Chocolate Research Paper

WOMEN STUDIES ECO-FOOTPRINT PROJECT Topic – Cocoa Beans Production Process Chocolate is a key ingredient in many foods such as milk shakes, candy bars, cookies and cereals. It is ranked as one of the most favourite flavours in North America and Europe. Despite its popularity most people do not know the unique origin of this popular treat. Chocolate is a product that requires complex procedures to produce. The process involves harvesting cocoa, refining coca to cocoa beans, and shipping the cocoa beans to the manufacturing factory for cleaning, coaching and grinding.These cocoa beans will then be imported or exported to other countries and be transformed into different types of chocolate products. Cocoa beans grow in countries like Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Indonesia, Brazil, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Malaysia, but the highest cocoa producing country is Cote d'Ivoire. The production process of cocoa beans include: first, cocoa is harvested manually. The seed pods of cocoa are collecte d and the beans are selected and placed in piles. These cocoa beans are then ready to be shipped to the manufacturer for production.Cocoa grows in pods that sprout off the trunks and branches of cocoa trees. The pods have the shape and almost the size of football. The pods start out green and turn orange when they are ripe. When the pods are ripe they are harvested gently with machetes. Machines can damage the trees or the clusters of flowers and pods that grow on the trunk, so workers have to harvest the pods by hand, using short, hooked blades mounted on long poles to reach the highest fruit. The cocoa seeds then undergo a process of fermentation by placing them in large, shallow, heated trays or by covering them with large banana leaves.If the climate is right, they may be simply heated by the sun. Workers mostly women come along periodically and stir them up so that all of the beans come out equally fermented. This process may take up to five or eight days. After fermentation, t he cocoa seeds are dried before they can be scooped into sacks and shipped to chocolate manufacturers. Farmers simply spread the fermented seeds on trays and leave them in the sun to dry. The drying process usually takes about a week and results in seeds becoming reduced to about half of their original weight.During the production process, labor is not equally divided between men and women who work in the planation; this brings us to the issue of gender division. The gender divide that exists on the cocoa plantation is that most farm work is conducted by men, although most certainly there are tasks where women are very active, such as scooping the beans from the already opened husks, turning the beans during the fermentation and drying process, and sewing the jute sacs needed for the packaging of the dried beans. Women in the farms normally tend to the needs of the family.When female labor is hired during the harvesting time the wages given to them are not the same as those for men. Perhaps another reason why men are preferred is because of their assumed higher productivity rate compared to that of women. Due to different practices followed in individual regions, even within countries, the participation of women and their assigned tasks vary enormously. For instance, because of the popular method of sun drying cocoa beans in Ecuador, it is necessary to â€Å"clean† the beans. This job is mostly undertaken by women.This is not the case in Ghana or Brazil where sun drying is accomplished while protecting the beans from foreign matters and waste. It is interesting to note however that there is no specific pattern for the assignment of tasks to women, except during the harvest when the scooping of the beans from the opened pods is primarily performed by women in most cocoa producing countries. Given the great differences in the systems of production in producing countries it is difficult to find a common percentage that reflects the average participation of the female work force.It is worth mentioning that unlike the coffee agricultural sector, there are no associations or specific groups that house ‘women only’ involved in the cocoa sector at any level, although all associations and cooperatives are open to all who qualify. Due to fluctuation of cocoa prices in the world market, farmers have no long-term security, and in some situations, they do not have enough funds to support their farming business.Cocoa farmers are always faced with financial hardship; they are not able to provide for their families as they would want nor have enough funds to start up their own farming business because they only receive a fraction of the proceeds from the selling of the beans on the world market and there are many people in the trading chain. Cocoa farmers around the world face many challenges. It is estimated that about one-third of global cocoa crops are destroyed by pests and diseases every year. Many cocoa farmers have limited acc ess to the latest agricultural technologies or methods of cultivation and few of them ave business backgrounds to help them effectively market their products and manage their operations. Many of the farming communities live in poverty and are infected with diseases. Industry groups, governments and consumers worldwide have raised concerns about the use of pesticides and child labor on West African cocoa farms. An interview conducted by Christophe Koffi showed that one major problem that women in cocoa production encounter is the lack the of financial capability or backing due to the fact that most of these women find themselves in a male dominated occupation.It is very difficult for them to secure financial aid or loans to manage their farms. For instance, â€Å"Women cannot inherit or even create a cocoa plantation under our patriarch-dominated tradition,† said Vanie, criticising what she called a â€Å"backwards and misogynist† practice† (Koffi, 2008) because w e still live in a patriarchal dominated society where women do not have the right to own lands and properties. This paper further talks about the sustanability in the production process of cocoa.We will be looking at Lindt& Sprungli’s which is a family company and a major producer of chocolate and other cocoa products with a headquaters in Kilchberg, Switzerland. Lindt & Sprungli is one of the few chocolate makers that have complete control over every step of the production chain starting with the precise selection of the finest cocoa varieties from the best growing areas in the world right on through the careful and expert processing until ending with the elegant packaging.Lindt gets its cocoa beans mostly from Ghana and Central and South America. Lindt has been very conservative in the amount of energy its invests in the chocolate production process. Each existing and future facility and investment undergoes very detailed analysis to determine how much energy can be saved. Through better insulation and energy recovery, Lindt & Sprungli was able to cut down on energy consumption by more than 13% per ton produced between 2004 and 2010.The company intends to continue reducing the energy consumption rate per ton produced by an average over the coming years. According to the Lindt publication, The company’s efforts: since 1999, Lindt & Sprungli’s Swiss subsidiary, Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprungli (Schweiz) AG, has been an active member of the Lake Zurich Energy Model Group†¦The Swiss government and independent engineers have audited the progress and as a result, the Swiss subsidiary has been granted the official certificate. Kilchberg, 2012) Since 2007, Lindt & Sprungli under water conservation has been participating in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP)†¦Since then, the measurements of water emissions and energy consumption have been largely based on the concept of the ‘Methodology Fossil Fuels’ set out in the CDP P rotocol†¦Waste water, Lindt & Sprungli continuously monitors and analyses the use of water and the output of wastewater in the production process and intends to further reduce the use of fresh water in this process, which, in turn will impact the output of wastewater (Kilchberg, 2012) The major people that benefit from cocoa production are mostly the big corporations. The corporations exploit cocoa farmers in the sense that they do not pay them the true worth of their labour. Women who work on the farms are underpaid and marginalized. There is also the issue of child labor where children of school going age are forced to work on the farms instead of going to school thereby denying them the right to education. The big corporations are not forth coming in releasing information as to how and where they get their cocoa beans from.Most of these African countries where these big corporations get their raw materials from do not have access to good roads, health care facilities, school s, electricity, and there is poverty in most of the communities. These big corporations buy the cocoa beans at a very cheap rate and then import them to the western society and the refined product is processed into different kinds of chocolates (e. g. chocolate drink, chocolate bars of different shapes and sizes and chocolate candies etc. ) which are sold consumers at exorbitant prices considering the price at which the cocoa beans are bought from the cocoa farmers. This explains how capitalism and big corporation exploit cheap labour. Almost everyone enjoys a bit of chocolate every now and again. But if you take a closer look at how cocoa is produced, it may well leave a bitter taste in your mouth.The conditions under which the cocoa farmers in many producer countries live and work are worrying: Despite the fact that cocoa is usually their main source of income, the families struggle to make a living from it. Child labour is not uncommon. As consumers we can work with NGOs to find means of helping the farmers to adapt to new systems of cocoa farming that result higher yields, under socially more acceptable and environmentally friendly conditions, to meet market demands and hence ensure a stable flow income. As a major part of the global cocoa industry which has remained inactive and invisible for so long, consumers of chocolate can demonstrate that they want slavery in the cocoa sector stamped out, and your pressure can highlight their lack of commitment and make them more accountable.Finally all cocoa products, including chocolate, run the risk of being tainted by child labour and slavery. To achieve a satisfactory standard of ethical production in chocolate consumers must help to ensure that companies commit to credible and sufficient actions against such things as use of child labour and the exploitation of cocoa farmers and not make false and unsustainable promises to consumers of being â€Å"slavery- free†. The consumers can liaise with government bodies and NGOs to negotiate fair prices for the purchase of cocoa products and this will in turn help the farmers to gain access to basic social amenities of life. Reference Page Archer, D. (2012).ADM’s commitment to sustainable cocoa. Milwaukee: Copyright 2012 Archer Daniels Midland Company . Clarkson, T. (1998). Anti-slavery. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from www. antislavery. org: http://www. antislavery. org/english/privacy_policy. aspx Kilchberg. (2012, April 22). The environment in the Production Process. Retrieved November 13, 2012, from www. Lindt. com: http://www. lindt. com/swf/eng/company/social-responsibility/lindts-sustainable-cocoa-supply-chain/ Koffi, C. (2008, November 7). Ivory Coast women defy taboos. Retrieved November 11, 2012, from iol News: http://www. iol. co. za/news/africa/ivory-coast-women-defy-taboos-1. 423405

My First Day at Collage

This was one hell of a day. On this day I had times when I felt like going back home. Embarrassing situations were also a part of this good and bad day. Nevertheless hope was still gained and a good laugh from the day that had events which were unexpected. I guess being new at a school is never always a good experience. When I arrived at Limkokwing University I was immediately filled with joy. This is because of design of the school that had a lot of high rising buildings which were encircled by an amazing garden. Also, when I stepped through the gate just as I thought the marvel was close to an end, I saw a shiny black Rolls-Royce Phantom for the first time in the parking lot and the pleasure continued. Then I arrived at the area that is called the Plaza. The Plaza is a place which has most of the school offices, restaurants and other facilities. The area looked nice and it had a lot of people who were from different regions who at the same time were also having different agendas . Some of the people were satisfying themselves with delicious food, others were in the gym burning calories from their bodies and the rest were going to different places. After the great viewing I looked at my watch and saw that I was ten minutes late for my lesson so I rushed out of the Plaza and asked someone where the Foundation in Business class was and that was when the problems began. The person told me that they had just dropped off their son in the foundation class and that the class is the one written number ninety-eight in the last building. This information relieved me and then I went to the exact place that I was told. As soon as I arrived in the class things went up side down, this is because the things that the lecturer was teaching us seemed to be complicated. I began questioning myself if I should carry on with school in my life because I was not grasping on what was being taught. As the lesson continued, despite the complex information that we were being given, I told myself that I am not a quitter and I will be able to manage. It was only when I went to see the timetable after the lesson that I realized that I realized that I was actually in a third year degree class. Being aware of this mistake it boosted my motivation and I was back on track in terms of my goals in life. After the situation I went through I was now hungry and I went to the Plaza. When I got there I saw a sign written Makan Lah! Restoran and it looked like a restaurant so I proceeded there. I got to the counter and told the person ho was attending to the customers that I would like to have quarter chicken with rice, this was understood. The problem came when I wanted to pay for the food and the attendant told me that I was supposed to give him a receipt instead then I was shocked. The lady who was standing beside me then told me that you have to pay for your order at the payment area first which was on the other side then I would receive my order. That issue was cleared, I got my food and began doing what I came there for. When I was done eating I did not know that we were supposed to leave our plates on the table when we were done eating, so I took it back to the restaurant and I felt embarrassed when I was told that we could just simply leave them on the table. So I had to walk back to my table and put it there. This was an interesting first day for me whereby I had to learn with people who were way older than me just because of wrong directions. Also, I got confused when I was ordering lunch. Otherwise the school to me is an interesting place that has interesting people. The environment is great for building peoples futures.

