Auto Design- The retro design trend essays

Auto Design- The retro design trend essays Topic: Auto Design- The retro design trend Automobile designers have begun to create a great deal of interest in the consumer market recently with their new, retro look designs. Each year, there seem to be an ever-expanding selection of styling and design concepts, which reminisce that of the classic cars from the 1930s to the late 70s. Many new vehicle designs incorporate parts that bring to mind the appearance of the early hot-rods. There are an abundance of examples of this styling from many of the different manufactures, many of which have created mass demand and consumer appeal. In addition to small hints of the past incorporated into new designs, are whole automobiles created to meet the consumer demand for this type of vehicle. Many of the new automobiles designed share hints of retro styling. These designs bring back memories of earlier cars built in the era of the hot rods and early muscle cars. The new Chevrolet Camaro is a good example of this type of design, featuring a brand new, ram air hood design, having hints of the early 70s and 80s camaro which featured an almost identical shape. The Camaro also has an oval mouth grille in the center, reminding the consumer of the ever so famous 67-69 camaros. Countless everyday cars on the streets show retro details in their body design. New mustangs feature side scoops on its body, rounded rear windows on a Chrysler LHS, or the corrugated lower sidepieces on a Pontiac Grand Am all are designs that were incorporated in the old cars of days gone by. Now their use has been revived and is a very common practice among automakers. In addition to minor styling cues, whole vehicles have been designed as retro styled. The newest introduction probably being the 2002 Ford Thunderbird. It borrows styling cues from the original Thunderbird s well as those made later on. The Thunderbird brings, the cars...

Free Essays on Rascal

This was one of my favorite books so far. Sterling and his best friend went fishing one day on the stream that was near their house. As they were walking through the woods, Sterling’s dog, Wowser, smelled something that he liked. He went straight to a stump and pointed as some dogs do. Sterling told him to get it, and the dog started digging at the stump. The two boys also helped dig at the stump. As they were nearing the center a raccoon leaped out at the dog and went up a tree right next to the stump. Then the boys noticed the baby raccoons. They tried to catch the mother so that they could keep the baby ones too, since they were too little to protect themselves and live. They failed at catching the mother, but they did catch one baby. Sterling took it because his friend’s parents would not let him keep it. Sterling had many pets, including a dog, many cats, a crow, fish, and some skunks. He named this raccoon Rascal. Sterling’s mother had died a few years earl ier and he and his dad lived alone. His father was very lenient and allowed Sterling to do almost anything he wanted. He was building a canoe in his living room, and had many cages in the back yard where his pets lived.. Sterling made a home in a tree that was next to his house. There was a hole in it where he let the raccoon live. He was taught how to feed a young raccoon by his best friend’s mother. He was taught to take a bowl of milk and dip a straw in it, then stick the hay straw in your mouth and give the other end to the raccoon. Sterling got him off of this process quickly since it was so difficult for him. He took the raccoon everywhere and watched him as he grew older and learned things. As Rascal grew older he found things that he liked more than others, like sweet corn. He would raid the neighbors’ crops at night. The neighbors threatened to kill him if they found him in their crops. So Sterling built a cage for his raccoon. Rascal did not like this at all. ... Free Essays on Rascal Free Essays on Rascal This was one of my favorite books so far. Sterling and his best friend went fishing one day on the stream that was near their house. As they were walking through the woods, Sterling’s dog, Wowser, smelled something that he liked. He went straight to a stump and pointed as some dogs do. Sterling told him to get it, and the dog started digging at the stump. The two boys also helped dig at the stump. As they were nearing the center a raccoon leaped out at the dog and went up a tree right next to the stump. Then the boys noticed the baby raccoons. They tried to catch the mother so that they could keep the baby ones too, since they were too little to protect themselves and live. They failed at catching the mother, but they did catch one baby. Sterling took it because his friend’s parents would not let him keep it. Sterling had many pets, including a dog, many cats, a crow, fish, and some skunks. He named this raccoon Rascal. Sterling’s mother had died a few years earl ier and he and his dad lived alone. His father was very lenient and allowed Sterling to do almost anything he wanted. He was building a canoe in his living room, and had many cages in the back yard where his pets lived.. Sterling made a home in a tree that was next to his house. There was a hole in it where he let the raccoon live. He was taught how to feed a young raccoon by his best friend’s mother. He was taught to take a bowl of milk and dip a straw in it, then stick the hay straw in your mouth and give the other end to the raccoon. Sterling got him off of this process quickly since it was so difficult for him. He took the raccoon everywhere and watched him as he grew older and learned things. As Rascal grew older he found things that he liked more than others, like sweet corn. He would raid the neighbors’ crops at night. The neighbors threatened to kill him if they found him in their crops. So Sterling built a cage for his raccoon. Rascal did not like this at all. ...

