Supply Chain --- Accessing Markets of the Urban Farmer Dissertation

Supply Chain --- Accessing Markets of the Urban Farmer - Dissertation Example Urban agriculture is totally different from peri-urban agriculture in the sense that urban agriculture is more focused on the use of gardens, vacant lots, balconies and small containers in growing vegetables and crops (FAO, n.d.). On the other hand, peri-urban agriculture is relying on farms that are situated close to a town or city (FAO, n.d.). One of the similarities between urban and peri-urban agriculture is that both types of agricultural activity produces homogenous products. In the study of economics, market structure of an industry is classified as either the market has monopolistic competition, oligopolistic, or a perfect competition (Tucker, 2011, pp. 136 – 180; Arnold, 2010, p. 458). Barrier to entry in urban and peri-urban agriculture is low since anybody can make it a practice to plant and harvest their own food supply. Because of the presence of so many buyers and sellers that sells homogenous products in the market, the market structure of urban and peri-urban f arming is classified as a perfect competition (Arnold, 2010, p. 458). 2.1.1 Mumbai, India Mumbai is one of the largest cities around the world that practice urban agriculture (Krause, 2010). Specifically the progress of urban farming in Mumbai was inspired by Dr. Doshi who conducted an experiment on food production in his own house (Vazhacharickal and Buerkert, 2011). Without requiring huge capital investment, Dr. Doshi converted his 1,200 sq. ft. terrace in Bandra for urban farming activities which allowed him to yield at least 5 kg of fruits and vegetables each day (Vazhacharickal and Buerkert, 2011; City Farmer, 2006). Up to the present time, there is no available statistics that can show how far urban farming is progressing in Mumbai, India. However, there are quite a lot of online videos and other written reviews showing that Mumbai is active in terms of promoting urban farming in this city. The number of Indian people who are actively supporting the practice of urban farming i s increasing. For instance, to compost kitchen waste and sell vegetables, fruits, and herbs, Levenston (n.d.) publicly announced that they are using 5,000 sq. ft. of unused rooftop for urban farming. To compost kitchen waste after feeding more than 30,000 employees, a 3,000 sq. ft. terrace in Mumbai Port Trust was converted into a kitchen garden (Pendharkar, 2008). Last December 2011, Rajesh decided to take advantage of urban farming as a form of business (gtsindia, 2012, 0:27; Levenston, n.d.). To sell urban farming produce to the market, Rajesh’s business partner mentioned that they have been talking to people including their prospective customers such as relatives and friends to support urban farming (1:25). Rajesh and his colleagues tried to convince 25 to 50 people to practice urban farming in their own balconies and terraces. However, one of the main problems that Rajesh have noticed is that a lot of people in Mumbai are still very reluctant whether or not urban farming is a reliable way of growing fruits and vegetables. To convince people to practic

The Election of 1828 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Election of 1828 - Research Paper Example The longest elections in american history have opened a new era of democracy and have brightened the way for future changes that will build constant vision of modern society. By 1828 the United States was by no means a nascent democracy by all standards with elections being hallmarks of a growing democracy. However, some elections were deemed as significant as they were controversial that they changed the election culture and served as a blueprint from which future political developments sprouted from. By the end of 1828, Americans had voted into office a man who was widely regarded as a champion of the common people1. The 11th elections proved to be a turning point in American history as, in as much as it was mired in smear underhand tactics and open character assassination, it heralded a return of party politics as it managed to whip the masses into two major party lines and the consequent party conflicts and bitterness would resonate for years. Andrew Jackson’s loss in the 1824 elections which were regarded as a ‘corrupt bargain’,2 and his ride to victory four years later through the support of the poor or working class clearly formed a template many future elections that were to follow where political power closely resembled the growing population of the United States. It was now possible for a person of humble descent like Andrew Jackson to ascend to the highest pinnacle of political power unlike where it was a reserve of a small clique of aristocrats. Andrew Jackson won in the election of 1824, but faced a loss to John Adams when the election was deferred to the House of Representatives3. He (Andrew Jackson) and his loyalist were outraged when the House of Representatives because of the influence Henry Clay, an unsuccessful presidential candidate and speaker of the house, awarded the presidency to John Quincy Adams. One may wonder if the process was free and fair and totally unbiased as a few days later, the president-elect John Quincy Adams named Henry Clay his secretary of state4. At the time, this was a position that had been a launch-pad for future presidents. The American people who had clearly demonstrated their preferred candidates felt betrayed by the very system that unified them as a people. One is compelled to raise various questions on the turn of events since Andrew Jackson won a plurality of electoral votes in the election which meant that he was the ultimate choice of the Americans. Andrew Jackson was devastated by the turn of events and one would understand his reaction at the time and devoted himself for the next four years to winning the presidency in the 1828 election: the next election. The modern Democratic Party was formed through the efforts of Andrew Jackson’s loyalist, Martin Van Buren. This political machine was one of the many strategies they used. Van Buren worked extra hard to gain popularity in the East as Andrew Jackson was already popular in the west. Nominations for the 182 8 elections changed and legislatures were tasked with the job of making the nominations. John Quincy Adams was re-nominated by the National Republicans while the Democrats nominated Andrew Jackson. The nomination presented a rematch between two great rivals of the time, Andrew Jackson and President John Adams. The campaign was one of the nastiest in American history. The elections of 1828 proved to be unique from all the previous elections in American history in various ways. The campaign was marked by considerable cased of mudslinging. This vice was uncommon during previous elections