System-Beaters: On the Road to Heartbreak

System-beaters are basically lazy people that do all this thinking and try so hard to figure out a way that will help them beat the system. What they don’t know is that they hurt themselves more than helping. They are not only hurting themselves but their families as well. These kinds of people always search for the easiest way out of things. For example, they make up excuses of why they didn’t show up for work or why they miss important meetings. These people are capable to influence others to do their work instead of doing it themselves. These kinds of people think that by doing all the work they are suppose to do to accomplish what they have to is just a waste of time when as to them there is an easy way out. System-beaters are capable of making themselves and their surroundings believe that they could survive out in the real world by their beliefs. When their luck comes to an end, they start pointing fingers to those who always tried to help them. They make everyone feel guilty except themselves. At the end of time most of these system-beaters never achieve their goals. System-beaters loose trust from all the people that once trusted them. Some of them actually have to start all over again to fulfill their goals and that will take time to accomplish them. If parents feel like their children are leaning towards that way, they have the power to make them better human beings. Parents have all the power of saving their children. This article is very important. It contains powerful and truthful information. This is actually the first time I read about these kinds of people, the system-beaters. I didn’t even know that these people even existed. Now that I think about there is people like this I know few. I think that where it all starts is when we get to high school. Most of the students take high school as a place to hangout with friends instead of the real purpose which is education. We start to realize how serious education is when we graduate from high school. We are nothing without an education. I could say that I was one of these people when I was in high school, but I didn’t know that it could be dangerous. I liked to go to school just to see my friends, know all the new gossips, just have fun and not care about school related information. It is very true when it says that these people use a lot of their time and energy on trying to beat the system. I never thought that being this way could really make me an untrustworthy person or lazy person. I agree with this advice. By reading this article, I learned that these people could have very serious difficulties in the future, especially when it comes to school and jobs. I actually thought that I was the only one that was like that. College for me is being difficult because I was being use to high school. I used to do whatever I want when I wanted. I was always missing school or ditch and when I was in the class I would always be talking or not paying attention to the lecture. Even though I did not take high school very seriously I graduated. My grades where always passing, I never got in trouble with the teachers or the principle. I can say that I knew what to do so my teachers wouldn’t be on my back all the time. Every time I miss a class, I would go and sometimes make up an excuse as to why I was absent that they and that way they would let make up any missing assignments. I would always ask them what the homework was for that day and take it to them, so that they could see that I was really serious about passing that class. When I was in elementary school I would always get good grades, honor roll, homework hero, all the possible recognitions that there could have been I would get. I was a very bright child. It all started when I entered high school, I guess I changed because of all the things that go on there for example, the parties, the liquor, friends, and all those little things do affect someone. I being like this did not affect anyone in any harmful way. I think it is not too late for me to change my way of taking school seriously. Now more than ever I want to finish my career, get a job, and hopefully get married with children. I never thought that this could actually have some seriously bad consequences. Never in my mind would I imagine that this could affect me and my loved ones in my future. This stage of my life I am taking it very serious especially now that I read this article. I want to learn as much as possible so that when I transfer to a university I would not struggle as much as I am in college. I guess I was so used to high school always being so easy that I thought college was going to be the same, but now I realize that it’s not. College is just preparing me for university, now I can’t imagine how difficult it is going to be there. This is why I do agree with this article hundred percent. The audience the article is addressing to is the ones that are like this. These are people that do not care about absolutely nothing but themselves. They would do anything to achieve their goals even though they are hurting others. To the ones who know that they are going on the wrong path because there are people who are like this, lazy, but they do not know that they can hurt or struggle more in the future. It is not fair if these people achieve their goals by doing what they do, cheating the system. I really enjoyed reading this article about system-beaters it taught me a really good lesson, try to make a plan so that you won’t become a system beater.

International Finance & Financial Management Essay

International Finance & Financial Management - Essay Example Part 1 Shareholders’ and stakeholders’ value: Freeman, Harrison, Wicks, Parmar, & Colle (2010) observe that the primary objective for any business is to maximize its shareholders’ value as well as stakeholders’ value. The increase in shareholders’ value primarily results from the growth in the business with growth in top-line (sales revenue) and also increase in the bottom-line (profit). The shareholders of the organization contribute equity capital to the organization, which is required by the organization to grow and develop its business. So it is highly important that the organization provides maximum possible return to its equity shareholders. A company takes part in growth strategy by taking the path of acquisition, by venturing into completely new areas and also in new business basically to help the business grow thereby contributing to the growth in its profit. This helps in generating effective returns for its shareholders who are considered the owner of the organization. The company should basically look at value maximization of its shareholders and provide for the risk being taken by the shareholders’ in proving capital to the organization. The stakeholders of a company comprise all the participants who take effective part in the operation of the company. The stakeholders primarily include the customers who are the most important part of any organization, the suppliers of raw materials, the creditors, the employees, the community, the Government, the environment and even the shareholders’ who are directly affected by the business activities. (Freeman, Harrison, Wicks, Parmar, Colle, 2010, pp.128-131) Potential value of Synergies due to Acquisition: In recent times there has been a rapid increase in Mergers and acquisition activities. Companies are taking part in these activities effectively to enhance the business growing opportunities contributing to increase in shareholders’ wealth. Bosecke (20 09) and Hunt (2009) observe that there is a set of complex reasons, which drive a firm to promote M&A activities. The Efficiency Theory clearly elucidates the main goal of M&A activities is to exploit synergies where synergy is basically the increased operational performance as a result of combined entity than that of single isolated firms. There may be positive synergies when the net combined effect of synergy produces more value than individual firms and if the synergy is not effective it causes negative synergy. There may be other synergies like Financial, operational and managerial synergies. The financial synergy basically results from lower cost, which calls for investment in unrelated business, which effectively reduces the systematic risk for the organization. Moreover capital costs can be reduced when the company grows in size and have access to cheaper capital. Sometimes larger companies basically venture outside to raise cheaper capital, as the cost of raising capital in countries like USA, Japan etc is very low. The companies, which are involved in mergers and acquisition internationally, can access the stock markets of those countries and in that case they have to comply with the specifications and regulations binding the process of accessing the international markets. This promotes international acquisition. The managerial synergy basically results when one less technically and functionally developed company derive benefit after getting merged with one technically and f

T cellB cell collaboration in the immune response to infection Essay

T cellB cell collaboration in the immune response to infection - Essay Example It is referred to as "non-specific" because it generally attempts to stop the spread of all types of invaders. (Kuby, 1996) The latter type consists of two categories: cell-mediated immunity and antibody-mediated (humoral) immunity. It is the stronger one of the two types but takes several hours or even days to become fully activated. It is referred to as "specific" because it responds differently to every other foreign pathogen. (Hariharan, 2006) Lymphocytes, a class of White Blood Cells, are a vital part of the acquired immune system, being responsible for the whole reaction. They are produced in the primary lymphoid organs and then migrate to the secondary lymphoid organs where they recognize antigens of foreign bodies by the help of membrane receptors specific to the antigens. Two major classes of lymphocytes take part in the acquired immunity: B-Cells (B lymphocytes) and T-Cells (T lymphocytes). (Alberts, Bray, Lewis, Raff, Roberts, Watson, 1994), (Linnemeyer, 1993) Precursors of T-cells originate in the foetal liver and yolk sac during the embryonic life, and migrate to the bone marrow after birth. The stem cells then enter the thymus by chemo taxis and develop into T-cells which are later specialized into CD4+ (helper) cells or CD8+ (cytotoxic) cells. (UNC-SOM, 2004) Maturation On entering the thymus, T-cell precursors (prothymocytes) develop into T-cells that indicate both CD4 and CD8 molecules on their membranes and then later continue to indicate either CD4 or CD8 molecules. The cells having antigen receptors for self proteins are destroyed by aptosis (programmed cell death). This prevents autoimmunity. On the other hand, the cells having antigen receptors that do not react with self MHC proteins are also killed as this causes the definite selection of T-cells that do react with MHC proteins. (Stadnyk, 2007) Functions of the MHC proteins include positive selection of T-cells as well as presentation of foreign body antigens to them. (NIAID, 2003) General Function The Helper T-cells activate lymphocytes called macrophages and other T-cells involved in the immune response, and aid B-cells in producing antibodies by alerting them and determining the type of antibody to be produced. (NIAID, 2003) 2) B-Cells: Origin Precursors of B-cells migrate from the foetal liver to the bone marrow where they remain and undergo maturation throughout the adult life. They do not require thymus for their development. (Levinson, 2004) Maturation Development of B-cells takes place in two phases: antigen-independent phase & antigen-dependent phase. In the 1st phase, stem cells of the marrow differentiate into B-lineage and progenitor B-cells. The progenitor B-cells proliferate into precursor B-cells which requires the microenvironment supplied by the surrounding stroma. Cells of the stroma release numerous cytokines, most importantly IL-7, which help in the maturation process. Further

Innovative business Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Innovative business - Research Proposal Example This research topic is important in motivating communities not to rely on normal day-to-day transactions but to stimulate specific innovation opportunities in the society. Creation of wealth from innovation in technology management encompasses a number of perspectives that include generation of revenues, profits, returns on investment, return on equity, and return on assets. Wealth creation may also constitute earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. In this project, I will study how wealth creation in these varied contexts depends on the intended needs to innovation and even government legislations and controls with regards to technology management. This is in consideration of the fact that revenues may have been generated and yet, on the other hand, loses having come to play considering the costs incurred. This research seeks to establish that net cash flow in managing technology remains the innovation basis of wealth creation. However, this can only be relevant in the long run, since positive cash flows may be generated in the short run and negative cash flows that offset the gains in the long run. Thus, for an innovation to be termed to have created wealth there must be positive real net cash flow in the long run, probably per year as the ideal financial period. Positive real net cash flow in this case entails products of revenues and profit margins being more than sum of investments and fixed costs. The research will engage cash flow estimation and tracking by individuals and organization that commit their energy, time, and resources to technology innovation. Cash flow tracking and estimation in this case includes buyer adoption of cash flow after introduction into the field for application. Once this has ascertained that there would surely be positive real net cash flow, the technology innovation

The Themes of the Body and Physical Experience Characterise Classic Essay

The Themes of the Body and Physical Experience Characterise Classic Urban Theory - Essay Example As the report declares as the techniques became more and more refined, the labor force was divided on the basis of the knowledge and skill individuals were able to acquire. The faster they adapted to the changing conditions, the better the pay they received. â€Å"The nineteenth century demanded the functional specialization of man and his work; this specialization makes one individual incomparable to another †¦, however, this specialization makes each man the more directly dependent upon the supplementary activities of all others†. This paper discusses that the influx of the factory enabled corporate heads to enact surveillance strategies, if for no other reason than to negotiate pay with workers or to keep track of wages earned. This surveillance further served to dictate the impersonal ordering of the clock into working hours and off-time hours, creating a means by which individuals could only identify themselves with part of a crowd rather than a subjective being. This led to feelings of alienation as the individual perceived themselves as different from, yet the same as, their co-workers on the factory floor, yet had no room in which to explore or express this difference. Explorations of art, literature and science into this mechanized realm produced the idea of the phantasmagorical. Phantasmagorical is characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions. J.C. Powys defines it as the â€Å"incongruous imagery in surreal art and literature†.