Unit II non specific topic (Intercultural Management) Essay

Unit II non specific topic (Intercultural Management) - Essay Example In most cases, the parent company owns majority of stocks in the subsidiary companies (Deresky, 2011). Consequently, the host countries have minimal control over the MNC. Moreover, the host countries have minimal benefits from the corporation’s income. The MNC also reserve key managerial and technical positions to expatriate from their countries. Thus, the MNC are accused of failing to contribute to the development of human recourses in the host countries. In addition, MNCs do not contribute to the development of technologies and production capacity of the host country. The MNCs are mostly concerned with profits and in so doing they neglect their development obligations. MNCs also dominate the manufacturing industry thereby giving unnecessary competition to the local companies. In most case, the companies take advantage of corruption and mismanagements in the host countries to establish their interests. Thus, failure to meet corporate social responsibilities is the main source of complaints against the MNC. Question 2: What processes do MNCs need to establish in order to reduce prosecution risk? Many MNCs have decided to confront concerns about ethical behavior by developing worldwide practices that represent the companys policy. What are four policies used to address this issue? How would you implement these four policies in your business strategy? Multinational companies are faced with prosecution risks arising mismanagement and poor international relations. In order to reduce prosecution risks, MNCs needs to establish various processes. Firstly, MNCs need to ensure high level of integrity and accountability (Thomas, 2008). This will enable the corporations to avoid being drawn into unnecessary corruptions and scandals. However, some prosecutions are driven by business interests and, therefore the MNCs have minimal control over such occurrences. International business ethics are business

Comparison of the Marriage and Courtship of the Tuaregs and the Research Paper

Comparison of the Marriage and Courtship of the Tuaregs and the Americans - Research Paper Example The Tuareg can visit the girl of his choice whom he met at the abal and they may converse together but usually, they exchange jokes as a part of their dating, making the meeting an enjoyable one where they are both happy. The woman during the visit does her best to please the visiting man by doing him little favors like cooking the best food, mending the man’s clothes and playing the violin for her visitor. Dating to Americans is similar to this practice wherein men usually visit the women. Nevertheless, with the demands of the modern world, they usually dine out and the visitation lasts for just a few hours wherein the only favor given to the man is the food prepared, without the mending of clothes and playing the violin, not unless the woman has the skill and is requested to play. Food probably is the common denominator not only to the Tauregs and Americans but in all cultures in such an occasion where both parties get to know each other better. Communication to the American s is more open and not limited to joking, though dating is not without jokes thrown at each other and the partners are still nice to one another. Looking at the process of courtship the Tuareg’s undergo, it could be said they similarly accept dating as a pre-engagement practice (americanfamilytraditions.com). Tuaregs follow the same steps as the Americans do wherein after the dating process comes the proposal. To the former, proposal requires a lot of work for the man because he has to seek the approval of all of his close kin which according to Nicolaisen & Nicolaisen (723) not only include the parents but the siblings as well. The number of people needed to approve of the marriage proposal is not the one... Comparison of the Marriage and Courtship of the Tuaregs and the Americans Courtship to the Tuaregs is as exciting as that enjoyed by the Americans and yet, not of the same practice but of the thrill their different cultures bring along in the process. For the desert people, a practice called abal summons young single men to court young single women. Older men are not invited in the courting session but the occasion is strictly set for the younger generation to meet a probable future spouse. In this courtship, attractive girls are surrounded by young bachelors who show interest in a maiden and may sit with them for hours with some who just look at her while others attempt to chat with her or even touch her (Nicolaisen & Nicolaisen 722). Moreover, the men do not just attend the abal as they are, but have to use veil. Courtship to the Tuaregs is strictly observed and similarly considered important as with the Americans. The Americans, though have their own freedom to choose how they court. The heavily veiled Tuareg groom is led by a company of young men to the wedding tent where these are comparable to the American Groom’s men. Correspondingly, a group of women accompany the veiled Tuareg bride to the wedding tent in a slower speed than the men, also similar to the American Bride’s maids who assist the bride in the procession, keeping her looking beautiful and comfortable throughout the ceremony. After the procession, the Tuaregs complete the practice the following day but to the Americans, party would be over after the reception.

