Profit,reputation and ‘doing the right thing’: Convention theory and the problem of food waste in the UK retail sector

In 2014, Tesco – one of the world’s largest food retailers – revealed that it had generated almost 57,000 tonnes of food waste in its UK operations over the previous twelve-month period. This shocking statistic added to existing evidence of a significant environmental and social problem in the UK and across the world. This paper utilises convention theory to examine the role of major retailers in the context of this global problem and assesses their motivations for acting on food waste. Drawing on interviews with key stakeholders (including major retailers), the analysis investigates their main justifications for action on food waste. It finds that retailers mostly appealed to three conventions or ‘orders of worth’ (civic, market and opinion) and used these as a basis for their commitment to food waste reduction. We argue that the combination of these different justifications is feasible and necessary in the context of the retail sector but that they may also lead to some unintended consequences (in the retail sector and beyond). Crucially, we demonstrate how the dilution of civic justifications (by their financial and reputational counterparts) might produce negative outcomes and inaction as retailers attempt to adhere to the so-called ‘food waste hierarchy’. The paper highlights the continuing significance of convention theory as a framework for analysing possible responses to the social and environmental challenges confronting global agro-food systems.     

Science and Technology of Delimitation of Continental Shelf and Its Application in Maritime Silk Road Cooperation*

Delimitation of the continental shelf is an emerging interdisciplinary discipline in the field of international marine science and technology. It uses the scientific and technological means to expand the jurisdiction of coastal states based on the international rules of the 《United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea》. Therefore, it is related to the marine sovereignty rights and interests of a country and also a hot topic of science and technology that all countries have competed to develop. China has launched the research in this field simultaneously with the world's maritime powers, and formed its innovative advantages in such aspects as geological models, detection techniques and delimitation systems in the delimitation of continental shelf, which have become the brand new ties for China's cooperation with foreign countries in marine science and technology, and also the important field in the maritime silk road cooperation in the 21^st century. This paper introduced the basic principles and methods in the delimitation of continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles (370 km), progress in the delimitation of the global continental shelf, and China's innovative science and technology as well as its application in maritime Silk Road cooperation, and provided the prospect of the future scientific and technological cooperation with foreign countries and development in this filed. And it was suggested China should develop the scientific and technological cooperation on the delimitation of the continental shelf along the Silk Road, promote the scientific and technological development of the delimitation of the continental shelf in China, and enhance China's influence and voice in international ocean affairs.     

The international legal framework for marine spatial planning

Increasing demand for ocean resources, both living and non-living, have already lead to loss of biodiversity, habitat depletion and irreversible damage to the marine environment. Furthermore, introduction of new kinds of sea uses, spatial extension of ongoing sea uses and the need to better protect and conserve the marine biological diversity will result in increasing conflicts among the various users, as well as between the users and the environment. Marine spatial planning as a process to allocate space for specific uses can help to avoid user conflicts, to improve the management of marine spatial claims, and to sustain an ecosystem-based management of ocean and seas. This article explores the rights and duties towards exploitation and protection of the marine environment under the jurisdiction of coastal states as reflected in two important global conventions, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Both Conventions provide the main legal framework for marine spatial planning that have to be taken into account in planning at the regional and national level.     

基于连岛沙坝原理设计的海滩排水管头地貌稳定性研究

海滩排水管建设对海滩环境影响较大。以厦门会展中心连岛沙坝式排水管头工程影响海滩演变为例,研究连岛沙坝式海滩排水管头对海滩地形稳定性和沉积的影响。1)通过对研究区连岛沙坝式管头附近海滩10条剖面进行分析,研究管头附近海滩滩肩宽度、滩面坡度和单宽留存沙量等剖面形态变化特征。测量数据分析表明,无管头保护滩面高程降低,滩面坡度总体变陡,滩肩蚀退严重;受管头保护滩面高程上升,坡度变缓,滩肩宽度略有减小,剖面单宽沙量留存比例大于1。2)2012-2016年多期岸线及管头边界线变化结果表明,工程施工后,排水管身始终被沙体覆盖,一年后部分管头被沙体覆盖,最终管头被覆盖率稳定在70%以上。3)会展管头附近海滩潮上带和高潮带沉积物自北向南运移,低潮带则相反;潮上带和中潮带上部沉积物从管头所在"连岛沙坝"向两侧海滩输移,而低潮带和中潮带下部输移方向相反。沉积物粒径由岸向海逐渐变粗,越靠近管头,沉积物粒径呈变细趋势。最后讨论了引起管头局部海滩地形地貌变化的主要因素。     