Critical Assessment and comparison of the Competitive and Essay

Critical Assessment and comparison of the Competitive and Profitabbility of UK food retail Sector and the UK Oil and Gas Sector - Essay Example Even due to the economic downturn, it is still predicted to increase by 15% over the next five years in the future (SAS, 2011). It is still considered to be an impressive figure despite the fact that it represents a slow growth. Over 9% of GDP of UK is generated by the retail industry which is the success factor of retail companies overseas. With the increase of e-commerce, the products are able to reach through millions of consumers. Hypermarkets have become competitive in offering diversified products to their wide customer base. The major players in the market, Tesco, Asda, J Sainsbury and Wm Morrison accounts for 80% of the total market share (Lloyds Bank, 2012). London is considered to be a strong market for consumer shopping and many people including tourists are inclined towards purchasing in London. It beats out other developed cities including New York, Tokyo and Paris with total spending of ?64.2 Billion (GAIN, 2010). The recessionary periods have hit the retail sector of U K which is very disastrous for the sector, but from a wider perspective, the major players in the market have not undergone major changes which might reveal that the market is running smoothly for the longer term. This also means that the big players did not change their strategies for competition and did not find a need to undergo major changes. The UK retail sector provides biggest revenues to their companies which in turn increases the GDP growth of the nation. The presence of major players indicates that the sector is strong with major assumption of future growth (GAIN, 2010). Weaknesses: The UK retail market is a mature market which is not intended to grow in volume terms. The margins and earnings from the retail sector are threadbare and mostly the earnings are coming from the online stores. As the economy suffers from recession global downturn, it has been tough going for the UK retail market. According to Verdict research, 2012 growth rate of the UK retail sector would be 1. 2% which is the third lowest growth in the history of UK retail in 49 years (SAS, 2011). It has been forecasted that the non-food items in the retail sector would decline for consecutive fourth year as it would have a decrease of -0.5% (SAS 2011). Food is an essential item in our lives, but since the recession period it has allowed people to spend more but for the same quantity. The greatest weakness is the rising food prices over the world which is affecting sales of the major companies and is resulting in slower growth. The grocery section has been badly hit by the downturn which has decreased the consumers spending and now the industry is termed to be as ‘recession-resilient’. The major price drop has resulted in the industry which has hauled Tesco to provide promotional strategies which is the biggest player in UK retail. Asda did not carry out the move to lower its price and insisted that it was the cheapest provider of consumer goods. The rivalry is intense in the sector and has accounted for low profit margins and growth (GAIN, 2010). Opportunities: Even though the margins are threadbare in UK retail sector, the big four of the retail sector, Tesco, J Sainsbury, Asda and Wm Morrison are planning to buy 4 million of retail space which is equivalent to 130 average supermarket stores (SAS, 2011). This proves that the big players consider a growth in the sector in the future which provides an opportunity to grab market shares. According to the UK economy