Manuscript Submission Instructions to Authors Essay

Manuscript Submission Instructions to Authors - Essay Example Hard wheat utilized as a part of making bread in light of the fact that it has a protein substance of up to 16%, and it hashigh gluten. In Iraq, agriculture is hard to practice given the climatic conditions of the country. This means that wheat farming is done in large plantations and supplemented by irrigation. The country is also one of the earliest regions in which wheat farming was a main source of staple food. Therefore, it is important to understand the criteria that is in place within the country that can aid in the understanding of the type of wheat that is most favorable in Iraq. The research thus involves statistical analysis of the wheat present within the country and the criteria determining their inclusion in granaries. The wheat plant is one of the staple food in Iraq. This is because Iraq’s climate is not favorable to agriculture. Plantations exist mainly along the river beds especially in the uplands and the delta regions. According to historical and archeological find, there is evidence of wheat farming from the period dating the third century. Thus, this supplements the idea that the people of Iraq are excellent wheat farmers. The earliest form of wheat application from the region includes baking cakes. In modern days, baking cakes is a delicate procedure and so is the preservation of the cakes. One needs to have a refrigerator in order to prolong the shelf life of a cake. In addition, the storage of wheat also demands proper storage facilities that will hinder the growth of fungi as well as contamination by weevil. This raises the questions as to how historical civilization would store there wheat to prevent contamination as well as process the wheat and ready it for baking. The research will thus focus on determining the criteria which the people of Iraq use to receive wheat in their granaries. Studying the

Milk And Dairy Industry Uk Economics Essay

Milk And Dairy Industry Uk Economics Essay The  area of Great Britain and Northern Ireland  (commonly known as the  United Kingdom) is the sovereign state  located near northwest coast of  continental Europe. It is an  island country  spanning with an  archipelago, accumulated with the northeast part of  Ireland, and many small islands.  Northern Ireland  is the only part of the UK  with a land border, sharing it with the  Republic of Ireland.  Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the  Atlantic Ocean, the  North Sea, the English Channel  and the  Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to  France  by the  Channel Tunnel. (Wikipedia Information.net) SOME POLITICAL FACTS ABOUT THE COUNTRY The United Kingdom is a  constitutional monarchy  and   unitary state  consisting of four  countries:  England,  Northern Ireland,  Scotland  and Wales.  It is governed by a  parliamentary system  with its  seat of government  in  London, the  capital, but with three different  national administrations in  Belfast,  Cardiff  and  Edinburgh, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. SOME ECONOMICAL FACTS ABOUT THE COUNTRY The UK is a  developed country, with the worlds  sixth largest economy  by nominal  GDP  and the  seventh largest  in  purchasing power parity.  It was the worlds first  industrialized  country  and the worlds  foremost power  during the 19th and early 20th centuries,  but the economic cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire in the latter half of the 20th century diminished its leading role in global affairs. The UK nevertheless remains a  major power  with strong economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence. It is a  nuclear power  and has the fourth highest  defense  in the world. It is a  Member State  of the  European Union, holds a permanent seat on the  United Nations Security Council, and is a member of the  Commonwealth of Nations,  G8,  OECD,  NATO, and the  World Trade Organization. (Wikipedia Information.net) The Dairy industry contributes  £6.8 Billion which is about 10% of GB GDP.   The contribution has been steadily rising over many years. The industry contains many different specialist sub-sectors and, increasingly, changes in technology have led to changes in the nature of jobs within the industry. The trend towards fewer, more skilled and better-paid employees , necessitates a significant further investment in education and training. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Flag Royal coat of arms Anthem:  God Save the Queen[1] The United Kingdom (dark green) shown in relation to the European Union  (light green) and other areas of  Europe(dark grey) Capital (and largest city) London 51 °30à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²N  0 °7à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²W Official languages English  (de facto) Recognized regional  languages Irish,  Ulster Scots,  Scottish Gaelic  ,  Scots,  Welsh, Cornish (wikiPEDIA INFO.NET) REVIEW OF THE MILK AND DAIRY INDUSTRY INTRODUCTION The dairy industry represents around 18% of the gross agricultural output of the UK, and dairy farmers are an important and sizeable part of the National Farmers Union NFUs farming membership. Dairy farmers have endured difficult times in recent years, notably with regard to farm gate profitability. Soaring prices on the world dairy commodity markets in 2007 resulted in rises in farm gate prices, totaling an average increase of 8ppl by the autumn. This has created optimism in the dairy industry and allowed most farmers to start breaking into a profit. However, there are ten years of underinvestment and debt to make up for and farmers now need a sustained period of higher prices to enable some long-overdue investments in their businesses. While the outlook of the British dairy industry is broadly positive, the confidence of dairy farmers remains fragile. Production costs have risen massively in the last twelve months. Higher feed, fertilizer and fuel costs are eroding the benefits of higher prices. In addition to this are the substantial infrastructure costs that dairy farmers face under the proposed revisions to the NVZ (Nitrate Vulnerable Zones) Action Program. With these issues in mind, this document provides a background briefing to the dairy farming sector