The Role of the Nurse Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

The Role of the Nurse - Essay Example Craig and colleagues (2006) discuss that assessment is a crucial first step in the delivery of health care, and often serves as the initial point of patient/nurse communication or contact. During the initial meeting with the patient, it is usually the nurse’s role to make a thorough evaluation of the patient (from head to toe) as a means of establishing baseline parameters for the patient’s general condition. This baseline is also the point of reference for nurses in order to monitor the patient’s progress from their point of admission to their point of discharge (Craig, et.al., 2006). The assessment as carried out by the nurse would also serve to guide the development of the nursing care plan. The role of the nurse in the assessment is to ensure a holistic evaluation of the patient, including the patient’s needs and the purpose of the medical consult (Rosdahl and Kowalski, 2011). As the assessment is carried out, the health issues of the patient – from the physiological to the psychological – would be established. During the assessment, it is also the nurse’s task to establish the patient’s medical history, which would include major and relevant health issues he has suffered in the past, including previous surgeries, allergies, and current medications (Rosdahl and Kowalski, 2011). ... 1). Frequency of sunbathing without any sun block as well as frequency of tanning sessions Question 1: At what time of the day do you usually sunbathe without using sun block? Rationale: It is important to determine the time of day the patient has usually sunbathed because there are certain times of the day when the rays of the sun are strongest, and exposure to the sun during these times increases one’s risk for getting skin cancer (Leiter and Garb, 2008). There is a need to establish whether or not the patient has often sunbathed at 11 am to 4 am where the risk for exposure to UV rays is at its peak (Leiter and Garb, 2008). Question 2: How often do you get sunburns? Rationale: It is also important to establish how often the patient has suffered sunburns because the repeated healing and burning of the skin during sunburns have a cumulative effect (Qureshi, et.al., 2012). Every sunburn incident represents skin damage and repeated incidents of sunburn would cumulatively increas e one’s risk for developing skin cancer (Qureshi, et.al., 2012). It is important to ask this of the patient in order to determine the level of risk she has already exposed herself to. 2) Mole is irregularly shaped two toned papule, with ill-defined light brown to pink medial and lower borders Question 1: Describe the changes which your mole has undergone? Rationale: Any irregularities in the shape of a mole often signify possible melanoma; more often than not, ill-defined moles signal skin cancer (Psaty, et.al., 2010). Question 2: Do you notice any pain in the area of the mole? Rationale: Pain on the moles may qualify the mole to be a suspicious mole which may also signal skin cancer or melanoma (Psaty, et.al., 2010). 3. Rapid change in the

The No Child Left Behind Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The No Child Left Behind Act - Essay Example However, for some students, the noble idea of not leaving a child behind has not yet been taken seriously with the general public and a lot of educational systems which includes special education. Furthermore, the progressions of credentials, assessment, categorization, placement, and instruction have truly meant to put down their cultural and linguistic differences. With that, it is apparent that school systems overlook multiculturalism and diversity especially in educational intervention, where the minority students are placed, which means children are left behind (Obiakor 2000). Unfortunately, there are some political figures that believe the no child left behind program does not work because minority groups in school systems cover forty percent of the student body and there are lack resources and accommodations for them to learn on an even level with the other students. This creates a major problem with these children learning properly and effectively, which indicates that that number of the growing diversity is being ignored. In fiscal years 2002 through the current 2004, Congress authorized between $26.4 billion and $32 billion to be spent on the "No Child Left Behind" initiative. While Bush's budget request rose in each of those years, it still fell far short of the authorization. And in the past two fiscal years, the president's request of about $22 billion was less than what Congress had appropriated the year before. Both years, Congress provided more than Bush requested. Critics also say that the way the "No Child Left Behind" federal grading system works isn't fair in some cases because it requires yearly progress not just from a school but from every subgroup of students, including those with disabilities or ones who speak English as a second language (Bush stumps for 'No Child Left Behind). The growing number of infants and toddlers of minority groups is increasing every year. Below consists of some statistics that sheds light on the issues, which needs to addressed immediately by educators and families of minority older children, infants and toddlers (Diversity in Early Childhood Intervention Leadership Current Facts and Challenges). The U.S. Department of Education (2003a) found that 38.8% of public school students were minorities in 2000, up from 29.6% in 1986. In addition, the number of students who spoke a language other than English at home rose from 6.3 million in 1979 to 13.7 million in 1999 (U.S. Department of Education, 2003b). Minority teachers, on the other hand, accounted for only 13% of the faculty. The number of ethnically and linguistically diverse students is continuing to grow. By the year 2005, children and adolescents of color will make up as much as 40% of the U.S. youth population. Schools with high concentrations of black and Hispanic students uniformly have the most teachers with the least experience and the least qualifications for the subject they teach. Infants and toddlers ages birth to 2 who are served under IDEA, Part C, reflect the growing diversity of the U.S. The children represented are African-American (15%), Hispanic/Latino (18%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4%) and American Indian/ Alaskan (1%). Special education teachers who served primarily students ages 3-5 classify themselves as Asian (2%), Black (5.8%), White (90%) and "other" (2%). 6.4% consider themselves Hispanic and 93.6% do not. "Young people from the least well off demographic groups form a

Developing Retail and Promotion Strategies Essay

Developing Retail and Promotion Strategies - Essay Example A regional shopping Center is expected to have high customer traffic and hence implementing a promotion strategy would help convince large numbers of people to purchase a product. The firm requires coming up with a mission statement that will help their customers understand why the product suits their needs. The location of the regional shopping center should also be strategic such that many customers have easy access to it (Rogers, 2001). Customers may decide to purchase commodities in a certain shop just because it closer to them even if other factors such as price are no favorable. A convincing mission statement will lure customers into purchasing a certain product over another. The shopping center should focus more on product organization in their shelves and stores. A customer may decide to purchase a commodity just because they saw it in the shelves. Product organization may also convince window shoppers on purchasing a product they saw(Voss & Seiders, 2003). It is therefore im portant to ensure that the products catch the eye of the target market. The shop may also use modern strategies such as internet marketing to convince them to purchase a product at a certain retail center. However the cost consideration of such a method should be well evaluated so that it does not affect the profit percentages. Direct marketing could also be very effective in a regional shopping center. The firm may decide to employ people in the shop who will talk to the customers and convince them to purchase a certain product. This method has an advantage over the others since there will be a direct response from the customers and hence adjusting to fit the market will be very easy for the manufacturer (Bhatia, 2008). A new restaurant will obviously be experiencing low numbers of customers and will require critical retail and promotion strategies in order to

The immigrants by Margaret Atwood and Borders by Thomas King Essay

The immigrants by Margaret Atwood and Borders by Thomas King - Essay Example When asked of her citizenship, she always declares that she is a â€Å"Barefoot.† It takes her and her son days to pass through the borders going to Salt Lake City because of her unwillingness to identify herself as a Canadian. She also brings a lot of food to avoid buying from convenience stores and dresses up in their old ways because she did not want â€Å"crossing the border looking like Americans† (King 133). The narrator observes his mother’s resistance of acculturation and allows her to do what she likes. He can guess what she is about to tell the immigration personnel but never contradicts her even though her manners would cause a big delay. The mother’s attitude is opposed to her daughter’s. Laetitia, shows clear signs of acculturation. The latter is more lenient and ready for assimilation because she claims that her â€Å"Dad’s American† (King 131). She likes living in Salt Lake City on her own, and boasts about the city’s improvements with her mother. Despite her defiance of acculturation, the mother is not totally against other cultures. The fact that she marries an American illustrates her openness to assimilation. Likewise, she pays a visit to her daughter to see Salt Lake City and buys Mel from duty free a souvenir hat as a sign of friendship. Nevertheless, while the persona expresses resistance to assimilating the immigrants’ culture or behavior, she admits the fact that she herself is an immigrant, saying, â€Å"I wish I could forget them/and so forget myself† (Atwood 31). This means that while she loathes the immigrants, she recognizes her complete assimilation and acculturation to an identity that other American immigrants have established. By forgetting the immigrants she observes, she could then forget herself. This implies that the narrator despises the thought of being an immigrant as it reminds her of her own lack of identity. The persona attempts to show contrast between her and the immigrants as she

Bmw Films Case Essay Example for Free

Bmw Films Case Essay In 2001, BMW came out with its latest innovative marketing strategy titled BMW Films. In partnering with Fallon and Anonymous Productions, who connected with A-list directors, actors, and production value, created a series of five films collectively called â€Å"The Hire† that generated 2. 5 millions viewers with over 24,000 more unit sales than the 2000. And the question now rise to what should BMW’s next move be. ANALYSIS It took the firm about 50 years from its first automobile in 1929 to be firmly established in North America. But right when other Japanese cars entered the market in in the late 1980s, BMW went from one of the most brought luxury car to falling behind Lexus who became the number-one luxury import in the country. The brand had an outdated image and U. S sales went from 96. 8 (thousands) in 1986 to 53. 5 (thousands) in 1991 supported by Exhibit 1 and 4. But after taking drastic measure of reinvigorate itself in North American by introducing newer models and series that were more suitable for the North American market, a new brand image arose and BMW sales rebounded reach records level from 1996-2001. In 2001, BMW was definitely in its maturity phase where it has enough brand awareness amongst its target market that it didn’t’ need an extravagant marketing budget. In Exhibit 2, out of the luxury brands top 5 highest total sales, BMW was the second most selling brand while only spending half (62. 4 million) of its competitors (134-215 million). BMW attracted a different psychographic than its competitors. It looked for highly educated affluent person who wants to have a great driving experience. Exhibit 7 shows BMW’s Customer Base vs. the Competition where the highest percentage of its target age group is 30-44 compared to everyone else. Besides Volvo, BMW customer base is predominately married men. BMW has one of the highest numbers of customers under 45 with no children and the lowest number over 45 with no children. Compared to other luxury brands in Exhibit 3, BMW is right in the middle with pricing its Sedans. Its neither has the highest or the lowest price, which is right in line with its target market who’s income is also in the middle range from the other’s. (See Appendix 1 for SWOT analysis). ALTERNATIVES The different options for BMW is summarized by: 1. Make the films available to a wider audience by distributing in places like the theatres 2. Develop 3-5 more short films in relations to it’s current series 3. Develop a full length movie that would showcase in theatres 4. Do nothing and simply move on to the â€Å"next thing† RECOMMENDATION With all its success with the BMW Films, I would recommend BMW go with option 4 and do nothing and simply move on to the â€Å"next thing†. According to McDowell, 90% (2 million) of the series’ viewers wanted to see more films, but in Exhibit 11 when BMW came out with 3 additional films, only 13%, 18%, and 29% of the number views compared to first film in the series respectively. I think BMW was able to successfully reach its targeted market and with it’s position as being the leader in the market. Where not only if the other companies starts copying BMW, but BMW when â€Å"copies† itself, just like the Goldeneye taught the company, repeat performances are rarely as compelling as premiere performances.