Chinese Environmental Programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chinese Environmental Programs - Essay Example In this report we assess the tremendous environmental impact that industrialization has caused in the People’s Republic of China and how the Chinese government has concentrated on getting regulations and enforcement in place to reduce the extreme degradation that industries were bringing about in the environment. Here is a quick review of the nature of regulations that the Chinese government has been employing recently. The air was found to have heavy precipitation and highly convectional temperature swings in all parts of China. This was a direct result of the obnoxious gases that are released to the environment in the form of factory and automobile exhausts. The use of smoke filters was the very first regulation that China imposed on its automobile users, which was also accompanied by the restriction of ammonia rich fuels and raw materials in factories. This has helped reduce the level of precipitation to a great extent, although acid rains are reported in parts of the country still (MEPPRC, 2009, 56). The release of gases like sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide has been controlled by applying strict regulations to papermaking, steelmaking, power supply industries. This has led to the reduction of their content in the atmosphere by millions of tons. The country is full of rivers and it has been noticed that industrial releases like the ammonium and manganese wastes have caused enough harm to the flora and fauna found in the rivers. There is no doubt that, the river waters have turned poisonous not just for these creatures, but also for us. The governmental bodies have tested water of all the major rivers and have devised a national monitoring system that assesses the quality of water in each river and grades it. Grade V which is the highest order in terms of drinking safety is found in only a meager 2.3% of the river water that is found in China (MEPPRC, 2009, 26). Since the river water is undergoing extreme

Leadership Blog Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership Blog - Assignment Example Therefore, the managers need to identify the leadership approaches which can help in integration of activities of the employees and achievement of goals and objectives of the organization. The traditional theorists regarded leadership as an integrated approach which focused on team work. Later, it was regarded as a powerful relationship which had the ability to influence its followers (Evans, 2003). The modern leadership theories proposed that the master servant relationship should be replaced by superior subordinate relationship. The leadership theory occurred in groups which involved the employees working together in unification towards a share goal. As per Author Adair (1984 cited in Mullins and Linehan, 2005) leadership can be expressed as a relationship with other individuals. Leadership can occur in various groups or social context and they should have followers. Leadership theories are concerned with how to convince the employees to attain the goals and objectives in a systema tic method. Leadership can provide direction, guidance and activity for a collective group (Mullins and Linehan, 2005). ... The approaches of the managers need to align with the business goals and objectives. One of the main objectives of the organization is to increase the presence of the organization internationally and create a niche for itself in the market. The Cross - Vergence theory focuses on the economic ideology that believes in integration of cultural values with western influence (Theimann, April and Blass, 2002).The theory identifies the significance of the cultural values and its impact on an organization. Therefore, the theory recognizes the importance of national, sub culture, and the economic ideology influences. For example HSBC is pervasive in more than 88 countries worldwide and follows the Cross Vergence theory for guidance purposes. It is not possible to develop a universal theory of leadership which can be applicable to all organizations and in all situations hence a manager needs to identify the various approaches required at different levels and act accordingly. The difference in the cultural values of the countries may lead to the adoption of different approaches by the managers. It is not possible for every manager to adopt a leadership approach which aligns with the cultural values of the countries. The followership theory proposed by Brown & Thornborn (1998 cited in Evans, 2003) categorized the employees in four types; sheep people, yes people, alienated survivors and exemplary followers. Sheep people are extremely uncritical and passive but yes people are completely dependent on the leaders for opinions. Survivors keep adapting to changes and exemplary followers are able to think creatively and independently. Managers can devote certain portion of their time for in development of their emotional intelligence which can help in understanding the

Made In Chelsea Analysis of an episode Essay Example for Free

Made In Chelsea Analysis of an episode Essay From the episode of Made In Chelsea I watched, I can say that the representations we have of upwardly mobile young city dwellers are that they are social-oriented, whose lives seem to be some care-free that they can cavort around various places in London—and the world—without any problems. We also only see characters of a certain age range—none are, we assume, above the age of thirty—of which the majority have no jobs or business, leading us to believe that they come from families of ‘old money’, and so having a job themselves would seem rather pointless. Saying that, there are a few characters who do possess their own business or thereabouts. However, our perceptions of the characters are very one sided, as we are constricted to seeing only one side of that character—the one that fits their current storyline the best. This prevents us from seeing, per se, the kind heartedness of a character that has just cheated on their partner. The words ‘characters’ and ‘storylines’ fit well with my next point; the conversations and the events that take place throughout the episode seem far too rehearsed and coincidental for them to be actual ‘reality’. Location shots are used of London sights and attractions to establish the setting of the scene. They also are only of Central London attractions, and the shops and restaurants et al all seem to highlight the wealth of the individuals who shop there, eat there etc. Reactions, for the majority of the show, are shown using over-the-shoulder shots to portray the reaction of the person who is being told something. There is also usage of eye line matching shots that show you what the character may have been looking at from their angle. The episode seems to comprise of short segments that have then been edited in post production so that they can seek out the most entertaining of segments. This is obvious as the episode transitions from one group of people at a restaurant to a boxing arena and then back to the restaurant again. Tzvetan Torodov’s narrative theory that conventional narratives are structured into five stages; Equilibrium—disruption—recognition—repair—reinstatement, could be present within the episode, as you can apply it to the situation between Louis, Spencer and Jamie (the love triangle storyline). The fact that it fits so well with Torodov’s theory does support the question â€Å"How much of Made In Chelsea is actually reality?†

