Sustainable Agriculture Essay -- Research Paper Ranching Farming Paper

Sustainable Agriculture Agriculture has been a fundamental component of human societies for centuries. It is so fundamental in fact that it is often forgotten by those dependent on its products, but not directly involved in the production. As we enter the 21st century, agriculture is beginning to receive more attention from the general public as the implications of farming are realized and the problem of potential world wide food shortage is addressed. With the future in focus, much of agricultural establishment uses words like biotech, and high-tech to describe their goals for U.S. agriculture. With few exceptions, traditional agriculturalists see a continuing trend of industrial agricultural practices that continue to drive production to fewer, larger, and more specialized production units which are virtually responsible for all stages of the production globally. This increased specialization is dependent on new biological technologies and information technologies at all levels from farms on which the foo d is produced to the markets where it is distributed. While these forecasts are legitimate, a growing number of agriculturalists, concerned public, and educators envision a very different future for agriculture. Such a view is represented in the writings of John E. Ikerd, an agricultural economist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri. In his paper, "Sustainable Agriculture: a necessary alternative to industrial agriculture", Ikerd questions whether the guiding trends of agriculture in the past hundred years can continue to be the guiding force of agriculture. He argues the while the tools of the "high-tech" future may be different from the tools of the industrial age, the objectives to specialize, mechan... ...l>. --- "Sustainable Agriculture: A Positive Alternative to Industrial Agriculture" 7 December, 1996. October 4, 2002 <http://www.ssu.missouri.edu/faculty/jikerd/papers/ks-hrtld.htm>. --- "Rethinking the Role of Agriculture in the Future of Rural Communities" 25, January 2002. October 4, 2002. <http://www.ssu.missouri.edu/faculty/JIkerd/papers/YaleRural%20Studies.html>. Pretty, Jules N. Regenerating Agriculture: Policies and Practice for Sustainability and Self-reliance. Washington, D.C.: Joseph Henry Press, 1995. --- "Supporting Policies and Practice." Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture. ed. N. G. Roling and M.A.E. Wagemakers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 1998. USDA Press Release. "Fitting Farming Practices to Minimize Water Pollutionà ¤ 17 November 2000. November 10, 2002 <http://www.pestlaw.com/x/press/2000/USDA-20001117A.html>.