How Do Smartphones Affect Secondary Students English Language Essay

How Do Smartphones Affect Secondary Students English Language Essay As technology advances and so does the threats posed to its users increase. However, as technology develops it serves as the backbone of our modern ever-changing world. With the wide availability of the so called SMARTPHONES in the mobile market major concerns have risen to the usage of them by students all over the world and as a result the effects are drastic. The research question that was examined is as following. How do smartphones affect secondary students and what are the impacts they have on education? The scope of the research was based on my school as a core foundation and the world in general as a comparison modem which allowed me to attain the overall view of the effects. I prepared questionnaires which I handed to students at Sandford international school (see appendices) to 20 IB students, and they filled it and gave it back to me. I also interviewed some teachers to get a detailed and specific opinion from their thoughts. The results gave me an idea on how scholars themselves have been affected, and I used the results for my further analysis in the essay. This essay dealt with the problems associated with mobile devices in comparison to education. I analyzed both the advantages and disadvantages before I reached my conclusion. I carried out my secondary research over the internet and textbooks. The essay focused on the problems experienced by many scholars and what are the different ways in which they can avoid this. I have then concluded that smartphones have affected many students including the way they learn at school and I have suggested on how students can help each other overcome the problem. Word count: 284 Introduction [1] Failure amongst secondary school students is a global issue. For the last decade Smartphones have become part of our daily lives. We can use smartphones to read the news through the internet, send music via Bluetooth, stream live videos, access YouTube, communicate with friends and family across the world at any time or even create breath taking effects for both picture and videos. Along with its growing reliance of Mobile phones and technological development, however comes a problem that many students face in Schools. The ease of being able to carry these phones into school students at Sandford international school are finding it very hard to cope with classes without easily being distracted. As a result, the abstract nature of intellectual property with regards to smartphones has become a bigger issue. Usage of mobile phones in schools is a growing concern for many schools across the globe which is easy to dismiss as a trivial issue, but can be considered as a powerful social f orce. [2]Smartphones can be defined as phones that are combined with a computing platform and can perform differently than a normal feature phone would. A major concern amongst teachers and parents is the amount of time spent by students playing with their smartphones while in Sandford international school. Although mobile phones are an epidemic around many schools worldwide, some schools are widely known for being the leading perpetrators on allowing mobile phones to be used in school. This brings up the question: How do smartphones affect secondary students and what are the impacts they have on education at Sandford international school? By examining this question along with, potential solutions can be proposed in order to help cure this problem. IB students have become so reliant on mobile phones that it has created a social cycle that has twisted many of these students. Although progress is being made towards controlling the usage of these smartphones, there is still a long way to go b efore it can be reduced to a controllable level. [3]Smartphones are portable devices that are combined with the functions of a cell phone and that of a computer. Producers say the processor inside a smartphone acts as the devices brain, handling most or all of the devices central processing functions on a single integrated circuit, or chip. In todays ever-changing world everything is being made better. From the first cell phone ever made, to todays apples iPhone 5 the difference is really visible. In a period of 20years, massive changes have taken place in the Smart phone industry from when it was first introduced in 1992. For Sandfords students it has mostly contributed to the major problem that many of them now face, attaining grades [4]. Analysis So what is a so Called SMARTPHONE and why is it popular? A smartphone is a mobile phone built on a special mobile computing platform, with more [7] advanced computing system and connectivity the mobile phone can perform differently from a feature phone would normally operate, an example of a Nokias smartphone can be seen on figure 2. It is merged with computer communication technologies which allow us to take internet calls for instance Skype, Nimbuzz and many others. Figure 2: showing a Nokia type of a [6] Smartphone [8]The popularity of the smartphone grew, in part, because of services like Exchange, and their ActiveSync and Push Email services. People loved the idea of being able to access their email and do business while on the go. With the first smartphones, it was difficult to manage a calendar and contacts because they had to be updated on too many separate devices. Exchange allowed people to update information once and have it show up on all the other devices they used instantly. 3G networks and Wi-Fi data portable devices like smartphones persuade students to spend more time using these highly influential/interactive devices rather than they would spend on studying independently. [9]Students are now much lazier and very dependent on their handheld devices and as a result work is rarely done. An example I picked out at Sandford international school. If Students have school work they do it the night before its due, by simply downloading a PDF file or word document onto their smartphones and accessing it the next day. Social and Ethical impacts/primary research [10]Cell phones purely have a negative effect on the social and ethical behaviour of students. There are many social and ethical impacts concerning mobile phones. As ethics are the ways in which people behave in other words its a system of principles and morals. So how do mobile phones affect how people interact with each other, communicate or at the least live with each other? The ethical and social issues according to my research that may arise as a result of using smartphones in Sandford School are: They reduce the social standard in which people interact amongst each other Change the way people behave Create fights amongst peers affect students regular activities The social impacts are associated with the breed a culture of introverted, isolated people who are unable to deal with real human interaction because they have been trained to communicate with others through their mobile phones. Smartphones can also turn Students into less sociable people whereas instead of talking or communicating with others in real life, they may prefer to communicate online. Privacy, If you dont set a password on your messages or personal information then people can just take it and go through your personal data. Primary Research Analysis According to my research I carried out at Sandford international school, (please see the questionnaires in the appendix), I have concluded that the ethical and social issues that may arise are actually true. My primary research shows that even though the teachers of Sandford International School told students that they couldnt use their mobile phones during class time, students started to use it anyway. It also showed that when Students have their time off class theyd rather spend it on Facebook, twitter and YouTube. The school isnt behind though because they know that these devices uses Wi-Fi and therefore the internet they offer is badly used by students and acts as a distraction therefore the school introduced and Installed the Cyberoam software to block websites like Facebook and others so that students couldnt be distracted, But still students use their own 3G sim cards to do so. Also the school once used to use a rule that you shouldnt have a cell phone because the school has a landline phone that anyone could use. But this was annoying to many students because before you called whoever you wanted to call you had to state your problem to the school secretary before she could allow you to call. Technological advancement has changed many things. Using a landline phone is out dated and students prefer to bring their own smart phones to school because they go through less trouble and save time. Is using a mobile phone become such a necessity that students have to use it? Has it become an obsession or an addiction? I prepared questionnaires focusing on how much of the IB students use their smartphones for school related activities and etc. 70% of IB students in Sandford International School say that they are online almost all day because of their smartphones that are connected to the Internet most of the day. They are constantly receiving notifications and alerts from Facebook, Gmail, and twitter. According to my results most IB students nearly (70%) in Sandford International School use their smartphones for non-educational purposes.20% of other students told me that with the smartphone in French/Spanish class its easy for them to translate words from English to French and vice versa with Google translator as can be seen on figure 2. [5]Figure2: shows a student using Google translator in one of the language classes. And the other 10% of the students that filled out questionnaires say that they just have their smartphones in school in case of an emergency and it serves as no distraction to them whatsoever. I included the question do you consider yourself addicted or obsessed to your smartphone? in the questionnaires I handed out to students. Only 15% said that they were addicted or obsessed. Which I didnt believe because the ones that said arent addicted are the ones that are usually the ones playing with their phones in class. Studies found that high school students who used their smartphones endlessly to check their Facebook account at least once during a 15 minute study period achieved [21]lower grades. Below is a chart showing the percentage in which most IB students at Sandford use their smartphones for (figure 3). [11]Figure 3: shows the percentage in which most students use their smartphones for. The techno centric thing about the device is that students can type their notes using their smartphones and print wirelessly without the need of being connected to a printer via a cable. So how does this technology work? [21] When you first set up a wireless printer, you point it to the wireless network, or plug it into the router via Ethernet. Traditionally, these printers are not discoverable by Wi-Fi sniffers since they do not identify themselves or communicate with anything other than the access point or router. Printer configurations determine who can send it mail. You can tell the printer to accept mail from anyone or from only certain names on a whitelist. It could be one whole domain or just one person. This prevents unauthorized use, should the e-mail address be compromised. Once the sender is authorized and approved, the e-mail file attachment is downloaded to the printer, rendered in the appropriate format (Word, Excel, an image) and then printed. Across my research I was able to come across some advantages and dis advantages that I have outlined below. Advantages of a Smartphone To reduce both the environmental costs of cutting down trees, transporting it, manufacturing it into a final product and other costs, all large books, novels, story books and so on should now be digitized and used as [13]eBooks or PDFS for a simper and faster access by students that have smartphones. The eBook technology is already in place and students with larger screens can now enjoy this technology at hand. A good example of an eBook reader is the Amazon kindle, shown in figure 6. The Amazon Kindle is very good because it helps reduce stock and space of books. The main disadvantage about this eBook reader though, is that it is expensive. Most textbooks have now been digitized. This eBook technology involves the student downloading the book, saves and uses it as a PDF file on the smartphone or PC rather than having a bag full of books which can easily get destroyed, misplaced and lost. I see this as the future of textbooks and exercise books. Everything will be digitized in the ne ar future and students shall have no complains as to why they did or did not do the work at a particular time. [14]Figure 6 shows an amazon kindle which can be used for eBooks as an example. IB Students who are forgetful arent anymore as they can now write and save up reminders with an alarm to alert and remind them to the task at a particular time and day without forgetting or the urge to try and remember. Secondly the smartphone helps the student to always be on time. Hence With the smartphone students can easily listen to music that theyve downloaded onto their mobile phones and wouldnt need to have an iPod because smartphones could hold up memory sticks with different storage capacity from 1Giba Bytes up to 16Giba Bytes, they could send and receive documents from other people, chat with others on [15] apps like mxit, ebuddy and many others. Parents on the other hand dont have to worry only if they have a Smartphone. These days some schools send [16] RSS feeds and emails of upcoming events, meetings, regarding the students and the school directly onto your mobile phone if you are subscribed to be receiving the notifications. Lastly I gathered that IB Students can use their smartphones as seen on figure 5 to type notes as they are being taught as this would save on them using paper and its a faster method. [17]Figure 5: shows a student typing notes while a lecture is being given by a professor The disadvantages of a smartphone Distraction. From my Primary research I gathered that most teachers told me that student get distracted in class by phone calls and messages. Student are usually told at the beginning of class and it also written in their student handbook that mobile phones should be completely switched off in class and when such an incident happens and the whole class is therefore interrupted and almost every student loses attention and starts talking. The impact of such type of distraction is usually big and can cause many students to start talking to the other students in result they all lose focus on what they were meant to be doing at the time. Cheating. These smartphones can also be used by these students to cheat on their exams and tests for example, since students cant call in exam halls, it could be through the use of text exchange with other students. Privacy concerning both teachers and IB students. With technology advancement teachers have slightly started accepting the usage of the device in some areas and particular times of the school day. One of the reason is that, these smartphones are relatively very high in terms of video quality and recording length. For instance, a teacher could be having an argument with a student and student whos connected to the internet would record this and upload it onto YouTube. As a result the video is then shared with other people, and therefore the privacy of the teachers is then ruined. The video can also be used for bullying if the incident was rapid and outrageous. Those students will use the video to ridicule the person through blackmail. Conclusion/evaluation/recommendation Mobile phones are like a plague at Sandford and which is spreading quickly as more students are buying smartphones. Likewise the effort required to reduce such an effect is substantial. From this essay we have assessed the social and ethical impacts of smartphones, advantages and disadvantages, and solutions could be proposed based on the research question. However, some questions arise from the research. Will parents in collaborating with teachers be able to help the students against the smartphone problem? Is there an ultimate solution that addresses Smartphones social issue without requiring a radical reform? [19]Since Smartphones were introduced back in 1992, many problems have risen subjective to this technological advance. More and more people worldwide are now very dependent on their mobile phones than ever before. From office workers to parents, from drivers to students smartphones have caught their attention. smartphones were created to help ease particular tasks that humans encounter daily and dont have the time use other devices just in order to do their work. The impacts of smartphones are many to list but, these devices are part of everybodys day to day life whether we like it or not, including students. Therefore we might as well start using them for a good cause. I personally think that mobile phones will never solve the education crisis all over the world, but these smartphones can be seen as another tool kit that if its properly used by the scholars, it can enable both meaningful experiences and chances for a greater result in their studies. To add, the smartphone if it isnt used without self-awareness, caution and a great care can be the inner core of self-damage, miss management, poor performance, bad and abusive behaviour. IB students need to understand and learn the great responsibility to go with the type of technology at hand. In this era the smart phone doubtless is a tool that has power to make the user his own boss in the digital world, but as it is true, the smartphone has both sides the positive and negatives. When interacting with the device we should consider that it can help its users just as much as it can destroy them so be cautious with technology. Students need to know and understand the concept that in order for them to succeed in their studies all types of distractions need to be kept away, and spent the time wisely, perhaps going over what theyve studied during the day or week. I believe that with proper usage of the smartphone it has the capability and potential to make its users smarter. Addiction is our biggest enemy at the moment and developers are doing that on purpose because they want to sell their devices globally therefore its up to the users to use the devices consciously. Attaining low grades is one of the outcomes associated with smartphones; however its sad to see that students have accepted the consequences with these smartphones. Think before you act.

