Abstract This paper begins by presenting the many benefits technology in the food production process has provided. It looks at how food can now be genetically produced to eliminate unhealthy elements of certain food types and how fruit and vegetables can now be produced which stay fresher longer, etc. The medical and environmental advantages are discussed and then the disadvantages are also mentioned. These include animal cruelty, ecological imbalances and undiscovered health risks.
From the Paper "Every day we awaken is another day closer into the future we envision for our advanced civilization, a future that varies for each individual but includes many of those ideas shared by countless books, movies, and television programs. As science continues to make rapid advances in all areas from astronomy to medicine to technology, that future becomes a greater part of our present. While some pioneers work on flying cars and others concentrate on faster computers, biotechnologists busy themselves with the manipulation of DNA, the makeup of all organisms and the biological basis for both a species? and an individual's characteristics. Recent advances in this technology, known as biotechnology, include cloning and gene therapy, a possible form of treatment for a variety diseases."
Tags: gene, enzyme, dna, ecological, animal, agriculture, health
Abstract This paper provides an insight into the Farm Service Agency which was established in 1994, essentially as a continuation of the former Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS). It examines how the ASCS had long been administered by the Farmer's Home Administration (FmHA), a Depression-era agency which managed farm loans. It looks at how farm loan programs were created in response to well-established characteristics of agriculture-- the uncertainties of weather and other factors that influence crop prices, the need of farmers for operating loans and the tendency of farm commodities to come on the market all at one time (e.g., harvest time), with a resultant glut effect on prices.
Outline
Introduction
Overview of the Farm Service Agency
Mission of the FSA with Respect to Agriculture
Organization of the FSA
Sources of Loan Funds
Relationships to Funding Sources
Loans and Terms Offered
Purposes and Types of Loans
Example Loan Program
Amounts of Loans
Maturities of Loans
Repayment Terms
Loan Costs (Interest Rates, Fees, etc.)
Types of Loan Programs
What the Agriculture Industry Should Know about the FSA
The FSA in Oklahoma
References
From the Paper "The FSA is organized into and administered through so-called County Offices, though each office may be responsible for several adjacent counties. Individual County Offices are staffed primarily by employees who formerly served in the ASCS. In addition, however, some offices have an Agricultural Loan Officer attached, or have regular scheduled appointment hours with a visiting Agricultural Loan Officer. The Southwest Farm Advisor (1999) online fact sheet recommends that borrowers try to work directly with the Agricultural Loan Officer, since the ex-ASCS staff members at County Offices "simply are not up to speed" on current loan procedures."
Abstract This research examines Julian Simon's "The Ultimate Resource 2", a book that deals with the ecological conditions of humanity and nature prevailing on the planet. The paper sets forth the general pattern of ideas contained in the work and then focuses on Simon's views of three issues in particular-- population, pollution and natural-resource capacity. After reviewing the different issues raised in the piece, the writer provides a conclusion which includes the opinion that Simon tends to select his issues with some care, highlighting those that tend to support his own viewpoint.
From the Paper "Simon's argument on population is built around a refutation of Malthusian theory, which concludes that the power of population is far greater than the power in the earth to produce subsistence for humanity. Malthus expressly insists on a direct connection between population and food supply; Bongaarts makes the point that Malthus predicted a increasing deprivation and starvation as growing populations outstripped the food supply" (Bongaarts 37). Simon makes the case that history has never borne out this dire prediction and that all previous predictions that population would overtake food have been wrong. In a modern, technology-driven society, it would be impossible for the world to contain too many people."
Abstract Railroads were first constructed in southern Brazil to serve primarily as growing coffee production industry in S?o Paulo state. Railroad growth in the region, however, facilitated the growth and development of other economic activities such as communication and agriculture. In its early stages of development, Brazil's socioeconomic activities were separated. According to the paper, railroads developed in response to the needs of an agrarian economy but served also to support the development of industry in Southern Brazil. The paper argues that the railroad aided in the integration of the economies of the states in southern Brazil.
From the Paper "According to Poppino, because of the economic ascendance of Southern Brazil from the late-nineteenth century through 1920, which was facilitated by railroad development, "the locus of political power shifted permanently to the South, where S?o Paulo became the economic heart of the country, and a new class of industrialists, drawn from immigrants and the land holding elite, competed with plantation owners for prestige and political influence. Railroads, thus, developed in response to the needs of an agrarian economy but served also to support the development of industry in Southern Brazil."
A proposal to study the effects of supplemental lighting on the reproductive functions of dairy cattle through changes induced in melatonin production.