Case Analysis: Ford Corporation

Case Analysis: Ford Motor Company Global Strategic Management March 4, 2013 Ford Motor Company: Organization Profile Ford Motor Company Staying â€Å"Ford Tough† Henry Ford established the auto company in June 16, 1903. An engineer by formation, Henry had a vision of making vehicles that would change society. He wanted to offer an affordable product to the public, one that his own workers could buy. His vision took him to model T in 1908, and to improve the manufacturing process with the conveyor belt at Ford’s Highland plant.The manufacturing capabilities kept on improving and in 1917 he built the Rouge plant that put the whole operation, from the raw material, to the final product, under the same roof. In 1915 Henry Ford’s son, Edsel Ford joined his father in the company. Edsel brought to the company the desire of making a product not only functional, but stylish and beautiful. Ford became entirely family owned in 1919 when Henry, his wife Clara, and Edsel boug ht the outstanding shares for $105,820,894 (Chapman, pp. 128) . The company would hold to this status until 1956 when the company would allow outsiders to buy shares.For many years the image of the company was the same as its leadership. Henry Ford passed the presidency to Edsel Ford in 1919. Henry Ford reassumed the leadership after the death of Edsel in 1943. After Henry Ford resigned, Henry Ford II assumed the presidency. The company inherited by Henry Ford II was not the same. Ford had fallen behind General Motor (GM) and Chrysler. Henry Ford II knew he had to regain terrain, so he contracted the Whiz Kids (a group of former US Army Air Force officers), and created a â€Å"sophisticated management system including accounting and financial controls† (Chapman, pp. 28). With the finance side in check, Ford gained increased its position, and became the number 2 car company in 1950. Ford products were not fuel efficient, and when the gas prices rose in the 70s because of the O PEC embargo, Ford lost many consumers. The company responded by closing plants and cutting jobs. After the storm, the sun came out in the late 80s with the launch of Ford Taurus and Mercury Ford was on the top of the game once again. The desire to diversify made Ford buy other brands and include it in its family such as: Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover and Volvo.Bill Ford assumed the presidency of the company in 2001. It was the first time in 20 years that the head of the company was a member of the Ford family. Bill Ford drove the company through one of the worst times in history for the company: right after the extensive (and expensive) Firestone tires recall, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Bill Ford went to ups and downs during his presidency. He saw sales improving slowly from 2001 to 2006, but the increasing competition from foreign brands such as Toyota, Nissan and Honda made him realize that he needed help taking the company to the next level.Alan Mulally b ecame the new CEO in 2006. He was a new face in the auto industry, coming from Boeing Corporation instead from inside Ford or from another auto company. Mulally â€Å"demonstrated leadership skills Henry Ford had established many years ago. † Mulally brought to the company new energy, and a brave new plan. His most risky decision proved to pay off in the end. He decided to raise money by mortgaging almost all of Ford’s assets including the brand. His audacity put Ford as the most trustworthy American company. The money raised by Mulally helped keep Ford out of the government bailout of 2009.Ford Motor Company: The Problem(s) Ford has been a pioneer in the auto industry but it still faces a lot of problems to make it the number one in the industry. The increasing competition from other car companies to creatively and efficiently attract and retain customers made it difficult to gain the number one position. The economic crisis also made it hard to sell new vehicles. The quality of Ford vehicles have also gone down compared to what it was before. The slow reaction to change in consumer taste made Ford lag behind its main competitors.It was also late in expanding in international market and opportunities were lost to other brands. Ford Motor Company: SWOT Analysis Strengths One of Ford’s biggest strengths is its leadership. Since Henry Ford founded the company, the leadership has been proven to help the company throughout difficult times. Every leader brought to the company a new idea. Henry Ford wanted the company to produce an affordable product. His successor, Edsel showed that innovation is always necessary in this industry. Edsel wanted stylish and beautiful vehicles to carry the Ford brand. Henry Ford II with he help of the Whiz Kids developed a â€Å"sophisticated management system† what helped the company after World War II. He also â€Å"revitalized Ford with modern engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and distribution facil ities in the US and 22 foreign countries† (Chapman, pp. 128). The strong and visionary leadership style of Henry Ford was shared by many other leaders of Ford. The new generation, Bill Ford and Alan Mulally also presented the traits of a Ford leader. Bill by navigating Ford throughout harsh times, and for seeing that the company needed a change, a fresh start.He then passed the leadership of the company to Alan Mulally who proved to be exactly what the company needed. Mulally discovered that Ford lacked â€Å"global synergy,† he was surprised by the way that Ford was operating its brands. He saw that the company did not have central control, it took him a while to find out what was really happening inside the company. He also made really tough financial decisions, and reorganized the amount of brands and models offered by Ford. â€Å"With his leadership and conviction, Ford Motor Company stood apart from its competitors by standing on its two feet† (Chapman, pp. 33). Ford’s reputation is also an incredible strength for the company. Ford is seen as a family company. Henry Ford wants the employees to be able to buy cars, increased their wages, and was interested in sharing a piece of his family with others. Weaknesses Ford has proven to be slow to respond to changes in the environment and consumer tastes. They felt that they â€Å"got it,† and felt comfortable with it. Since the beginning of Ford, with a delay to offer cars in other colors than black, they experience a tardiness to respond to changes.One example was the excessive attention to SUVs and other gas inefficient cars when the gas prices spiked. When consumers were looking for alternatives to the gas drinking vehicles, Ford was fully producing SUV’s. Although SUV’s are Ford bestselling product, the fact that they were slow to make them more efficient or give costumers other styles to choose from, made Ford to lose market share to other automakers. Ford al so lost terrain when