Barriers to McDonalds Growth

Barriers to McDonalds Growth Be the best employer for our people in each community around the world. Deliver operational excellence to our customers in each of our restaurants and achieve enduring profitable growth by expanding the brand and leveraging the strengths of the McDonalds system through innovation and technology. Try to fulfill our customer, automatically our profit will improve. Our customers favorite place and way to eat with inspired people who delight each customer with unmatched quality, service, cleanliness and value every time. Objective of McDonalds Most people can find a McDonalds in any metropolitan city anywhere in the world. McDonalds global success can be attributed to company objectives. When consumers are aware of McDonalds objectives, they better understood the value of such a large, global franchise in helping people find employment and in offering a cheap, sustainable product to their consumers. Future goals of McDonalds In the next few years, McDonald aim to advance their balanced, active lifestyle efforts by, continuing to develop new menu offerings that provide their customer with range of choices that correspond to their needs and preferences and fit into a balanced diet, develop more happy meal choices, including new entrà ©e offerings and non-carbonated beverages without added sugar and sticking to their timetable for phasing in their new nutrition information initiative for core packaging items, continuing to assess, listen, learn and evolve their policies and marketing and communication practices so that they can continue their special regard for young people . The first original McDonalds opened up in 1940, a restaurant created by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California. The first franchised McDonalds was opened up on April 15, 1955, by Ray Kroc, in Des Plaines, Illinois, the 9th McDonalds overall. Miami entrepreneurs James McLamore and David Edgerton founded Burger King Corporation in 1954. The Challenge With more than 30,000 restaurants in 118 countries -many of them serving menu items that appeal to local tastes and cultural preferences we face a major challenge in gathering, organizing and communicating the nutrition values of foods and beverages servedaround the world every day. We are therefore developing a new global database to maintain detailed information about our offerings. When it comes to the pitfalls of operating a fast-food chain, Burger King (BKC) has experienced them all: falling profits and sales, angry franchise owners, mediocre innovation, growing competition. What happened McDonald had to face with high employee turn over. Some people say McDonalds are entitled to sell junk food in exactly the same way that chocolate or cream cake manufacturers do: if people want to buy it thats their decision. Nutritionists, for example, argue that the type of high fat, low fiber diet promoted by McDonalds is linked to serious diseases such as cancer, heart disease, obesity and diabetes. several parties, including the government have argued that Burger King has contributed to obesity and unhealthy eating behaviors in Western nations by producing products that contain large amounts of salt, fat, trans-fat and calories. Over come Editorial focuses on a series of endeavors launched by McDonalds Corp. designed to reshape the chain into a more contemporary and versatile competitor. Views on the initiatives; Criticisms on the changes; Design of the chains kitchen systems. Burger King has done none of that and is facing a difficult reality in this new world. As consumers demand higher standards, Burger King is going to have to invest billions of dollars in capital over a period of years to get its brand perception to where it needs to be. Task 2 Employee.Mcdonald only hire employees with a good sets of personal skills. Personal skills like Communicate intelligently, Communicate intelligently, Deal with confrontation, Team work,Know when to speak up and many more. McDonald target the employee first, in order to have good sale. McDonald need to analysis the internal employee in order to have good performance. They are two types of employee which are skill employee and unskilled employee. Skill employee has good sets of personal skill whereas unskilled employee needs training from senior employee that works in McDonald. Stakeholder .McDonalds also plans to include in it contributions from a number of campaigning groups and organizations to highlight what it calls some of McDonalds more surprising connections from The Marine Stewardship Council to animal welfare charity Compassion in World Farming. Competitors. The worlds biggest fast-food chain is battling more than the bleak global economy that is curbing appetites for purchases of its hamburgers, salads and smoothies. Restaurant chains like Burger King Worldwide Inc (BKW.N) and Yum Brand Incs (YUM.N) Taco Bell now are challenging McDonalds in the United States with revamped menus, celebrity endorsers and a renewed focus on low-priced food. Burger king competitors with McDonald because it has to do with how they prepare their hamburgers. McDonalds fries their hamburgers while Burger King Flame broils their hamburgers. In one sense, McDonalds doesnt have any real competitors, as they are the largest restaurant chain worldwide. But some of the other restaurant chains large enough to cut into its market share include Burger King Corporation, Subway, Starbucks, Wendys/Arbys Group, and YUM Foods(owners of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, KFC, Long John Silvers, and AW, among others). Supplier. McDonalds supply chain is unique. Our supply chain model is based on a culture of partnership and collaboration which makes it possible for us to serve consistently safe and high quality food. It is important to us that our suppliers operate sustainable and profitable businesses and benefit from their partnership with McDonalds Australia. It is equally important to us that we source our products in a responsible and ethical manner that contributes to the development of sustainable agriculture and food manufacturing processes. McDonalds Canada works closely with more than 100 leading Canadian suppliers, striving to source quality products and supplies. Together, suppliers, the company and franchisees create new products, help reduce costs and ensure our customers get the same great McDonalds taste in every community across Canada. McDonald invests in Canadas agricultural sector by sourcing quality food products domestically, including the annual purchase of more than $760 mi llion in food and materials from more than 100 suppliers in Canada. McDonald shop where our customers shop our basket is just a bit bigger! McDonalds buys and serves the same wholesome foods our customers use at home, supplied by brand name companies Canadians know and trust. McDonalds suppliers include leading Canadian companies such as Coca-Cola, DANONE, Heinz, McCain, Minute Maid, Mother Parkers, Nestle, Renà ©es, Quaker and Saputo. Customers. Internal Analysis once of the major problems faced by McDonalds and can clearly be seen in Internal Analysis McDonalds Value Chain, is the lack of recruiters and led to a dramatic falloff in the skills of it employees. As we can see on Competitive Advantage Building Blocks, McDonalds is very efficient. An organization is the analysis of strengths and weaknesses, which focus on internal factors that give an organization certain advantages and disadvantages in meeting the needs of its target market. Strengths of McDonalds are successful Advertisement (Im loving it), Great Partnership (Coca Cola), Clean Environment and playgrounds for Kids, Professional Training for employees (Hamburger). External Analysis there is two conditions that are most significant in McDonalds external environment that are: The new trend in which customers are changing fast -food restaurants to healthier ones. The arising competition to achieve growth in this industry. The fast-food industry is very complex and saturated. The key success factors in show that in order to be able to compete there is a need for research and developments, achieve differentiation with your competition, create quality with your products, and be price competitive. Large capital is needed to be able to develop new products in order to differentiate among competitors. The creation of quality is very important because the switching costs majorly in this industry are very low. This explanation is supported in Five forces of competition. Although the environment is very competitive it is very difficult to enter because of the need of capital, the regulation faced by the government, and especially because of the customers loyalty towards other restaurants. Distributors. Radhakrishna Foodland (P) Ltd. [Foodland] is a part of the Radhakrishna Group, which is engaged in food and related service businesses. Also one of the distributor for McDonald. From July 1993, much before McDonalds started its operations in India; sincere efforts were made by Foodland to carefully understand McDonalds operations and requirements for the Indian market. Better facilities and infrastructures were created and new systems were adopted to satisfy McDonalds demands. Finally, all those efforts put in by Foodland culminated into a handshake agreement with McDonalds India, to serve as Distribution Centres for their restaurants in Mumbai. The division has focused all its resources to meet McDonalds expectation of Cold, Clean and On-time Delivery. This in turn, evolved their mission statement, To ensure that all McDonalds restaurants are supplied without interruption, products conforming to acceptable standards at lowest local costs to the system. The Distribution Centre (DC) is responsible for procurement, quality inspection programmed, storage, inventory management, deliveries to the restaurants, data collection, recording and reporting. Value added services like repacking of promotional items are also carried out at the DC. The DC plays a very vital role in maintaining the integrity of the products throughout the entire cold chain the distribution system that ensures the products, which arrive at McDonalds restaurants from suppliers all over India, are absolutely fresh and as per McDonalds Quality Standards. All these operations need to be managed in the most cost- effective manner. The operations and accountings a re totally transparent and are subject to regular audit. Marketing strategies of McDonalds are demographic segmentation, psychographic segmentation and behavioral segmentation. Demographic Segmentation is McDonalds offers different products like Happy Meal which includes a free toy for kids. For families it has made different outlets and meals which are suitable for takeaways and drive-thru. McDonalds has made its environment which is suitable for students of school to hang out with their friends and can get their lunch at McDonalds. Psychographic segmentation is McDonalds has adopted itself according to the convenience and lifestyle of the consumers. Malaysians has different culture people so McDonalds came up with a different and new product line which includes items like McChicken, double beef chicken and etc. They also made McDonalds as a place to relax and even for entertainment. Behavioral segmentation is McDonalds offers occasions like certain familys select McDonalds on various occasion like birthday party, treat to their children, wedding anniversary and etc. Targeting, from the market segments discovered, the most profitable target market segment seems to be the working adults market. The working community segment is considered the largest group of consumer of McDonald compared to children and youth. There are more sensitive to trends and lifestyles in todays culture and in almost everywhere. In addition, working adults has their own income thus able to make their own choice without too much constrain. Hence they have the tendency to determine their eating habits. Also, the McDonald provides fast services thus suit those working adults who are also always on a go and fast moving especially those in the capital cities. Positioning, in order to position itself successfully, McDonalds need to establish criteria that may allow it to differentiate itself from other competitors (Schiffman, et.al, 2008). In the fast food industry, McDonalds has positioned itself as the market leader in the sense of pricing and services. Its 24 hour services in almost all of the outlet nationwide makes them a place to look for food even it is in the middle of a night. However, it is hard for McDonalds to position itself far away from the competitors as others are also following the trend. There have 4 market mixes in McDonalds: Product: McDonalds takes into account cultural factors in serving the Malaysian consumers. The food serve is halal and servers local taste as well. They have wide range choice of menu similar with burger king. Seasonally they serve the prosperity burger for Chinese New Year. McDonalds also serves healthy food but this will effect on the taste and consumers eating experience. Product is the physical product or services offered by the company to its customers. McDonalds include certain aspects of its product such as packaging, desirability, looks etc. Price: McDonalds have more price reduction compared to KFC and Burger King. They offer a very competitive food prices. They have the Value Mc Savers and the Mc Value Meal. KFC do have their value meal called Jom Jimat Everyday and Burger King but in term of their price, McDonald offers the best price for fast Food. However, McDonalds, they offered only during certain period of time there-for rise the question of its availability. McDonald s has certain value pricing and bundling strategies such as happy meal, combo meal, family meal, happy price menu etc to increase overall sales of the product. Place: They are built or open in