and looks at the future challenges and prospects. Britains Dairy Farmers Dairy farmers in the UK are amongst the largest and most competitive in the European Union. Dairy farms are situated across the UK, but are concentrated mostly in areas where the climate encourages favorable conditions for grassland farming. In recent years milk production has gravitated towards the West and South West of England, West Wales and Northern Ireland. The number of dairy farmers in the UK has fallen dramatically, and continues to decline. In 2001 there were 26,110 registered production holdings in England and Wales. By February 2009 this had fallen to 12,465. This figure represents a 5% fall on February 2008 figures, and therefore reflects the continuing pattern of decline. Until recently, for every farmer leaving the industry another farmer was willing to expand. Consequently, the average size of dairy herds in the UK has increased from 72 cows in 1999 to 95 in 2010. At the same time, genetic and management improvements in dairy cattle have seen the average cow increase milk production from 5,000 litres a year in 1993 to 9609 liters in 2011. In recent years however, the industry has seen a decrease in production, suggesting that either larger milk producing herds are leaving or the number of herds expanding has decreased. (Wikipedia Information.net , The Dairysite.com) A Brief History of the British Dairy Industry Since the 1920s- 1994, the market for raw milk was managed by four statutory milk marketing boards (MMBs). One Board bought and sold all wholesale milk from farms in England and Wales. The MMBs were wound-up in the early 1990s allowing existing farmers to sell milk either to new farmer co-operatives created in their place or directly to dairy processing companies. The co-op, Milk Marque, was created for broker milk sales in England and Wales. In the early days following the abolition of the Boards, dairy farmers enjoyed a relatively prosperous time as milk prices had increased to 27 pence per litre (ppl). However, the rise in milk price coincided with a unique set of economic circumstances driven by Black Wednesday and the UK pulling out of the Exchange Rate Mechanism, which devalued the Pound against major EU currencies that had increased the value of EU market support and the competitiveness of UK dairy produce. Prices started to slide in 1998/9 and more and more producers opted to leave Milk Marque to supply dairy companies directly who offered a higher price as an incentive to join. Around the same time, a legal case was brought against Milk Marque by milk processors through the then Dairy Trades Federation, who argued that MM was operating as a complex monopoly and was abusing its dominant position in the raw milk market. In 1999, the Monopolies and Mergers Commission produced a report supporting the case brought to the Office of Fair trading by the DTF. The result of this case led to the break-up of Milk Marque. In its place, three daughter co-ops Milk Link, Axis and Zenith were set up in 2000. In recent years these businesses have consolidated, Axis brands merging with Scottish Milk brands to form First Milk and Zenith with a small milk co-op, the Milk Group to form Dairy Farmers of Britain. The Dairy Industry in modern times The dairy industry had seen remarkable consolidation at all levels in the last decade. While there were over 100 milk buyers in the country, six large dairy companies dominate the GB market. The largest dairy companies are: Dairy Crest The Company buys approximately 2.4 billion litres every year from 1,400 direct supplying dairy farmers, the majority of whom are located in southern, central England and South Wales (as well as some milk brokered from milk co-operatives, especially FirstMilk). Dairy Crest manufactures liquid milk and a range of dairy products, including cheese, milk powder, desserts, butter, and cream. Its best known brands are Cathedral City and Country Life. Arla Foods -Swedish/ Danish farmers co-operative of approx 9,400 members, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary in the UK. The company focuses on supplying fresh milk to retailers as well as managing dairy imports from Scandinavia and New Zealand. UK has a workforce of 6,300 and processes 2.3 billion liters milk at 13 plants, supplied mostly by the Arla Foods Milk Partnership, a farmer group of around 1,600 members. Dairy Farmers of Britain Farmer co-operative with around 2,600 farmer members, predominately located in the North of England and Wales. DFB makes a broad range of products including liquid milk, cheese, butter, ingredients and desserts, both for supermarkets and own brand. DFB also supplies milk to other dairy companies and runs eight separate processing sites and sixty distribution depots. Robert Wiseman Dairies Private dairy company that specializes in processing and delivering fresh liquid milk throughout Great Britain. It operates from 6 major processing dairies in Aberdeen, East Kilbride, Glasgow, Manchester and Droitwich Spa and a new dairy in Bridgwater, Somerset. The company has developed relationships with a number of major supermarket groups, resulting in more than 70% of its sales to multiple retailers. Milk Link Farmer co-operative essentially making cheese, ingredients and desserts. Milk Link supplies all the UKs major food retailers, many of its largest food processors, and food services organizations. It is the UKs largest cheese producer, with the bulk of its members being located in the South and South West of England. First Milk Farmer-owned business, with 2600 farmer members, formed in 2001, from the merger of two leading dairy groups. As well as supplying other dairy companies (notably Robert Wiseman Dairies in which it has a 15% stake and Dairy Crest) with milk, the company owns creameries in Cumbria, West Wales and the Scottish islands. There are also a large number of small to medium sized local or specialist processors such as Lactalis/ McLelland, Belton cheese, J Heler, Muller Dairies, Fresh ways, Medina Dairies and a small number of milk buyers that operate largely as intermediaries, supplying milk to a range of different markets. (http://www.ipaquotas.com/dairyfarmer.htm) The Current Dairy Market- The UK The British dairy market is observed as a domestic market. The UK is around 90% self-sufficient