加拿大的城市旅游开发评述

旅游业是加拿大发展最快的产业之一,加拿大也是国际上开展城市旅游比较成熟的国家,其城市和地方政府都把旅游业看作创造就业机会和增加税收的源泉。加拿大的城市旅游开发包括文化旅游、体育旅游、会议旅游三个主要方面。文章指出加拿大城市在城市吸引旅游者方面采取和其他商业活动类似的竞争手段,如参与市场促销、创建城市形象和建设基础设施等。30多年来城市增加了博物馆、体育运动场、会议中心和大型节事活动等项目吸引旅游者。这些投资重新塑造了城市结构,城市旅游景观也已经有了雏形。本文对此作出了评述。     

Measuring quality conventions in the food industry: Applications to the wine sector in Spain

The “quality turn” that the agri-food system has recently taken considers quality to be a complex notion that is defined both by the physical characteristics of the product and by changing socio-cultural factors. Convention theory provides a framework for assessing quality by means of various criteria, which correspond to different convention categories. Research that is based on this theory employs qualitative methods and case studies. In this article, a quantitative research methodology that addresses the conventions of the agri-food industry was carried out. Specifically, 19 mathematical indicators were constructed from statistical sources to identify and measure existing quality conventions in the wine subsector. These indicators have been tested in a study of 16 Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) inland Spain, with the following results: first, existing convention categories for each PDO were identified – industrial, commercial, domestic, public and civic – and a distinctive quality profile was developed for each one. Second, a ranking of PDOs was established according to their orientation to each convention type. The viability and utility of the quantitative methods in this quality convention study was demonstrated, thereby opening a research path that is complementary to qualitative methods.     

南极海洋保护区建设及法律政治争论

《南极海洋生物资源养护公约》框架下的海洋保护区建设备受国际社会关注。2009年,南极海洋生物资源养护委员会建立了第一个海洋保护区,但2012年以来,罗斯海海洋保护区提案以及东南极海洋保护区代表体系提案却一直没有进展,其中涉及了南极条约体系解读与海洋保护区定义等法律争论、保护区建设与地缘政治控制以及排斥其他国家渔业活动等政治争论。研究表明,虽然委员会有权建立海洋保护区,以实现养护南极生物资源的目标,但两个提案一定程度上超越了委员会的职责范围;且这两个提案一定程度上都与提案国的南极领土主权以及渔业活动相关联,无法排除其他国家的政治关切;提案每年变化,也体现了政治妥协。因此,为真正实现按公约养护南极生物资源的目标,应切实解决相关的法律与政治关切,提高程序的透明度,扩大参与度,并认真实施对已建立的海洋保护区的研究与监测。     

King Canute muses in the South Seas: Why aren’t Pacific Islands transitioning to low carbon sea transport futures?

Transition to low carbon sea transport is a logical response to the extreme dependency of the Pacific Islands region on imported fossil fuel, its significant vulnerability to the effects of climate change and the critical shipping needs of Pacific Island countries (PICs). Building on previous work in low carbon sea transport in the Pacific, this paper further considers the barriers to achieving such transition by assessing, through a ‘post-Paris Agreement’ lens, the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted by PICs and contrasting these to the near total lack of investment and planning for low carbon transition in the transport sector with the parallel occurrence in the electricity sector where ~USD 2 billion of donor investment is deployed or queued despite electricity using only ~20% of fossil fuel across the region. Consistent with recent international studies, inadequate and inappropriate financing and policy have been identified as dominant transition barriers for low carbon sea transport development in PICs. This paper further examines the regional level barriers to policy development, and finds them inhibited by the silo nature of the major regional actors. The implications that the Paris Agreement has for climate financing to support the essential research and capacity development needed to underpin a successful low carbon sea transport transition strategy at any useful scale and speed are also considered in this paper.