retail areas like shopping malls due to a trend of all Malaysian who loves to shop in malls. They also open in some rural areas however KFC has more restaurants in the rural area. In some strategic places, McDonalds also opens in several local gas stations such as PETRONAS Mesra. They open an express cafà © that serve some popular products. There are also games for children the one example is Children play games till the time there parents spend quality time in McDonalds. Promotion: McDonalds television advertisement is place on a seasonal basis which they only advertise during festive seasons and movie. Normally, their ads attract children rather than adult consumers. McDonalds in Malaysia primarily focus of it marketing campaign by sending flyers to houses and attach coupon in newspapers. McDonalds also advertise their product using billboard. They place their latest advertisement on McDonalds Mc Value Meal at major roads that indeed attract attention. Task 3 There are a few factors that affect this non-organizational based on microenvironment. Among the factors are Political, environmental, economic, technological, social-culture and legistration. Below is the explanation of each factors. Political factors The international operations of McDonalds are extreme under influence of a policy of the separate state put into practice by each government. For example, there are certain groups in Europe and the United States which demand the acts of governmental power concerning medical values of meal of fast food. They have specified that harmful elements as cholesterol and negative influences as fatness are concerning consumption of products of fast food. On the other hand, the company operates the separate policy and instructions of operations. The certain markets concentrate on various areas of anxiety, such as various area of health, protection of the worker, and environment. All these elements are noticed in the state control of licensing of restaurants in the corresponding states. Economic factors The organizations in the fast food industry arent excused from any disputes and problems. Definitely, they really have the separate problems involving business factors. Branches and privileges of networks of the enterprises of fast service as McDonalds has a tendency to experience difficulty in cases where the economy of the corresponding states is amazed by inflation and changes in exchange rates. Clients hence face a survey stalemate through their separate budgets, whether they should spend more on these foreign networks of the enterprises of fast food. Hence, to these chains, possibly, it is necessary to take out problems of effects of economic environment. Especially, their problem depends on the answer of consumers to these main principles and how it could influence their general sales. In an estimation of operations of the company, food chains as McDonalds tend to import the biggest part of the raw materials to certain territory if there is a delivery lack. Exchange rate fluctu ations will also play an essential role in companys operations. Socio-Cultural factors Articles about the international strategy of McDonalds, apparently, function on several areas to guarantee profitable returns for the organization. To illustrate, the organization changes to the best an establishment of positive thinking from their basic consumers. McDonalds indulges a special variety of consumers with certain types of persons. Also it has been noticed that the company has given the markets, such as the United Kingdom, a choice concerning their lunch requirements. Specified that McDonalds beginnings considerably valued set of meal which offers a reliable degree of quality for the corresponding market where it works. In addition, those who are elderly only below a bracket of thirty five as said are the most frequent consumers of McDonalds privileges. Many-sided character of business is reflected now in sharp value of the information about the existing market. This procedure is essentially identified in area as market research. Information concerning the reference and potential areas of the market would double as a barrier to success of the company if this area of operations neglected. In case of McDonalds they establish good system in determining of requirements of the market. The company uses concept of consumer individuality of a product of behaviour and decisions on purchase to its advantage. Technological factors McDonalds makes a demand for their organizations own products. The key tool of the company for marketing is by means of TV advertisings. There are some requirements that McDonalds is inclined to interest the younger population more. Existence of game stains also toys in the meal offered by the company shows this validity. Other demonstration of such marketing strategy is obvious in advertising they use. They use recovered descriptions of the characters as Grimace and Hamburglar. Other advertising operations employ popular celebrities to promote their products. Similar became endorsees for McDonalds all over the world loving it campaign. Besides, operations of McDonalds have considerably been infused with new technology. Elements as the system of stock and management of the value chain of companys creation consider easy payments for the suppliers and other sellers with which the person supplies in the corresponding agreement on the markets. Technology integration into operations of Mc Donalds tends to increase cost of their products. Basically it is shown in improvements on its chain of creation of value Legal factors/ Legistration There was a current roar against the fast food industry. It has forced McDonalds to apply more close examination on their corporate social responsibility. As a whole it has addressed to requirement of the company to generate its corporate reputation to more positive and the more socially responsible company. The reputation of McDonalds is obviously a huge question. Noticed on companys web site, seems, that they have got steps to take in hand the key social condemnation that they abused them in the last decades. The company gave to their clients the corresponding data in which they need the relation of food essence of their products. It is connected with socio-cultural market signs which they influence. For example, operations in predominantly Muslim countries demand, that their meat corresponded to Halal requirements of the law. In the same regard, those that operate in countries in the European Union should correspond to the existing laws forbidding usage of genetically modified mea t products in their meal. Other legal concepts as tax obligations, employment standards, and requirements to a degree of quality are only a few of important elements on which the company should consider. Otherwise, smooth operations should be difficult to reach. Environmental factor Social responsibility of McDonalds on the state influences to company operations. They involve charges of harm to environment. Among the reasons why they are accused of such requirements, is that the work of substances is not decomposed by microorganisms for their drinks glasses and treasury of expanded polystyrene for meal. Some civil groups in Hong Kong have made actions to make McDonalds privileges in Hong Kong aware of the rather copious use of containers of expanded polystyrene and resulting abusing by environment. Further, has specified that in 1995, McDonalds Hong Kong ran through the expanded polystyrene used by both Australia and the incorporated United States. Task 4 and Task 5 Agriculture -potatoes In 2007, with the share of 19,3%, the EU-27 was the second largest producer of potatoes in the World (China occupying the first place). Despite the relative and absolute decline in production observed over the recent years, which was mainly due to structural transformations of the potato sector in the new member states, potatoes for human consumption belong to the most competitive segments of EU agriculture. The sector shows also a competitive edge in international markets, especially in the sub-sectors of seed potatoes and processed products. Potatoes for human consumption are not covered by the Single Common Market Organization, except for the standard rules on state aids. Since 2008 all the potato areas in the EU can be potentially eligible to receive direct payments. Moreover, potato operators may benefit from the CAP promotion and quality schemes. Business Competitors The competition authorities inform each other of proposed decisions and take on board comments from the other competition authorities. In this way, the ECN allows the competition authorities to pool their experience and identify best practices. It should ensure an efficient division of work and an effective and consistent application of EC competition rules. The EU Commission and competition authorities from EU member states cooperate with each other through the ECN by, informing each other of new cases and envisaged enforcement decisions, coordinating investigations, where necessary, helping each other with investigations, exchanging evidence and other information and discussing various issues of common interest. Climate environment The EUs role: Spreading knowledge on climate change impacts and risks; Providing guidance on best approaches; Coordinating national activities, particularly when impacts cross borders such as in river basins; Adopting legislation and targets; and Providing funding. Employment and social right Health and safety at work is one of the areas where the EU has had the biggest impact with a solid legal framework covering the maximum number of risks with the minimum number of regulations. The Commission also works with the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work and the Conditions to disseminate information, offer guidance and promote healthy working environments particularly in small businesses. Legal basis: encourages improvements in occupational health and safety in all sectors of activity, both public and private, Promotes workers rights to make proposals relating to health and safety, to appeal to the competent authority and to stop work in the event of serious danger, Seeks to adequately protect workers and ensure that they return home in good health at the end of the working day. Statistics: European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) case-by-case data on occupational accidents with more than 3 days of absence from work and fatal accidents and European Occupat ional Diseases Statistics (EODS) harmonized data on occupational diseases from 2001 onwards, Labor Force Survey ad hoc modules on accidents at work and work-related health problems. Committees: Committees of national experts contribute to developing, implementing and monitoring EU legislation on health and safety at work, Advisory Committee on Safety and Health at Work (ACSH), Scientific Committee on Occupational Exposure Limits (SCOEL) and Senior Labor Inspectors Committee (SLIC). Task 5 Economic Factors: Definitely turbulence in economy also plays vital shift of demands of the market segment. Recent world economy is shaken by the Credit crunch issue, citizen has less disposable income, and there is wild redundancy and less GDP in almost every economy. The major geographic markets of McDonalds are also affected by higher interest rate and inflation. So, cost of doing business has increased and a sale is generally decreased. This has affected also the sales of McDonalds like all other businesses throughout the world. McDonalds has recognized this issue reduced their menu to a reasonable prices and also offering a wide range of foods. Environmental factors: Green issues, renewing energy sources, recycling of rubbish or waste disposal all are a matter of concern. But these are less of significance for McDonald for the moment. Environment is the biggest challenge due to its commitment towards the environment; it has adopted Rain Forest Policy. This states its assurance for beef purchasing practices that do not cause tropical de-forestation by any means. It fully aware of the fact that enormous utilization of the natural resources can imbalance the eco system. That is why, it is recycling vegetable oil, grease etc. by converting them as fuel for their diesel trucks. Demographic factor The worlds age is changing. In some areas, mostly in developed countries such as the United States, Japan and many in Western Europe, the median age of the population is growing older, due to slowing birth rates and longer life expectancy. In the newer, emerging countries, such as those in Asia or Africa, the median age is getting younger mostly due to higher birth rates. These different trends require different marketing approaches. McDonalds caters to both segments of the population, domestically and globally by targeting each segment individually. It is not unusual to see television commercials showcasing older generations enjoying a McDonalds meal. A viewer is just as likely to see another commercial aimed at the younger generation, characterized by progressive music or urban attractions. In McDonalds stores, customers will see Happy Meals complete with an advertisement for the latest Hollywood action movie as well as coffee offered to senior citizens for 49 cents. Technological factor: Till now, the market trend does not reveal high impact on fast food restaurant for technologies. However, the general equipments, temperature regulators, control devices, point-of-sales(POS) systems, inventory management, financial information and communications are all linked to different technologies. Any improvement of integrating better technologies for better purposes will give an edge of operations and can also help it better marketing strategies. For example, recently McDonald has installed facility for free access to internet at their restaurants through Wi-Fi systems. This has increased the value of brand market positioning.