in milk and dairy produce and half of all raw milk is sold as fresh liquid milk. In the past, much of this would have been sold on doorstep rounds. Now the highest proportion is sold through major multiple retailers. Cheese takes up a further 28% of the market. Consumption of liquid milk had been declining until recently where statistics indicate stabilization in consumption, with increasing demand for low fat milks. Utilization of milk by UK dairies 2010/11 (million litres) The concentration of the industry on liquid milk and failure to add value has had important consequences for British dairying. The industry has, to some extent, become more commoditized and struggled to capitalize on real growth markets. It has also seen the value of imports increase compared to the value of exports with recent estimations that the deficit. OBJECTIVES OF THE REPORT The following objectives will be covered in the report in detail: To study the Milk production in U.K. To study the reasons for decline in milk production Pricing factors for the industry Challenges faced within the industry To analyze the milk and its products consumption in the British families (Via Survey Method) Milk production in U.K. Deliveries to dairies in the 2010/11 milk year totaled 15,212 million litres. Adjusting this figure for the presence of a leap year gives total milk deliveries of 16,176 million liters, the lowest cumulative figure since deregulation and around 500 million liters (4.2%) down on the five year average. 5 year average daily 2010/11 average daily Looking at average daily deliveries by month shows the milk year started off relatively well with April deliveries only 0.9 million liters per day less than the five year average. This was a result of a mild spring encouraging good grass growth and early turn out. The three months from May to July were the wettest on record which was one of the factors that led milk deliveries in July to fall to an average of 35.4 million litres per day. That was three million liters per day (7.8%) lower than the average for the month. This deficit decreased towards November with better weather and prices. However the effect of the earlier poor weather on silage quality and rising feed prices appears to have impacted on milk deliveries in the final four months of the milk year with daily deliveries averaging 3.5% lower than the five year average. The UK dairy industry employs more than 23,800 across 600 workplaces nationwide. It includes the operation of dairies and the manufacture of dairy products, such as iceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cream. There are many wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ known companies, such as Yeo Valley Farms, Danone, Dairy Crest Ltd., Unilever iceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cream and Wensleydale Dairy Products. 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 Key facts: There are 23,800 people working in the dairy industry, of which: 87% of the workforce is in the operation of dairies and cheese 14% in the manufacture of iceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cream The industry represents 6% of those employed in Great Britains food and drink manufacturing sector. 36% of the workforce is 45 years or older. 45% of the current workforce will be eligible for retirement within the next 20 years. 13% of the workforce has a degree or equivalent qualification . The highest qualification for much of the workforce is GCSE grades Aà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ C (20%) or A Levels (13%). 19% of the workforce has no qualifications. Workforce statistics Number of UK employees: 23,800 Number of UK employers: 600 Gender: 76% male 24% female Ethnicity: 92% of the workforce is white, 5% Asian/British Asian and 3% Black/Black British 2,300 migrant workers (nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ UK nationals) are estimated to be working in the industry Age: 26% of the workforce is aged 16-30 years 14% is 30-34 years 15% is 35-39 years 13% is 40-44 years 22% is 45-49 years Disability: 7% of the workforce has some form of work limited disability. [N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2010 and Annual Business Inquiry, 2009.] Reasons for decline in milk production In most instances in the dairy industry, increases in production costs have offset/negated any efficiency gains made by expanding producers. More recently, this logic has been tested as milk production has gradually fallen over the last 5 years. 2011 was an exceptionally bad year due to the additional effects of poor weather on grazing conditions and winter forage quality. Cumulative production to March 2011 stood at just 13,215 million liters, which was 2% lower than last year and represents a production figure not seen since the 1974/5 milk production year. In addition, in the 2010/11 milk production year, the UK was a massive 986m liter (7%) under quota. Research suggests that the falling trend of milk production in the UK will most certainly continue in the short term. The low level of confidence has led to reductions in producer numbers and a reduction in the number of farmers willing and able to expand further. Coupled with this, the industry has suffered many years of underinv estment due to a sustained period of low milk price. In light of the challenges ahead in the form of environmental regulation, coping with the impacts of disease and higher variable production costs it is likely that we will see further contraction in the industry in the immediate future. Recent price increases have however brought some confidence back to some producers in increasing milk production on their holdings. The 2010 Farmer Intentions Survey from Dairy Co revealed that 37% of dairy farmers intend to increase milk production, yet 7% of dairy farmers intend to exit the industry in the next two years. This forecasted increase in production on some farms, coupled with a reduction in the number of dairy farmers will result in a further fall in milk production by 2012/13 in Britain of 0.6%. Pricing factors for the industry Milk pricing and profitability are the biggest issues affecting dairy farmers. The average farm gate milk price for 2007 was 20.66 ppl with a February 2008 average milk price of 25.62 ppl. This reflects a much needed 8ppl increase