This study assesses quantitatively the economic incentives for firms to adopt food safety controls and the potential impact of a number of firm-and market-specific characteristics on this behavior, focusing on the red meat and poultry processing sector in Canada. The results suggest that market-based (private) incentives have a greater impact on the food safety responsiveness of firms in this sector than government regulatory actions. This creates challenges for regulators in defining policy instruments that promote greater levels of food safety control in food processing sectors rather than constraining firms from taking initiatives that exceed regulatory requirements.
Background. The prevalence of anemia among preschool-aged children remains relatively high in developing countries. Determination of the risk factors associated with anemia is important to develop appropriate interventions.Objective. To determine the prevalence of anemia among children under 5 years of age and to evaluate the risk factors associated with anemia.Methods. The subjects were 300 children 0 to 60 months of age from 300 subsistence paddy-farming households from nine divisional secretariats across five districts of Sri Lanka (Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Hambantota, Ratnapura, and Kurunegala). The HaemoCue method was used to measure hemoglobin concentration, and anemia was defined as hemoglobin < 11 g/dl. A 24-hour dietary recall was used to determine nutrient intakes.Results. Overall, 52% of the children were anemic and 18% were severely anemic. Hemoglobin measurements were strongly positively correlated with age (r = 0.41, p < .0001) and modestly negatively correlated with duration of exclusive breastfeeding (r = -0.18, p < .0001). Factors that were significantly associated with anemia were age, duration of exclusive breastfeeding, father's and mother's education, monthly household income, iron intake, and consumption of fruits on the previous day. In multivariate logistic regression, only duration of exclusive breastfeeding, iron intake, and father's education remained significantly associated with anemia (r 2 = 0.060, p = .002). Children with a long duration of exclusive breastfeeding, less educated fathers, and low iron intake were more likely to be anemic.
Conclusions.Anemia is associated with factors reflecting poor socioeconomic and educational status and a less diverse, poor-quality diet among children in paddyfarming households.
Purpose
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are in use to determine how and the extent to which the business objectives of an organization are achieved. This paper aims to evaluate the contribution of a research institute in terms of KPIs to support its process of decision-making towards, etc., innovation, sustainability and improvement.
Design/methodology/approach
In light of this, a systemic review was conducted on a set of relevant scholarly studies to identify the trends which shed light on the possible critical success factors to be effectively used in research institutes in association with the development of commercial agriculture. It examines whether, and if so how KPIs that are highly associated with those critical success factors are disruptive in research culture in an institute with certain organization design to promote research on innovative commercial agriculture.
Findings
The study highlighted some important aspects of commercial agriculture that showed strong links with possible critical success factors that could be used to develop a possible KPI set for a research institute. The salient features in a model performance management system with such KPIs of a research institute having strategical contribution for commercial agriculture are further elaborated.
Originality/value
This manuscript is a conceptual piece that advocates research institutes geared towards commercial agriculture development to begin using KPIs as part of research culture to evaluate their success. The paper suggests that commercial agriculture – perhaps, especially in developing countries – faces many challenges and using KPIs could help diagnose when and why essential processes break down. This study shows possible avenues of KPI use in research institutes that have not been very well discussed or discussed meagerly that have high potential to be integrated into successful KPIs towards innovative commercial agriculture.
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