The Curious Atmosphere of Macbeth :: Free Essay Writer

The Curious Atmosphere of Macbeth       The Bard of Avon created a complex atmosphere in his writing of the tragedy Macbeth. Let's give detailed consideration to this aspect of the drama in this paper.    In Fools of Time: Studies in Shakespearean Tragedy, Northrop Frye shows how the atmosphere is altered for the better at the end of the play:    This theme is at its clearest where we are most in sympathy with the nemesis. Thus at the end of Macbeth, after the proclamation "the time is free," and of promises to make reparations of Macbeth's tyranny "Which would be planted newly with the time," there will be a renewal not only of time but of the whole rhythm of nature symbolized by the word "measure," which includes both the music of the spheres and the dispensing of human justice [. . .]. (94-95)    In his book, On the Design of Shakespearean Tragedy, H. S. Wilson explains why the atmosphere is so important in Macbeth:    Macbeth is a play in which the poetic atmosphere is very important; so important, indeed, that some recent commentators give the impression that this atmosphere, as created by the imagery of the play, is its determining quality. For those who pay most attention to these powerful atmospheric suggestions, this is doubtless true. Mr. Kenneth Muir, in his introduction to the play - which does not, by the way, interpret it simply from this point of view - aptly describes the cumulative effect of the imagery: "The contrast between light and darkness is part of a general antithesis between good and evil, devils and angels, evil and grace, hell and heaven . . . and the disease images of IV, iii and in the last act clearly reflect both the evil which is a disease, and Macbeth himself who is the disease from which his country suffers."(67-68)    L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" mentions equivocation, unreality and unnaturalness in the play - contributors to an atmosphere that may not be very realistic:    The equivocal nature of temptation, the commerce with phantoms consequent upon false choice, the resulting sense of unreality ("nothing is, but what is not"), which has yet such power to "smother" vital function, the unnaturalness of evil ("against the use of nature"), and the relation between disintegration in the individual ("my single state of man") and disorder in the larger social organism - all these are major themes of the play which are mirrored in the speech under consideration.

The Impact of Emerging Technology on the Public Sector Essay -- Techno

The Impact of Emerging Technology on the Public Sector The impact of information technology has been tremendous within the public sector. Over the years, the growth and development of technology has caused the public sector to change. One of the most significant changes in technology has been the evolution of the information systems and how their development has reshaped the way the world uses technology. â€Å"It has been just over fifty years since the worlds first programmable computer became operational. It cost millions of dollars to build and processed an unprecedented 5,000 instructions per second. By 1971, Intel was able to pack 25 times that power into a single, two hundred-dollar chip. Today’s personal computers process 400,000 instructions per second and if current trends continue, desktop-computing power will be at 100,000 million instructions per second by the year 2012.† [i] Although the benefits of technology were first realized in the private sector, the public sector has been able to reap some benefits. In addition they have also incurred some of the challenges it has brought. This research paper will discuss the types of technology that are used by the public sector, cost considerations, security and confidentiality issues, the National Public Review and Government Information Technology initiatives and the challenges of training a computer literate workforce. Public Sector Technology Applications Emerging technology is the application of rising or forthcoming sciences to industrial and commercial objectives. These rising and forthcoming sciences have also been applied to the public sector. Technology has impacted the services the public sector provides as well as the internal systems used to support t... ...al, M., (1998) Technology in Government Vol. 5. No. 10., Public Lines up for Service, New York: Columbia University Press Northrop, A., Kraemer, K., Dunkle, D., and King, J. (1990) Public Administration Review vol 5., Payoffs from Computerization: Lessons Over Time, New York: Columbia University Press Reisner, R and Jones-Shearin, C. (1996) Access America Online Magazine, Improve the Public's Access to Government Services-Less Burden more Service www.accessamerica.gov/docs/public2.html {on-line} Thibodeau, P., (1999) CNN.com, Government: US will need 1.3M new IT workers by 2006, www.cnn.com/ting/9907/02/itwirk,idg/index.html {on-line} (1994) The American Heritage Dictionary 3rd Edition, New York, Dell Publishing Thompson, M., (1999) CNN.com, US Miltary Recruits on the Web, www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9904/27/military.idg/index.html {on-line}