on the average farm gate price of just 18ppl in 2006 which has increased drastically in 2011/12 by 48ppl. Since the mid 1990s, the industry has seen a general decline in dairy farm profitability and massive restructuring has taken place at farm level. To cope with Low Prices, farmers have sought efficiency gains to remain profitable largely through increasing herd size and cutting costs where feasible. In the past a combination of factors has driven farm gate milk prices including: Prices for internationally traded commodity dairy products EU market support Exchange rates The balance between the supply of raw milk and the level of demand for milk products Weak negotiation, due to structure of industry The costs of manufacturing milk EU and world commodity markets have been seen historically as the biggest driver in raw milk prices. They are still influential and are the biggest reason behind the well documented increases in milk prices in the UK and elsewhere in 2011. However, the British dairy market is essentially domestic, which should limit the exposure to commodity market forces The British retail market for dairy products is fiercely competitive. In respect of the cheese market, for example, regular tendering is the norm and with large quantities of cheese imported from Ireland and other EU member states, there is fierce competition to secure supply contracts. Costs of Milk Production It is notoriously difficult to establish average production costs, however over the last three years production costs have increased dramatically as a result of oil, fertilizer and feed price increases and the escalating cost of farm labor. The First Milk/Promar report of March 2009 suggests that the true cost of production for UK dairy farmers is estimated to rise to 36.64ppl in the next year, not accounting for any profit margin. Challenges faced within the industry Access to raw material is key to global position Milk production is highly regulated by quotas and mobility of raw material is difficult Raw milk is perishable and cant be transported long distances Milk production is challenging: no compromises on food safety, labour intensive and milk is collected daily Seasonality of production leads to overcapacity Requires long term investments on farm and industry level Competitiveness of the dairy processors is increasingly decisive for the pricing of raw material milk to farmers Better regulation and simplification Flaws are identified, but results are not satisfactory Slow decision-making process Lack of predictability Horizontal regulations concerning feed, hygiene, claims and labelling New regulations for animal welfare and quality labelling? Milk specific regulation: drinking milk, spreads and preserved milk Route to market Access to world market Global players include different geographical regions in their business strategies, but SME ´s have difficulties in approach. Specific support mechanisms could be helpful Industrial policy is made too much on terms of agricultural policy Technical and sanitary measures are barriers to trade: animal disease outbreaks, divergent analysis and sampling methods, zero tolerances, milk products and animal health standards Innovations Innovations have been and are essential in improving the global competitiveness of dairy industry and creating value added products Innovations in the future are more and more linked to the health and well-being of consumers. This means that more scientific evidence is needed for marketing of these products EU should create and improve platforms to support such development in research. The Technology Platform on food research, called Food for Life is a good example of such development and creating science based innovations Claims are essential and needed for marketing and consumer communication of these new products. This means that approval of claims should not prevent or slowdown this development European level programs in science and research (7th framework program) are essential in boosting the science-based innovations in open environment. Probiotic dairy products are good examples of commercial success in this area SME ´s should have easier access to these programs Environmental Challenges Among the biggest challenges facing UK dairy farming is how the industry interacts with the environment. The industry is working hard to ensure that any environmental risks associated with milk production are minimized and to deliver positive environmental improvements. Some notable achievements include a 13.5% reduction in methane emissions from livestock since 1990 and a reduction in overall fertilizer usage in dairy farming by 46% since 1997. Over 35% of farmland managed for dairy farming in the UK is now in an ELS environmental stewardship agreement. Action on farm is being co-ordinate through the Environmental Plan for Dairy Farming (EPDF). The EPDF promotes integrated solutions to tackling the sectors environmental problems, i.e. solutions that tackle more than one environmental issue and are easy for farmers to implement such as nutrient management plans. In addition to the EPDF, the development of an industry Roadmap for the dairy sector in England identifies the environmenta l impacts of producing and consuming milk across the supply chain and sets targets for mitigating and reducing those impacts. Critically, the Roadmap promotes better understanding of the social, economic and environmental benefits of milk and aims to achieve a balance between productivity and environmental improvement, thus securing the long term sustainability of dairying. Other Challenges Animal health and welfare continue to be high priorities for the dairy industry. The UK dairy industry adopts the highest standards of animal health and welfare, monitored primarily through the Assured Dairy Farms (ADF) scheme, of which 95% of UK dairy farmers are registered. The England Cattle Health and Welfare Group (ECHAWG) also provide a forum for the veterinary profession, farmers, industry bodies and government to work together to tackle health and welfare issues such as Johnes Disease, mastitis ,lameness, bovine Tuberculosis, an increasingly serious issue for many dairy farmers and, most recently, Bluetongue. FINDINGS Analysis via survey method to detect the rise and fall in the consumption of milk and its products! This