they did not address earlier the ecofriendly trend. Toyota had the Prius which did not have much of a competition until recently.Currently, Ford has â€Å"12 vehicles with best in class fuel economy and 4 models with at least 40 mpg† (Chapman, pp. 137), and is developing plug-in models that use a combination of electricity and gasoline that will compete against the Chevrolet Volt. Opportunities Ford has the opportunity to expand its presence and capture market share in India and China. It aims to increase its revenues from international sales from 20 percent to 50 percent. The expanding market of the two countries allows Ford to focus on small, light and fuel efficient cars that are needed in the market.Ford has also been slow to respond to demands for small hybrid or fuel efficient cars in the United States. There is also an opportunity to increase standardization of the platforms used in world-wide production of vehicles. If this happens the cost of pro duction would significantly lower and it would be easier to introduce new cars into new markets without building new plants. Ford can also further trim down the number of models out in the market and focus on cars they are widely known for such as light trucks and expand its model for smaller and fuel efficient cars.To target the higher end market, it should continue to build its Lincoln brand as a better alternative in the US and once established, export that brand to new markets overseas. Production from union controlled plants could also be transferred to non-union plants that can give Ford plants a competitive edge or be at par with other auto companies in compensation for workers. Ford can also consolidate more dealership to become more competitive and give them incentives to attract more customers thru financing and offering excellent customer service. ThreatsThe auto industry is very competitive and technology driven industry. Ford has to constantly monitor its competitors to know how it will make its own decision. Companies will outbid one another in attracting new customers by giving them a lot of rebates, incentives and attractive financing. The technology for clean, fuel-efficient cars and alternate sources of fuel is also changing and without proper funding for research Ford could be left behind and lose in this expanding market. Any increase in price of raw materials could also increase production cost for Ford and make their vehicles more expensive.Demands of union workers also affect the competitiveness of Ford. They are currently paying higher compensation and benefits compared to the rest of auto industry. Changing consumer tastes also makes it difficult for Ford to quickly address and create cars that the market needs. Any decline in the US economy would also greatly affect the revenues of Ford. Most of the revenues of Ford comes from the US market and if the US economy goes into another recession it would decrease consumer spending and make it difficult to survive without government help. Ford Motor Company: Five Forces Threats of Substitute Products – High in Urban Areas, Low in Suburban Areas * With the increase of gas prices and traffic congestion consumers are now looking for alternate ways to commute between work and home. Consumers are increasingly being aware of their â€Å"carbon footprint† and are looking for clean and energy efficient alternatives to commute. In cities, the availability of public transportation such as buses, subways and light rail systems gives commuters flexibility. Car-sharing options such as Zipcar are now also available in cities and have become popular. Rivalry Among Competing Firms – High * Competition in the auto industry is very high. Different companies compete aggressively in increasing their market share by giving incentives to customers. It is also important for companies to satisfy the needs and tastes of consumers. Companies also try to run an efficient sup ply chain to limit the cost of producing and increasing profit margins. * Threats of New Entrants – Low * The threat of new entrants in the local auto industry is low. The auto industry is very capital and labor intensive and it takes time for companies to establish their operations.The current companies have established their presence and market share but competition from potential, new and growing car companies in big markets such as China and India is inevitable. * Bargaining Power of Suppliers – Low * The auto industry sources its raw materials from global suppliers. The suppliers market is also a competitive industry. Bulk of their sales come from the auto industry and companies have established relationships to give them access to supplies and new technologies. The relationship of auto ompanies and suppliers are intertwined given that as auto companies increase production, supplier companies increase revenues. * Bargaining Power of Buyers – High * Consumer s now have more choices that gives them a higher bargaining power. The economy is also improving and giving them more buying power. Unlike before where manufacturers dictate what the dealers will push to the consumers, consumers now make the demand for manufacturers to make fuel-efficient and environment friendly cars. Consumers are also well informed and by being well informed they can ask for more incentives to dealers and car manufacturers.Ford Motor Company: Recommendations Under the leadership of Mulally Ford has significantly made changes to improve the position of the company. We recommend that Ford increase funding on research for fuel efficient cars, alternate sources of energy for smaller cars that the market demands and will create sustainability in its vehicles. Ford should also maintain or increase the quality of its vehicles by standardizing its platforms and improving its technology to detect any safety issues with its vehicles to avoid costly recalls that not only is expensive but tarnishes the image of the company.The economic crisis has made it difficult for other car companies not to be bailed out but Ford was able to maintain its independence by using its assets and enforcing better control in its finances. Ford can continue to be competitive by maintaining or lowering its operating costs. Ford has been known in its proficiency in having a tight supply chain were it can control the costs of production. Ford should be quick to adapt in changing consumer tastes.It should not be content with making products that they are known for and lose market share in new vehicles that are small, clean and fuel efficient. It should also make its current models cleaner and more fuel efficient to maintain attractiveness to consumers. Ford has great potential in new markets such as China and India. The reputation it has built as a well know car manufacturer in the US can be used to tap new customers in international market. Ford has built by its strong leader s and will continue to thrive if more reforms are made.