Anne Franks Post Capture Diary Essay Example for Free

Anne Franks Post Capture Diary Essay The following all takes place between the time of Anne Frank and familys capture and her death in Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp  4th August 1944  I dont know what happened. I just dont know. There is no way they could have found without some despicable, racist and selfish person turning us in. Margot hasnt stopped crying. She is depending on me. I have to put on a brave face no matter how terrified I am of our destination and what awaits us there. The truck we are on smells of urine and something else disgusting I cant imagine what is secreting out. They tell us that we are going to a prison where we can meet other scum like us. I think it is them who should be locked up. After all it is they themselves who are the scum 5th August 1944  We have arrived at our destination. I caught a glimpse of the name. We are in Weteringschan Prison. It means the prison of death. I can see why. Rotting corpses are all around. Many of us have vomited at the mere sight. However we have been told there is worse to come. I cant imagine a worse place than this. I am beginning to feel an illness about me. If I am sickening for something this early on, I will never survive. Soon they are shipping us off to Westerbork. I assume that where I will perish. Im so scared. I dont know how much longer I can bear this August 8th 1944  This is it. I cannot go on living anymore. They separated myself and Margot from Mummy and Pim. I kicked up such a fuss that Margot had to pull me back to keep the guards from shooting me there and then. There are no words to describe how melancholy I am feeling right now. I just have to sleep and hope that this fiendish life is all just a nightmarish dream  September 3rd 1944  I was shaken awake by guards early this morning. I was not awake enough to catch all of what they said but I caught the gist of it. Auschwitz Death Camp. Those words stroke fear deep into my heart. All hope of survival drained instantly from my body. I didnt have the energy to fight back, so I stumbled onto the train with what few belongings I had left and watched my screaming tearful mother reach out to us. I couldnt stop crying for the whole journey. Why are the Nazis doing this to us? What have we ever done to upset anyone? Ive tried to lead a good life but obviously god needs to make Jews repent for something. Maybe this is like Noahs Ark. God is cleansing the Earth of all bad things. Maybe we are bad. Maybe we do deserve to die September 5th 1944  Westerbork isnt as bad I thought. Apparently the Germans just let the Jews run the place as long we work hard. Me and Margot have been sentenced to potato peeling. There are worse jobs out there! I still miss Mum and Pim so much though. I hope theyre okay  October 19th 1944  My hopes lifted when we were sent away form this horrible place. They descended back down again as soon as I realised we were just being transported to the worst place I had ever heard of. Bergen Belsen December 24th 1942  What a way to spend Christmas. Crammed in a dark dank hole with hundreds of others like us. There appears to be an outbreak of a disease with yellow pustules oozing blood in the rest of the tents. It is only a matter of time before it reaches me and Margot. Speaking of Margot, she is sickening a lot worse than me. She is as pale as a ghost. I dont know how likely it is for her to pull through January 12th 1945  The Germans might as well have abandoned us. There is no food or water. Everyone is covered in mud and scars. We only have bits of cloth to cover ourselves with. Worst of all Margot is taking a new turn for the worse every day. She cant even walk anymore. She spends all day in bed, just coughing and spluttering. The little food I get goes to her. Im so cold. We cant last much longer  19th March 1945  I cant go on. I woke up this morning. Margot didnt. I cant even walk as I am so grief-stricken. All hope is lost. Hitler will conquer the world and it shall perish at his hands  It is believed Anne died within a few days of Margot. They both perished of Typhus in March 1945.