analysis was carried forward by using the survey method thereby utilizing the questions given in the form of a questionnaire to assess the participants on the total consumption of the milk and its products in the uk. A sample of 50 participants was drawn from the population for further analysis. A sample figure of the questionnaire is given below- The procedure of the experiment that adopted the survey method as a means of reaching its destination has drew the following findings. According to the survey, 38% of the individuals preferred first milk as a brand over other milk brands and least no of people preferred milk link as a brand. This difference between the preferences must have existed due to pricing of the products, its quality, advertising and its availability. Another interesting fact that emerged was preferences of individuals for choosing the type of milk and it was found out that 42% of people preferred whole milk over other milk types followed by least preference for skimmed milk with only 24%. This difference obviously existed due to quality difference and tastes of the milk types. Another fact that was found out was individuals preferences for powdered and bottled milk that showed a positive percentage for bottled milk with 78% and very little preference for powdered milk. This must be existent due to quality reasons of the milk and the freshness (preservatives vs. fresh milk). The end part of the survey dealt with the family preferences for milk consumption in the UK. It was noticed that maximum no of individuals purchased the milk on alternate basis resulting in 46% from the total. And the numbers of individuals consuming milk within the families are also ranked as high as 42% which reflected that all of the family members drink milk and its products almost on daily basis. It was interesting to note that most of the individuals went by the price of the milk compared to the quality of milk which meant that they usually compromised over the quality over the price thereby resulting in gains for companies that provided milk at a cheaper cost compared to others. Lastly it was asked as to which product of milk apart from its pure form was preferred the most and it was noticed that 46% of the British families preferred cheese product of milk and least preferred the butter 12% which shows the British preference of dairy products depending on their cuisines and dishes made in their homes. By the end of survey finally it was found that most of the individuals preferred milk as an essential nutrient for their daily breakfast needs (64%) compared to any other meal of the day which reflects the energy source and dietary supplements provided by the milk maximize the most over other food supplements. RECOMMENDATIONS FARMERS à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Know your cost of production and Add value by maximizing your contract. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Make use of the NFUs inputs monitor and challenge suppliers to seek out best deals. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Offer farmers proper milk contracts, in line with the NFU template, that provide long term stability and transparency on terms and price. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Be transparent about costs, markets and milk prices. Show how you are improving efficiency and cutting costs at the factory. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Promote the Red Tractor prominently, on front of pack, on all branded dairy products. RETAILERS AND FOOD SERVICE à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Food service sector to extend commitments to sourcing assured, British products to all dairy products and promote the Red Tractor to clients. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ All major retailers to increase the number of British, Farm Assured dairy product lines offered to consumers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Retailers to promote the Red Tractor prominently, on front of pack, on all own label dairy products. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Retailers to establish direct, dedicated relationships with dairy farmers supplying British, own label cheese lines. GOVERNMENT à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ All government departments to adopt the NFU model clause and specify use of Red Tractor in its procurement contracts. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Establish a milk production taskforce to examine the reasons behind, and the solutions to, our falling milk production trend. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Make farmers aware of the support and funding streams that are available to them through the RDPE. RDAs to ensure that these funds are easily accessible. BANKS à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Banks to honor long term, established relationships with clients. Pass on base rate cuts in full and support farmers including tenants to invest for the future. NFU (NATIONAL FARMERS UNION) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintain the call for an independent body to take the politics out of animal disease and resist any attempt by Defra to transfer costs onto the industry. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue lobbying to improve milk contracts offered to farmers by milk buyers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintain scrutiny on input costs to ensure that changes in prices are being passed down to farmers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lead a positive campaign to promote the benefits of dairy farming and the importance of productive British agriculture. CONCLUSION The outlook for the British dairy industry is broadly positive. Despite the irrefutable pressures that farmers continue to face, the future prospects for British dairy farmers is bright. Milk producers are efficient and operate in a prosperous, well-populated country, with strong traditions of consuming dairy products. Demand for many dairy products, worldwide, is increasing as a result of economic and population growth. Climatic factors appear to be pegging production in traditional export areas and the EU may be well placed to capitalize on world market growth in the long run. But there remain many significant short-term challenges.