Managing Health and Safety at Work Act Essay

Review of health and safety roles and responsibilities Identify 2 pieces of legislation relating to health, safety and welfare relevant to the workplace I have identified, The Health and safety at work act 1974 and Management health and safety at work regulations 1999. The health and safety at work act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering all work related health and safety in the UK. It sets out employers responsibilities for your health and safety at work. The Management of health and safety at work regulations make the assessment of risks a cornerstone of UK health and safety requirements. Duties statute law imposes on both the manager and the team and the managers responsibilities contained within the organisations health and safety policy. The most important responsibility as an employee is to take reasonable care of your own health and safety and if possible avoid wearing jewelry and tie hair back when using the machines. To take reasonable care not to put other people , fellow employees and members of the public at risk by what you do or don’t do in the course of your work. You should co-operate with your employer, making sure you get proper training and you understand and follow the company’s health and safety policies. An employee should never interfere with or misuse anything that’s been provided for your health, safety or welfare. It is your duty to report any injuries, strains or illnesses you suffer as a result of doing your job. You should always tell your employer if something happens that might affect your ability to work eg becoming pregnant or suffering an injury. All employers must make the workplace safe and prevent risks to health and ensure that the machinery is safe to use, and that safe working practices are set up and followed. The employer needs to provide adequate first aid facilities and tell you about any potential hazards from the work you do and give you information, instructions, training and supervision as needed. Emergency plans need to be set up in case of emergency. Make sure that ventilation, temperature, lighting, and toilet, washing and rest facilities all meet health, safety and welfare requirements. Check that the right work equipment is provided and is properly used and regularly maintained. Ensure that the right warning signs are provided and looked after.Report certain accidents, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences to either the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or the local authority, depending on the type of business. Explain what is meant by a ‘competent person’ in your workplace A competent person is someone who has sufficient training and experience or knowledge and other qualities that allow them to assist members properly. The level of competence required will depend on the complexity of the situation and the particular help you need. When getting help you should give preference to those in your own organization who have the appropriate level of competence which includes the employer themselves before looking for help from outside. You must consult health and safety representatives in good time on the arrangements for competent help. Identify 2 ways you can provide health and safety information, instruction and training in your team One way you can provide health and safety information is by using leaflets and posters around the work place. You can get these from various sites including: – Sector Skills Councils (www.sscalliance.org.uk); – UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES)(www.ukces.org.uk); – trade unions or trade associations; – further education colleges; – private training organisations; – independent health and safety consultants; – employer bodies (eg Chambers of Commerce); and – qualification-awarding bodies. To find a course leading to an accredited health and safety qualification look at the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority website www.qca.org.uk/qualifications. Secondly you could offer on the job training or classroom based learning individually or in groups. Computer based or interactive learning is a very fast, accurate and fun way of teaching the employees.

Compare the ways the poets write about love or the absence of love Essay

Love is an emotional force to be reckoned with, and a pure source of inspiration for poets. Modern and ancient, love is a common theme of poetry; it enables poets to discuss there most inner feelings behind clever literary techniques and paradoxical phrases. Such techniques can be found in Shakespeare’s sonnet 130. In this sonnet he destroys the conventional view we have of such sonnets of the time. He takes the standard love sonnet and turns it on its head: â€Å"black wires grow on her head,† this, in any woman’s eyes is far from a compliment. Contradictorily, Ben Johnson’s on my first sonne’ is clear and obvious: â€Å"Farewell, thou child of my right hand,† this statement clearly delivers a sense of lament from Johnson, not only this but he compares his son to Jesus, â€Å"of my right hand† this was the place that God gave his son. Even the title gives a clear indication as to what he is writing about, â€Å"On My First Sonne† the word â€Å"sonne† gives a sense of incompleteness as if we add a -t to the end of the word it makes sonnet, furthermore the poem is written in sonnet form however it is only twelve lines and not the standard fourteen lines. All of this conveys further to the reader Johnson’s incompleteness through the loss of his son and his loss of love for life through this. â€Å"What he loves may never like too much,† this is the final nail in the coffin for Ben Jonson’s remaining hope in the world as he vows to never love something as much as he id his son for fear of loosing it like he lost his son. Such intense love for his son can be seen when he states â€Å"Ben. Jonson his best piece of poetry,† in this fleeting moment he denounces all his work in honour and in love for his dead son. Such a sensitive tone cannot be seen in Shakespeare’s sonnet 130 until the end: â€Å"And yet by heaven I think as rare,† here we can see that William is declaring that despite his mistresses â€Å"reek† and her â€Å"wires† for hair he still thinks she is â€Å"belied with false compare,† this proves to the reader that love does not always take the form of beauty and glamour or ever good smelling breath, but can also be achieved through an honest personality and good nature, This proves to the reader that love is not based upon looks, and perhaps a true love is that which sees your partners flaws, admits that maybe other people are more beautiful, more special, more wonderful, yet that he loves her flaws and imperfections, making his love the most true. A very different perception of love is described in Duffy’s Anne Hathaway; she talks in this poem about the sexual encounters Anne Hathaway has with her husband Shakespeare. The poem is written in sonnet for so as to mimic Shakespeare’s famous form of poetry. It also ends with a rhyming couplet which was also a technique commonly used by Shakespeare. â€Å"Romance.† This single word is highlighted by a caesura; this tells the audience that love in this case is romance and story endings. Duffy uses fairytale iconography to emphasise this point â€Å"torchlight, cliff tops†¦Ã¢â‚¬  this fairytale imagery shows us that Anne Hathaway desired a fairytale happy ending, and it tells us that on that second bed Shakespeare took her there. In Armitage’s Home Coming he addresses a love based on trust â€Å"arms spread wide and free fall† this shows us that he believes that for his â€Å"two things on their own and both at once† there has to be trust involved, this description of â€Å"two things on their own and both at once,† is clearly describing the love he feels for his wife who he is writing about. â€Å"Im waiting by the phone† this shows the audience that he wants to call his wife because he understands the situation she is in however he cannot be a shoulder to lean on in such a situation as this because he is not with her in the phone box. The image of the phone box shows the desperation she feels and how she needs contact, not necessarily with someone she loves, but just a shoulder to lean on. In all four poems I have looked at very different views and perspectives of love. Each of the poets produces a slightly varied definition of love; for Jonson it is cause for lament, for Shakespeare it is cause to learn, for Armitage it is about trust and guidance, and for Duffy it is about romance. This proves that love has a different meaning for each and every person it touches.

