In high rise building construction projects, curtain wall is one of the most widely used exterior finishing components and has a major influence on the overall building operational costs and efficiency in terms of CO₂ emissions. The selection of curtain wall systems involves numerous technical,...

Sugar is one of the most policy distorted of all commodities, and the European Union, Japan, and the United States are among the worst offenders. But internal changes in the E.U. and U.S. sugar and sweetener markets and international trade commitments make change unavoidable and provide the best...

The rapid rise in food prices has been a burden on the poor in developing countries, who spend roughly half of their household incomes on food. This paper examines the factors behind the rapid increase in internationally traded food prices since 2002 and estimates the contribution of various...

Sugar exporters of the Caribbean depend on preferential sales of sugar to the European Union and United States at prices that are two to three times the world market price. Without these preferences, sugar export revenues would decline significantly. These preferences are likely to erode in the...

Biofuels offer new opportunities for African countries. They can contribute to economic growth, employment, and rural incomes. They can become an important export for some countries and provide low-cost fuel for others. There is also a potentially large demand for biofuels to meet the rapidly...

Current research on the process of innovation has focused attention on the crucial role of the business firm as the place where new ideas are developed and then implemented in the marketplace. Based on current knowledge, a model was developed which attempts to replicate the strategic...

Inefficiencies in agriculture in Eastern and Central Europe and the Soviet Union contributed to the financial collapse of the socialist system. Yet during the transition, agricultural production has declined. Low profits, high real interest rates, slow progress in reforms in some countries, and...

Based on analysis of recent data on the evolution of global temperatures, snow and ice covers, and sea level rise, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has recently declared that "warming of the climate system is unequivocal." Global surface temperatures, in particular, have...

Throughout, the history of the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, natural resource wealth has been critical for its economies. Production of precious metals, sugar, rubber, grains, coffee, copper, and oil have at various periods of history made countries in Latin America-and their...