Abstract Melatonin is a substance that is used in the husbandry of a variety of producing animals in agriculture. The substance is available for such applications as both injections and implants for the purpose of boosting melatonin levels in production animals. Alternatively, some research has indicated that melatonin production in agricultural animals can be increased through the use of supplemental light. This paper proposes a study to determine the effect of supplemental lighting on melatonin production in dairy cattle and to determine the effects of increased levels of melatonin production in dairy cattle on the productive output of such cattle. The paper also includes a literature review of the subject.
From the Paper "In the contemporary period, diary farmers face increasing economic pressures through the interaction of demands for reduced market prices and increased costs of production inputs. Government subsidies no longer can be relied upon to provide stability in dairy farming. Thus, dairy farmers must seek ways to improve the productivity of their operations where possible. A failure to identify and implement effective strategies to improve productivity will lead to further declines in agriculture generally and for the quality of rural life more specifically."
Abstract Soil has long been deemed important by agricultural concerns, however, it was only within the last 150 years that rail travel and, later, large-scale civic works made the study of soil important to civil engineers. The paper shows that the sub-study of civil engineering that is dedicated to the study of soil is more commonly known as soil mechanics. This field is used to assess the soil topography of land before major public or private construction projections are created.
From the Paper "The five main types of soil particles that are encountered by civil engineers include (in order of particle size) boulders, gravel, sand, silt cohesive, and clay. Boulders are the largest elements in soil and usually present a problem to civil engineers, but may be used in a place where the soil is otherwise soft to form a foundation upon which to build a road or other civic work. Historically, boulders were used for this purpose before it was cost-effective to introduce other materials. There are cost efficiencies in the use of boulders: they can often be found where bedrock is not near the surface of the earth, such as in the great lakes region where they were deposited during the last ice age."
Tags: mechanical, properties, Direct, Shear, Bearing, Ratio
Abstract This paper looks at the focus, impact and consequences of U.S. farm policies. In particular, it examines the 1996 Farm Bill, policy changes instituted in 1985, and the 2002 Farm Act. The paper concludes with an analysis of the consequences, whether positive or negative, of the Freedom to Farm Act.
From the Paper "The United States has always supported its farmers through a number of different policies. This policy has included programs designed to distribute the nation's land in an equitable fashion, increase productivity, raising the standard of living of American farmers and helping them to market their products (Westcott and Price, 2001). US farm policy since the 1930s focused on price and income supports. Until the introduction of the 1996 Farm Bill, the price support system relied on a series of acreage limits and storage programs (Westcott and Price, 2001)."
Abstract A thorough description of the fungi in genus Fusarium, also explaining the complexities of fungal taxonomy with regard to anamorph/telemorph distinction. Discusses the toxic byproducts of Fusarium's life cycle, its presence as an agricultural disease and its potential use as a biological weapon.
Abstract A thorough description of the fungi in genus Fusarium, also explaining the complexities of fungal taxonomy with regard to anamorph/telemorph distinction. Discusses the toxic byproducts of Fusarium's life cycle, its presence as an agricultural disease, and its potential use as a biological weapon.
Abstract From piglets to production, the pork industry in Ontario has increased since 1976 to present. Pork industry has increased from 1 million head in 1976 to approximately 1.8 million head in Ontario on April 1, 2002. Information about why this increase came about and how the pork industry works is found in this paper.
Abstract In this paper, we study the economic effects of the risk of infection from imports and the losses incurred from a disease outbreak. Beef imports by the United States from nations with Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) are used as an illustration.
Abstract The ancient mode of production (antiquity) was based on a form of division of labor between two social classes, namely slaves and slave owners. In these agrarian societies, the slave owners controlled the forces of production and the means of production, including estates and plantations.
Abstract This essay will argue that no genetically modified foods should be allowed on the market in Canada at the present time due to concerns about public health, the possibility of wider environmental damage, and problems with corporate influence over the regulatory approval process as it currently exists. Moreover, a normative analysis will demonstrate that from the ethical standpoint of utilitarianism, the government is negligent in adopting a Precautionary Principle in terms of the impact of its regulatory policies upon the Canadian public. This is reinforced with respect to the application of deontological ethical theory that requires action to be taken in terms of its moral value, and in accordance with universal laws.
Abstract This essay will explore how agricultural capitalism is fundamentally different from industrial capitalism. At the same time, it is important to understand the dominance of industrial capitalism on forming many of the economic models in the 19th and 20th century, which brought agricultural capitalism much closer to the mass production/commodity based operation of industrial capitalism.
