Worldwide, there is a growing demand for products made by technologies that contribute to environmental preservation and to sustainable rural development. In Brazil, organic farming is one of the most established init...Worldwide, there is a growing demand for products made by technologies that contribute to environmental preservation and to sustainable rural development. In Brazil, organic farming is one of the most established initiatives in this area. Therefore, it is important to subsidize the decision-making regarding policies for organic coffee production. Thereby, this study analyzed the socio-economic sustainability of this production system in relation to conventional. We applied a semi-structured questionnaire on coffee farms in the Brazilian coffee producers states and analyzed the coffee production cost structure. We identified the reasons that led the producers to organic management, implications of certification on the management, and prices received by organic coffee and the market mechanism. Results showed that there is no standard for organic coffee production and marketing in Brazil. Among the producers, there are different levels of access to technical information and the main limitation of the organic coffee chain is not the technology of production, but the difficulty of coffee marketing. Another important limitation, for medium and large farms, is the cost of manpower, mainly in areas dominated by mountain, where machines operations are not viable. Moreover, the yield of organic coffee system is generally lower than the conventional. Furthermore, soil and climatic differences lead to different regional behavior. Finally, we could conclude that the production of organic coffee can be sustainable in Brazil mainly in two structural conditions： 1） family farmers; and 2） small producers, who employ only one or two workers, preferably only in the harvest time.展开更多
Objective: To evaluate the acaricidal activity of the essential oil obtained from roots of Derris floribunda(D. floribunda)(Miq.) Benth, and its main constituent nerolidol against the Mexican mite Tetranychus mexicanu...Objective: To evaluate the acaricidal activity of the essential oil obtained from roots of Derris floribunda(D. floribunda)(Miq.) Benth, and its main constituent nerolidol against the Mexican mite Tetranychus mexicanus(T. mexicanus)(Mc Gregor).Methods: The essential oil from the roots of D. floribunda collected in the Amazon region(Brazil) was obtained by hydrodistillation. Its chemical composition was determined by GC–MS analysis. The acaricidal activities of this essential oil and nerolidol,were evaluated by recording the number of dead females(mortality) and eggs(fertility).Results: The essential oil showed sesquiterpenes as major volatile components. Nerolidol, the main component, represented 68.5% of the total composition of the essential oil. D. floribunda essential oil and nerolidol showed acaricidal activity, with LC_(50) of9.61 mg/m L air and 9.2 mg/m L air, respectively, over a 72 h period. In addition, both the essential oil and nerolidol significantly reduced the fecundity of T. mexicanus.Conclusions: Due to the economic importance of T. mexicanus and the lack of new pesticides, our data are very promising in the search for efficient and safer acaricidal products. Furthermore, this is the first report about the chemical composition and bioactivity of the essential oil of the Amazon plant species D. floribunda.展开更多
The production of foods with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has risen rapidly over the past three decades to comprise nearly 90% of crops grown in the United States today. Currently, there are no mandates for l...The production of foods with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has risen rapidly over the past three decades to comprise nearly 90% of crops grown in the United States today. Currently, there are no mandates for labeling foods containing GMOs. GMO agricultural crops contain the insertion of genes encoding for pesticides, pesticide resistance, growth factors, or other substances not normally present. In addition to the foreign genes that are inserted, hundreds to thousands of mutations disrupt normal genes in GMO plants. Recently, animal studies have demonstrated toxicity of GMO foods causing organ failure, infertility, carcinomas and death. The FDA requirement of ingredients added to foods be labeled on the product is not applied to GMO foods, precluding the consumer’s right to know. GMOs provide an economic incentive to companies because the seeds can be patented, driving up costs and creating the potential for monopolies. Herbicide-resistance conferred by GMOs has resulted in higher pesticide applications, which correlate with higher human cancer rates, and the emergence of pesticide-resistant weeds and insects. GMO toxins are spreading into to non-target insects, waterways and aquatic organisms, with toxicity to non-target organisms and resultant contamination of disparate ecosystems in the food chain. The appropriateness of mandatory GMO labeling of foods in the United States is discussed.展开更多
Heavy metals contents of soils and vegetable edible parts were studied at three crop systems （conventional, in conversion and organic） from seven traditional sites for vegetable growing in North-eastern Romania, dur...Heavy metals contents of soils and vegetable edible parts were studied at three crop systems （conventional, in conversion and organic） from seven traditional sites for vegetable growing in North-eastern Romania, during 2010. The main goal of the research was to find a correlation between the heavy metals contents and the crop systems. Determination of heavy metals was performed by atomic absorption spectrometry （AAS）, using a Shimadzu spectrophotometer, 6300 version, equipped with graphite furnace and autosampler. Heavy metals contents in the soils varied with the metals and locations, according to the crop system. The following experimental average contents were determined： Mn-262.03 mg kg1, Zn-45.60 mg kgq, Cu-28.53 mg kgl, Pb-5.20 mg kg1 and Cd-1.84 mg kg1. In vegetable edible parts, heavy metal varied with metals, sites and plant species, without a significant correlation with crop system. The trend of heavy metals in conventional and organic crops was Zn 〉 Cu 〉 Mn = Pb 〉 Cd, but in conversion crops it was Zn 〉 Mn = Pb 〉 Cu 〉 Cd. The highest content was of Zn （4.85 mg kg＇t）, at a cabbage crop in conversion. Cd was not detected in vegetable products and Pb was detected only in some vegetable samples. Research emphasized that heavy metals contents from soil and vegetable edible parts did not exceed the admitted maximum limits, according to Romanian and European Regulations. Final conclusion of research is that no correlations exist between crop systems and heavy metals contents from soil and plant.展开更多
文摘Worldwide, there is a growing demand for products made by technologies that contribute to environmental preservation and to sustainable rural development. In Brazil, organic farming is one of the most established initiatives in this area. Therefore, it is important to subsidize the decision-making regarding policies for organic coffee production. Thereby, this study analyzed the socio-economic sustainability of this production system in relation to conventional. We applied a semi-structured questionnaire on coffee farms in the Brazilian coffee producers states and analyzed the coffee production cost structure. We identified the reasons that led the producers to organic management, implications of certification on the management, and prices received by organic coffee and the market mechanism. Results showed that there is no standard for organic coffee production and marketing in Brazil. Among the producers, there are different levels of access to technical information and the main limitation of the organic coffee chain is not the technology of production, but the difficulty of coffee marketing. Another important limitation, for medium and large farms, is the cost of manpower, mainly in areas dominated by mountain, where machines operations are not viable. Moreover, the yield of organic coffee system is generally lower than the conventional. Furthermore, soil and climatic differences lead to different regional behavior. Finally, we could conclude that the production of organic coffee can be sustainable in Brazil mainly in two structural conditions： 1） family farmers; and 2） small producers, who employ only one or two workers, preferably only in the harvest time.