Mazzini’s Role in Uniting Italy

Explain and evaluate the role of Mazzini in the process of Italian unification to 1850 Giuseppe Mazzini was born in Genoa in June of 1805 into Napoleonic rule. He went on to play a vital role in the unification of Italy up until 1850. Although many of his endeavours failed, and he made mistakes that may even have backfired on his goal of Italian unification, he did play an important role. This was not so much directly, however, as through the influence he had, and the ideas he brought out of the shadows. Mazzini aimed to unite Italy, and made a lot of failed attempts to do so.He had a vision of an independent nation of ‘free men and equals’, and he also thought that all of the Italian speaking states should unite, not just the northern ones, as many people had previously considered. He was a strong believer in democracy, believing that it was necessary for the people’s voices and ideas to be heard. He did not, however, have any problem with the use of violence or revolution to bring about this united Italy, and in fact believed it would be necessary. In order to achieve this, he made a lot of endeavours, the majority of which were unsuccessful.In 1920 at the age of 15, he led a student demonstration, which was a failure and served only to get him into a lot of trouble – he was noticeably absent from the revolutions of 1820 and 1821 that followed soon after. He joined the Carbonari in the late 1820s, but was caught and arrested, and either exiled to France or set free and asked to leave the country (the exact nature of his departure is unknown), so he ended up in France by February of 1831. This was where he founded his first nationalist group – Young Italy.This was similar to a secret society, however had a slightly different philosophy, as it was founded on his personal beliefs of what a united Italy should be like, and what should be done to achieve it. He was soon expelled from France, so Young Italy did not get very far. He went to Switzerland and planned a revolt in Savoy, which also failed miserably. He then founded Young Europe, but was soon asked to leave Switzerland too. He went to England, where he founded the Second Young Italy, which also was not very successful.He then agreed to help the Bandiera brothers, two brothers who were planning a revolt in Italy, however this too failed, with less than 20 people turning up, and both of the brothers were shot. Clearly Mazzini’s career and direct role in the unification of Italy were not as significant as he had hoped they might be. One of Mazzini’s failures during this period was his alienation of the peasants. Although later on, in the 1960s, he brought the peasants very much into the action, at this point, he did little for them.Although he advocated freedom of speech and democracy, he had no plans to alleviate the stressful economic conditions for poor, or to make conditions better for the workers, who were the majority of the people in Italy. Instead his followers were mostly of the middle class, which was a significantly smaller group in number. Another failure was Mazzini’s noticeable absence in all of the main revolutions in Italy during this period. He took part neither in the revolutions of the early 1820s (although this was partly to do with his own negative experience) nor the revolutions occurring in the Papal States in 1831.While the most significant revolutions of the period –those in 1848 – were in some way influenced by him, he was not present here either. This brings to light a very important point – that while there were revolutions that were at least somewhat successful, Mazzini was not a part of them, leading one to consider that maybe he did not play an important role at all. It makes one consider that perhaps unification would have occurred just as readily without Mazzini, and question whether he was really that significant, however he did have some impact during th is time, in a less direct manner.One of the most important things that Mazzini did for the unification of Italy was to bring out a sense of national awareness. He created nationalist groups like Young Italy and Young Europe, which were aimed to appeal to the youth of Italy – the people who were not tied to the existing regime and were vulnerable to his propaganda. Despite being considered somewhat of a failure, he was well known throughout Europe (and especially in Italy), enough so that Metternich (the Austrian chancellor) once referred to him as ‘the most dangerous man in Europe’.This was not because he was particularly good at what he did, in fact most of his endeavours failed, as aforementioned, but because he was bringing ideas into the open, which had the potential to lead to revolutions and attempts to overthrow the existing forms of leadership. Many of his ideas had existed previously, but were unknown to the majority of the Italian people, and he made th em known throughout Italy. Whether people were interested in uniting Italy or not, he had brought the ideas out into the open, and rooted them in people’s minds.Mazzini was also quite a charismatic man, and so his speeches were paid a lot of attention. When he spoke about the possibilities for a united Italy, it was well received by a lot of people, and made them believe that even rather unrealistic ways of uniting Italy might by possible. In this way, Mazzini played a very important rule in the unification of Italy. Part of Mazzini’s role in the unification of Italy came not from his direct actions, but indirectly, from the actions of his followers.One of his most famous followers was Giuseppe Garibaldi, who helped to lead the revolution in Piedmont in 1848, and is today considered one of the most important figures in the unification of Italy. Garibaldi was a loyal follower of Mazzini in the early 18th Century, and although later in the century he began to disagree wi th much of Mazzini’s philosophy, he got many of his early ideas from Mazzini. But it was not just Garibaldi. During the 1848 revolutions, which occurred all over Europe and began in Italy, it was followers of Mazzini who set the ball rolling.They desired his goals of democracy and an independent united state, and were influenced by his belief that the only way to achieve this was through revolution. Perhaps Mazzini’s most important role in the unification of Italy, however, was the inspiration he left. Even to those who were already aware of ideas like his, and perhaps even those who already believed and were passionate about them, he acted as an inspiration to act. While many people at the time were just talking, he proposed actual action, which led people to believe there was a real chance of success.He had many followers, and even more admirers, and people liked to act in his name. The role of Giuseppe Mazzini is hard to define – on paper, his career was a fa ilure, and one might say he did very little to achieve any sort of unification for Italy, and in fact all of the significant events towards unification during this time seem to have occurred without his presence. However through the ideas he brought out, the people he influenced, and the inspiration he was to many people in Italy, he played a very large and significant role indeed. He was a crucial part of the unification of Italy up to 1850.