Genetically Modified Organisms in Agriculture Essay

Genetically modified organisms especially in agriculture has attracted global concern over the last few years. People from all walks of life, politicians, consumers, activists, farmers biotechnologists as well as technology regulators have been involved in the heated debate. Evidence has been brought forward on the massive benefits of genetically modified crops due to the food insecurity in the world as a result of low agricultural productivity and the ever increasing population. However, many consider the adoption of genetic engineering technology in agriculture as a time bomb. These concerns have resulted into changes in the importation and exportation policies, intensive regulation of agricultural technology and practices in many parts of the world. Different environmental organizations around the world have protested against genetically modified organism due to it potential effect on the environment. Despite these arguments, this technology is being adopted by farmers around the world knowingly or unknowingly. But the big issue is the costs and benefit of genetic engineering in agriculture. Whether the benefits of increased agricultural production at reduced cost overrides the environmental and food safety concerns has always been the big issue (Nelson, p 4). What are genetically modified crops? Over the years, research in biotechnology has advanced significantly. Biotechnology is a field of technology that deals with living systems. For many centuries, biotechnology has been employed in agriculture and manufacturing industries, for example fermentation processes for industrial production of wine has been used for many centuries. Principles of genetics and hereditary which were developed in the late 19th century have improved agricultural production by enabling farmers select the beat trains in plants and animals. However, the unearthing of the structure of DNA in the mid 20th century was a turning point for biotechnology. This led to a progressive development of genetic engineering technology. Today, farmers need not to choose animals or plants with the best characteristics such as drought, pests and diseases resistant, high yields, early maturity or high quality products due to advancement in biotechnology. Through genetic modifications, scientists can alter the genetic material in the plant or animal to improve on its characteristics (Whitman, p 1). Genetically modified organisms in agriculture refer to plants and animals that are created by scientists to meet desired characteristics using modern molecular biotechnology techniques. To enhance the traits, the genetic material in the organism is modified to meet the desired qualities. This technique has replaced the traditional methods of propagation used by farmers to enhance the desired characteristics through selective breeding which is inaccurate and time consuming. Biotechnology produces organisms of the intended traits with greater precision. For example, today, scientists can extract the gene responsible for drought resistance in plants that do well in deserts and insert it in various agricultural plants to enhance their drought tolerance. Recent research indicates that these genes can also be transferred from plants to animal or from animals to plants. A good example in this case is the genetic modification, Bt maize. The gene responsible for the production of protein in the maize was isolated from a bacterium that was observed to produce a protein as a defense against insects’ larvae. The Bt main therefore has improved nutrients content as well as pest resistance such as stock borer (Herman, p 36). Legitimate concerns about genetically modified organisms There is no doubt that there are several problems associated with genetically modified organisms in agriculture. This has resulted into criticism from different people around the world including some biotechnologists. This is despite the massive promises of the new technology. The greatest concerns has been the players in the agribusiness field concentration on the financial benefit accrued from adoption of genetic engineered crops without considering its impacts on the consumers as well as the environment. This criticism has become intense with various religious and interest groups being opposed to the idea basically because scientists are not certain about the long term effects of genetically modified products on the consumers and the environment (Rader, Para 26). A legitimate argument is based on the fact that man altering the Mother Nature will always have negative consequences. Some of these consequences may be life threatening. This is evident from the current changing weather crisis as a result of man activity. Genetic engineering is more threatening as it touches on the most fundamental part of life, the hereditary material. Religious groups have been opposed to these biotechnology developments due to its threat on the identity of the target species. However, some critics base their argument on ethics since genetic modification technology is closely related to human cloning and human embryo tissues research (Rader, Para 26). The greatest concern on genetically modified food is food security. There are proposals that genetically modified products may not be safe for human consumption. Adoption of genetically modified organisms in agricultural production is a major change in the global food supply and reliable and extensive studies need to be done on their safety. This concern does not affect genetically engineered organisms only but also changes that are as a result of other biotechnological advancements. There is no doubt that biologists are aware of the impacts of what they are doing. They are well informed on the negative consequences of altering the genetic makeup of organisms. However, there are some unanticipated effects of this technology as a result of long term impacts (Rader, Para 26). A very good example was the genetic enhancement of nutritional contents of soybeans. Soybean has been considered as a good source of plant protein for many years. However, research indicates that it lacks methionine, one of the essential amino acids. To enhance the nutritional value of soybeans, scientists isolated a gene responsible for protein production in Brazil nut and inserted it on soybean. However, scientists were unaware that the same gene was the allergens in the nut. A very large number of people are allergic to Brazil nut because of this allergen. This modification could have resulted into unexpected allergic reaction. This was revealed before the product entered the market through testing which led to abandoning of the project. This is clear evidence that genetically modified organisms products need to be extensively tested before they can be consumed by human beings. Though this indicates that testing is done before the products are released, there is no assurance that the products are safe for consumption (Rader, Para 26). One of the techniques used in genetic engineering is induced random gene mutations. This produces numerous genetics which are tested for desired qualities. There are various techniques that are used to induce random gene mutation. This may include the use of radiations of a certain wavelength, use of chemicals or subjecting the genetic materials to high temperatures. This technique relies more on lack when compared to genetic modification where a gene of the desired trait is inserted. This suggests that more tests need to be done on genetically produced organisms using this technique. However, throughout the world, there are no proper regulations that have been put in place to regulate breeding of organism which puts the consumers at a risk. There are no doubts that breeding technologies are creating harmful products accidentally and whose short term and long term effects are unknown. A very good example given in this case was the production of celery using convectional breeding methods. Although the celery produced was of a better variety, it had negative effects on the farm worker who became hypersensitive to sunlight. Other products produced using the same techniques such as Lenape potato was found to contain toxins levels which was fatal (Herman, p 36). The health concerns raised against genetically modified food have affected the perception of the public on these foods. For example, a very large number of children all over the world today suffer from fatal allergies to some animal and plants products especially peanuts. A large number of people associated this with genetic modifications. Although this may not be true, there is a need to think twice about this issue. Most of genetic modifications are aimed at producing fruits and vegetables with fast maturity rate, improved nutrition value, altered ripening behaviors, resistant to diseases and pest and better yields. Unfortunately, these products are given to very vulnerable members of the society. The likelihood of introducing new types of allergen in the fruits and vegetable through genetic engineering is very high. The allergenicity effects of new allergen may have far reaching effects considering that most of the people around the world are suffering from life threatening hypersensitivity (Nelson, p 103). Some scientists have been opposed to the new technology because it is not possible to determine with certainty the effects of genetically modified products on human health. There are still some unknown effects of introducing new genes to crops. It is more likely that there are some negative effects that scientists may not expect associated with genetically modified organisms that are unknown or unexpected by scientists. For example, a recent study suggests that genetically modified potatoes have some effects on the digestive systems of rats. Substantial differences between the digestive systems of rat feed with genetically modified potatoes and those feed with unmodified potatoes. Although these potatoes were not meant for human consumption, it suggests that genetically modified food may not have short term negative effects on humans but can result into modification of body systems which may be detected when it is too late (Whitman, p 1). The unintended harm to some species as a result of adoption of genetic engineering technology in agriculture has attracted a lot of concern on the future of GM in agriculture. These concerns are based on the effects of Bt maize on the population of monarch butterflies. Although monarch butterfly larvae do not consume corn, pollen from Bt maize was transferred to the milkweeds plants through hair carrying with it the anti larvae proteins. The monarch butterfly larvae perished as a result of consuming this pollen. The main concern here is that the proteins in Bt maize was not intended to eliminate the monarch butterflies but unfortunately, it kills larvae indiscriminately. Since it has proved to be difficult to produce GMO crops with toxins that kill only pests, there is a need for evaluation of effects of the genetically modified products on unintended targets (Whitman, p 1). There is developing fear of what is likely to happen if for example, the world corn production became overdependence on Bt maize, and then insects develop resistant to Bt crops and other GM crops as well as convectional pesticides. This may lead to similar problems experienced after some mosquitoes in tropical regions developed resistant to DDT. It therefore suggests that dependence on GMO in agricultural production may be a time bomb. The possibility of creating some plants that can resist certain herbicides creates the possibility of creating super weed. The possibility of the gene transfer process getting to the non targeted species either by mistake or maliciously is of greater concern to farmers. The transfer of herbicide resistant genes to the weeds may result in cross breeding and consequently creation of super weeds. These super weeds will be able to resist the herbicide the same way the crops can. It is possible that some of the genes can be transferred to non-genetically modified crops in the field as a result of cross breeding. This possibility has been proved by the law suit between farmers and Monsanto Company (Whitman, p 1). There are also economic concerns that have been raised against adoption of genetically modified organisms in agricultural production. Introduction of genetically modified crops may have negative economic consequence as a result of costs involved in establishing their markets. Biotechnology companies have invested a lot of resources in the development of GM crops and would like to make profit out of it. However, infringement of patent rights especially in agricultural technology is a big issue. These factors will affect peasant farmers in the developing countries as multinational biotechnology companies try to maximize return on their investment within a short time leading to increased prices of new propagation materials. It is less likely that despite the promise of GMO in averting the food insecurity in the world, farmers will be able to adopt these new varieties of crops (Whitman, p 1). It is clear that this biotechnology technique may not be available to all societies in the world. The resources required for significant genetic engineering research may not be in the reach of many agricultural technology companies all over the world. This creates the worry of a few multinational biotechnology companies controlling global agriculture. There is a possibility of the small companies being wiped out of the market as a result of intense competition. This competition will affect the small scale farmers negatively (Rewavas and Leaver, p 640). Counter Arguments Despite the intense argument against genetically modified organisms in agriculture, the global farming systems are progressively adopting this technology. Criticism has not deterred biotechnologist and multinational companies from developing more genetically modified crops. The intense research on this field and massive investments is clear evidence that there is a market for genetically modified agricultural products and the world is ready to adopt genetic engineering as a necessary technology. The world population stands at over six billion while it is expected to double within half a century. Convectional methods of farming will in no way sustain the ever growing global population. The risk of food insecurity is made more real by the increased changes in climatic condition. Weather has become increasingly unpredictable and unsupportive to agricultural activities. The solution to the challenges is genetically modified crops (Whitman, p 1). Genetic modification creates crops that are resistant to pests. Some GM crops are also fast growing and mature before pests attack the crop. For many years, pest control has been a major concern for farmers due to losses resulting from crop destruction. Large scale and small scale farmers use large amount of pesticides to avert these losses. On the other hand, there is a growing concern by consumers on the safety of chemicals commonly used by farmers to control pests. There are numerous environmental hazards associated with chemical pesticides. The need to use environmentally destructive pesticides can be averted by use of genetically modified crops. Growing Bt corn and other Bt crops has eliminated the need to use pesticides in agricultural production. Although there are concerns that have been raised such as the monarch butterflies saga, these problems can be addressed by improvement of technology (Rewavas and Leaver, p 640). In many cases, it is practically impossible or uneconomical to use physical means of removing weeds from the fields. This calls for farmers to use large amount and many varieties of herbicides to remove the weeds. This is not only time consuming but also expensive making agriculture less profitable. The farmers are also required to be careful in the use of the herbicides to ensure that they have no negative effect on the crops or the environment. Genetically engineered crops can be effectively used to avert these problems. These plans are designed to resists a specially synthesized herbicide with minimum environmental impacts. This reduces the amount of herbicides required and consequently the production cost. Genetic modification has also led to the development of disease resistant crops increasing yields and lowering production costs. Scientists have conducted extensive research in the development of crops that are resistant to disease causing microorganisms (Nelson, p 84). Unpredictable weather conditions have also threatened profitability of agricultural activities. Unpredictable frost can have destructive effect on seedling leading to losses. This has led to the introduction of antifreeze gene in crops such as tobacco and potatoes which is isolated from animals living in cold water. These plants are able to resist very low temperatures where normal plants cannot survive. It is important to note the reduced global agricultural productivity is as a result of unpredictable weather condition. Arable lands are being converted into unproductive land as a result in increased droughts. Moreover, a large percentage of land in the world cannot support agriculture due to lack of adequate supply. Adoption of genetically modified crops by farmers is the solution to this problem. With this technology, farmers will be able to grow crops in areas that were previously considered unproductive due to drought or salinity. This is by modifying crops to withstand drought or high salt concentration in the soil (Rewavas and Leaver, p 640). If genetically modified organisms were adopted in agriculture especially in the third world countries, malnutrition will be a thing of the past. It is observed that as a result of poverty, many people in the developing world rely on a one crop as their staple food. This crop may not contain all essential nutrients required by the body. Genetic engineering has the ability to introduce genes to these crops which will ensure that it contains the essential nutrients. For example, in the developing countries where rice is the staple food, a large number of people suffer from blindness as a result of beta carotene deficiency. However, the golden rice which has been developed genetically was found to contain high amounts of vitamin A. Although this could have been a solution to the problem, massive anti genetically modified food protests have deterred the introduction of the rice to the farmers (Whitman, p 1). There are also proposed uses of agricultural genetic technology in development of plants that produce edible vaccines which could replace the convectional injection vaccines. Scientists are also working on development of genetically modified plants that clean up the environment by absorbing pollutants such as heavy metals from underground water and the soil (Whitman, p 1). Conclusion There are many proposals that genetically modified foods will solve the food security crisis that faces the world. They have been proposed as possible solution to over reliance on pesticides and herbicide in agricultural activities which degrades the environment. However, there are concerns over the safety of the GM products for human consumption. There are many issues that have been raised claiming that GM foods are unsafe for human consumption due to possible allergic reactions and the wide range of unknown and unexpected negative impacts on human health. The long term effects of GMs on the environment may also be far reaching due to loss of identity or elimination of some animal and plant species. Work Cited Herman E. M. , Helm, R. M. , Jung R, and Kinney A. J. â€Å"Genetic modification removes an immunodominant allergen from soybean†. Plant Physiology. 132 (1) (2003): pp 36–43 Nelson, Gerald. Genetically Modified Organisms in Agriculture, ISBN-13: 978-0-12-515422-2, Academic Press Rader, Charles M. A Report on Genetically Engineered Crops, (2001), retrieved on 17th May 2010 from; http://members. tripod. com/c_rader0/gemod. htm. Rewavas A and Leaver C. J. â€Å"Conventional crops are the test of GM prejudice†. Nature 401 (6754), (1999): PP 640. Whitman, Deborah B. Genetically Modified Foods: Harmful or Helpful? (2000), retrieved on 17th May 2010 from; http://www. csa. com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview. php.