基金financially supported by Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Amazonas (FAPEAM – PAPAC program EDITAL N. 015/2014)
文摘Objective: To evaluate the acaricidal activity of the essential oil obtained from roots of Derris floribunda(D. floribunda)(Miq.) Benth, and its main constituent nerolidol against the Mexican mite Tetranychus mexicanus(T. mexicanus)(Mc Gregor).Methods: The essential oil from the roots of D. floribunda collected in the Amazon region(Brazil) was obtained by hydrodistillation. Its chemical composition was determined by GC–MS analysis. The acaricidal activities of this essential oil and nerolidol,were evaluated by recording the number of dead females(mortality) and eggs(fertility).Results: The essential oil showed sesquiterpenes as major volatile components. Nerolidol, the main component, represented 68.5% of the total composition of the essential oil. D. floribunda essential oil and nerolidol showed acaricidal activity, with LC_(50) of9.61 mg/m L air and 9.2 mg/m L air, respectively, over a 72 h period. In addition, both the essential oil and nerolidol significantly reduced the fecundity of T. mexicanus.Conclusions: Due to the economic importance of T. mexicanus and the lack of new pesticides, our data are very promising in the search for efficient and safer acaricidal products. Furthermore, this is the first report about the chemical composition and bioactivity of the essential oil of the Amazon plant species D. floribunda.
文摘The production of foods with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has risen rapidly over the past three decades to comprise nearly 90% of crops grown in the United States today. Currently, there are no mandates for labeling foods containing GMOs. GMO agricultural crops contain the insertion of genes encoding for pesticides, pesticide resistance, growth factors, or other substances not normally present. In addition to the foreign genes that are inserted, hundreds to thousands of mutations disrupt normal genes in GMO plants. Recently, animal studies have demonstrated toxicity of GMO foods causing organ failure, infertility, carcinomas and death. The FDA requirement of ingredients added to foods be labeled on the product is not applied to GMO foods, precluding the consumer’s right to know. GMOs provide an economic incentive to companies because the seeds can be patented, driving up costs and creating the potential for monopolies. Herbicide-resistance conferred by GMOs has resulted in higher pesticide applications, which correlate with higher human cancer rates, and the emergence of pesticide-resistant weeds and insects. GMO toxins are spreading into to non-target insects, waterways and aquatic organisms, with toxicity to non-target organisms and resultant contamination of disparate ecosystems in the food chain. The appropriateness of mandatory GMO labeling of foods in the United States is discussed.
文摘Heavy metals contents of soils and vegetable edible parts were studied at three crop systems （conventional, in conversion and organic） from seven traditional sites for vegetable growing in North-eastern Romania, during 2010. The main goal of the research was to find a correlation between the heavy metals contents and the crop systems. Determination of heavy metals was performed by atomic absorption spectrometry （AAS）, using a Shimadzu spectrophotometer, 6300 version, equipped with graphite furnace and autosampler. Heavy metals contents in the soils varied with the metals and locations, according to the crop system. The following experimental average contents were determined： Mn-262.03 mg kg1, Zn-45.60 mg kgq, Cu-28.53 mg kgl, Pb-5.20 mg kg1 and Cd-1.84 mg kg1. In vegetable edible parts, heavy metal varied with metals, sites and plant species, without a significant correlation with crop system. The trend of heavy metals in conventional and organic crops was Zn 〉 Cu 〉 Mn = Pb 〉 Cd, but in conversion crops it was Zn 〉 Mn = Pb 〉 Cu 〉 Cd. The highest content was of Zn （4.85 mg kg＇t）, at a cabbage crop in conversion. Cd was not detected in vegetable products and Pb was detected only in some vegetable samples. Research emphasized that heavy metals contents from soil and vegetable edible parts did not exceed the admitted maximum limits, according to Romanian and European Regulations. Final conclusion of research is that no correlations exist between crop systems and heavy metals contents from soil and plant.