Types of speech within the First Amendment Assignment

Types of speech within the First Amendment - Assignment Example There is pure speech, speech plus actions, and symbolic speech. Political speech receives the most protection through the first amendment (Jones, 2011). Political speech gets highly protected as it is vital to a functional republic due to its expressive nature. The first amendment also provides less than full protection to commercial speech. All speech is not equal within the first amendment. Several types of speech do not get protected by the first amendment (Cohen, 2010). These limitations on free speech get recognized by the US Supreme Court and constitute exceptions to free speech within the country. These exceptions got created over time based on context and certain types of speech (Jones, 2011). The first amendment exempts speech that involves false statement of fact, incitement, child pornography, obscenity, and plagiarism from its protection. Defamation on the form of libel or slander also gets exempted from the protection of the first

New Concept evaluation with planning & execution proposals Essay

New Concept evaluation with planning & execution proposals - Essay Example As Griffin’s model above indicates, the addition of a new product line is the riskiest venture that a company can undertake so careful planning and execution is required to avoid negative cost and schedule variances. In addition, dehumidifiers are already market available so consumer perspectives need to be taken into account to deal with concerns with existing competition. The customer will be treated as a co-creator for the current project as explained by Nambisan (2002). In order to pursue product development for the proposed dehumidifier, a gate stage model will be used to plan various stages and oversee their productive gains from concept to final market product. This report will discuss the various phases, their gated formations and checks available to ensure a smooth product development process for the proposed dehumidifier. The stage-gate (alternatively phase-gate) technique is utilised in project management when dealing with new product development. Product development processes are broken down into various phases that are limited by the presence of gates. Each phase has its own sets of objectives to achieve. Once these objectives are achieved, the selected gatekeepers review the progress and decide if the project is to be moved into the next stage or if it is to be revised or rejected altogether. The iterative character of the entire process ensures that risks are minimised, contingencies are adapted for and that the project remains as market relevant as possible (Chao et al., 2005). The zero phase is intended to allow for project management planning through the confluence of different departments that would need to corroborate for product development. This phase also known as â€Å"fuzzy front end† is aimed to solicit ideas from various team members in order to decide if the idea is workable in the given circumstance and to

Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Genetically Modified Foods - Essay Example   Currently, a broad-based scientific consensus exists over foods in the market, which have been derived from genetic modifications that they have no threats and health concerns on the life of humans and other beings that consume them. However, some opponents to the idea of genetic modification have refuted these concepts, basing their arguments on various safety issues, economic and environmental concerns. They have emphasized that the economic concerned raised about these foods emanate from the fact that the genetically modified seeds are foods sources, which are subject to the intellectual property rights as owned by the respective corporations that make them (Rotman, 2014).Plants that have been genetically engineered are often generated from the laboratory through alteration made in their genetic compositions and tested effectively if they contain the desired qualities. In most cases, this happens through the addition of one or many genes in their particular genomes by use of g enetic engineering methodologies. Some of the plants that are genetically modified are done in certain controlled ways through the addition of more genes in a process called cloning or some genes are subtracted from them.Nowadays, genetic modification is often carried out in order to make plants resistant to insects, viri, fungi and herbicides. Additionally, these modifications are also aimed at changing the nutritional content of these plants, improving their taste and duration for storage after harvest.