Project properties
Title Opportunities for low-or-no pesticide vegetables in Chile and Uruguay
Group Farming Systems Ecology
Project type thesis
Credits 36-39
Supervisor(s) Depending on focus: Walter Rossing, Felix Bianchi, and a supervisor from Management Studies, Knowledge/Technology/Innovation or Rural Sociology
Examiner(s) To be decided
Contact info Walter Rossing
Begin date 2017/01/15
End date 2020/01/15
Description The thesis is part of the project Horticultural food systems based on ecologically intensive production and socio-economically sustainable value chains in the transition economies Chile and Uruguay (HortEco). While consumption of vegetables in emerging economies falls well short of dietary recommendations, vegetable production contributes to environmental pollution and health risks. This project will engage with small farmers and organizations involved in low-or-no-pesticide production methods to develop more effective production, knowledge sharing methods and collaborative value chains.
In this project Farming Systems Ecology, Management Studies (MST), Knowledge, Technology and Innovation (KTI) and Rural Sociology (RSO) work with Chilean and Uruguayan research and business teams. The project has started in November 2016 and will run for 4 years. Thesis topics will emerge on: 1. Biological production of vegetables in plastic tunnel greenhouses; 2. Contract farming to support low-or-no pesticide production (with MST); 3. supporting innovation systems (with KTI and RSO).
Used skills Literature study; Design of research proposal; Field work; Data analysis; Working in multidisciplinary team; Working in intercultural setting
Requirements Knowledge of Spanish is a must. Furthermore: depending on specific topic: knowledge of biological control; greenhouse production in plastic tunnels; interview techniques; farming systems; innovation systems; value chains