: Quality of life as an important factor in health is very important. This study is looking for an appropriate and effective treatment for improving quality of life. This research aims to study the psychological effect of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) on quality of life of adult women suffering from obesity. Methods and Materials: This research is a kind of half-trail, with pattern of pre-test, post-test and group control. Statistical population includes all over-weight women with body mass index (BMI) range (30 - 40) who participated in family training sessions held in Shahin Shahr city. 40 patients who had the characteristics for sampling were selected and randomly placed in test and control groups (each group 20 people). Participants in each group before and after intervention quality of life questionnaire with 100 question sample World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-100 were evaluated. 12 sessions of acceptance and commitment therapy in group was used. The obtained data were analyzed with the use of Sciences Statistical Package for the Social (SPSS) 18 statistical software and methods of analysis of covariance. Findings: After selection of adult women having a BMI between 30 and 40 based on availability who had attended the meeting of family education, by invitation and voluntary, they were randomized into experimental and control groups. Intervention was done for experimental group. Due to the result of covariance analysis on the post-test stage, examination group showed significant improvement in variants physical health dimensions, level of independence in social and environmental relationships and spirituality (p < 0.01). Conclusion: According to the findings of this research based on the impact of acceptance and commitment intervention on promotion and improving in quality of life, this treatment can be used for improving the variants in women suffering from over-weight and obesity.

Spatial risk assessment of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan: integrating environmental and socio-economic drivers

Recently the cultivation of opium poppy in Afghanistan reached unprecedented levels.It is agreed that the complex and coupled interactions of social,economic and environmental drivers are crucial for understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan.In this context,we present an integrated risk concept,which considers environmental and socio-economic drivers of opium poppy cultivation.A set of spatially explicit indicators for the environmental suitability and socio-economic vulnerability was established and populated from a variety of databases.Subsequently,novel methods of modelling homogeneous and spatially explicit regions of opium poppy cultivation suitability,socio-economic vulnerability and risk are developed and applied.The risk assessment results demonstrate the complex nature of the illicit crops production in Afghanistan and prompt a more profound examination of the drivers of opium poppy cultivation in a spatial context.The study also confirms what has already been widely discussed in literature:that reasons for cultivation are spatially diverse and often distinct,meaning that any formulation of generalized explanations cannot be drawn without ignoring a more complex reality.Thus,an integrative spatial view of risk,which integrates the social dimension as well as environmental parameters,is required to better identify context-specific intervention measures.

BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION ACT IN NORWAY

Making market operators responsible for having and giving access to information about their impact on the environment is an important part of changing the way the economy operates in relation to environmental sustainability. To this end, the Norwegian access to environmental information act has established a right for the public to access to environmental information from private entities such as business enterprises. In this point, the Norwegian Act goes further than international rules, such as the Aarhus Convention, and also further than any other national legislation. This article presents the rules on access to information from business enterprises, and presents and discusses examples from the implementation of these rules.

Construction of an Evaluation Indicator System for Civic and Political Applications in Professional Practice Courses Based on CIPP:Taking the VBSE Practical Training Course as an Example

This study takes the virtual business society environment(VBSE)practical training course as a case study and applies the theoretical framework of the context,input,process,product(CIPP)model to construct an evaluation indicator system for the application of civic and politics in professional practice courses.The context evaluation is measured from the support of the VBSE practical training course into course civic and politics,teachers’cognition,and the integration of course objectives;the input evaluation is measured from the matching degree of teachers’civic and political competence,and the matching degree of teaching resources;the process evaluation is measured from the degree of implementation of civic and politics teaching and the degree of students’acceptance;and the product evaluation is measured from the degree of impact of civic and politics teaching.

Larval social cues influence testicular investment in an insect

Socio-sexual environment can have critical impacts on reproduction and survival of animals.Consequently,they need to prepare themselves by allocating more resources to competitive traits that give them advantages in the particular social setting they have been perceiving.Evidence shows that a male usually raises his investment in sperm after he detects the current or future increase of sperm competition because relative sperm numbers can determine his paternity share.This leads to the wide use of testis size as an index of the sperm competition level,yet testis size does not always reflect sperm production.To date,it is not clear whether male animals fine-tune their resource allocation to sperm production and other traits as a response to social cues during their growth and development.Using a polygamous insect Ephestia kuehniella,we tested whether and how larval social environment affected sperm production,testis size,and body weight.We exposed the male larvae to different juvenile socio-sexual cues and measured these traits.We demonstrate that regardless of sex ratio,group-reared males produced more eupyrenes(fertile and nucleate sperm)but smaller testes than singly reared ones,and that body weight and apyrene(infertile and anucleate sperm)numbers remained the same across treatments.We conclude that the presence of larval social,but not sexual cues is responsible for the increase of eupyrene production and decrease of testis size.We suggest that male larvae increase investment in fertile sperm cells and reduce investment in other testicular tissues in the presence of conspecific juvenile cues.