Abstract This paper focuses on the ethical decisions that farmers are forced to make. Since the introduction of GMOs (genetically modified organisms), globalization, new technologies, and agribusiness, farmers are either forced to sell out or jump on the global bandwagon. The paper discusses the role of politics and biotechnology, including specific discussions about Monsanto and other biotech companies, in modern day farming. The effects of specific GMOs are examined along with economic advantages and environmental disadvantages of using biotech products.
From the Paper "The influence of technology and economic growth on agriculture is an issue that has been widely examined for years. Growing world populations and the need to increase productivity have put a strain on the common practices of farming. Since antiquity, the general public has depended on the productivity of farmers for food. Globalization and economics have forced an increase in the demand of agricultural products. With the development of these demands, corporations and government agencies have introduced ideas for better and more efficient production of foods."
Abstract This paper examines the concept of relationship marketing and its importance. The author defines relationship marketing and its goal. The paper describes loyalty programs and consumer relationship at Bayer Agribusiness.
From the Paper "Companies often tout their customer relations but few companies actively engage in relationship marketing. In many cases, companies confuse the concept of relationship marketing with direct or target marketing. While there can be overlap in these areas, relationship marketing is designed to build loyalty between the company and the consumer-and this relationship goes both ways. The company takes a proactive approach in anticipating and meeting the needs of the consumer while the consumer comes to expect more than just a commodity from the supplier relationship."
Tags: relationship marketing, direct marketing, Bayer
Abstract Novartis is a world leader in life sciences with core businesses in healthcare, agribusiness and consumer health. In June 1999 Novartis announced it would eliminate 1,100 jobs worldwide to counter a depressed farm economy. This paper examines the company's strategy to deal with the upheaval and change in the agribusiness industry. It focuses on Norvatis' human resources policy in China as an example of the company's strategy.
From the Paper "Also in September 1999, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, the U.S. pharmaceuticals division of Novartis, moved its entire operation to East Hanover, New Jersey. The corporation had originally split its headquarters between Summit, New Jersey (1,440 employees) and East Hanover (2,900 employees). The company also planned to build a $100 million drug research facility in East Hanover, which would add hundreds of jobs there. The move was estimated to bring job cuts over five years, although the specific number of lay-offs was still undetermined (Shook, 1999). Notably, Novartis was simultaneously increasing its salesforce, which promotes drugs directly to doctors and hospitals (Silverman, 1999)."
Abstract This paper discusses the different types of deforestation and their causes, and suggests various areas in which possible solutions may be found. Both tropical deforestation and dry forest clearing are addressed. Increased population growth, agribusiness, cattle ranching, and small-scale farming and wood collecting are among the reasons given for destruction of forests. Proposed solutions include a discussion of preservation policies, greater economic use of forests currently destroyed, and 'tolerant forest management'.
From the Paper "The deforestation of vegetation has been carried out for millennia, in all parts of the world inhabited by man. But in recent decades, with the growth of "green" issues in general, great concern has been raised about deforestation and it's causes, especially in developing countries, which do not safeguard their forests in the way the west usually does. The term deforestation is vague, which makes it difficult to define, record and make comparisons. But deforestation can generally be divided into two broad categories. These are tropical deforestation (the clearing of dense rainforests, usually for agricultural purposes) and dry forest clearing (where trees are generally cut for firewood (Todaro: 1997). We shall look here at the causes of deforestation in developing countries in all it's forms, and then hopefully outline possible solutions to the apparent destruction caused to the bio-diversity of plants and animals, and environmental stability. "
Abstract This paper explains that, of all the innovations discovered during the Middle Ages, the plow is considered the greatest transformer of social and cultural change. The author points out that the initial effect of the shift from horticulture to agriculture was an increase in food production because societies that adopted the plow were able to produce more food in a given territory than those that relied on the hoe and digging stick, thus leading to the development of permanent settlements. The paper relates that one of the most profound changes associated with the plow was the development of a system of writing because the trade of agricultural and other goods had to be tracked.
From the Paper "So deep were the diffusions of the agricultural techniques that before the First World War, farmers composed the largest single group in every country. They no longer made up the population everywhere, as they had from the dawn of history to the end of the Napoleonic Wars, a hundred years earlier. But farmers still made up a near-majority in every developed country except England and Belgium--in Germany, France, Japan, the United States--and, of course, in all underdeveloped countries, too. And with the current transformation, these agricultural producers are not "farmers" in most senses of the word; they are "agribusiness," which is arguably the most capital-intensive, most technology-intensive and most information-intensive industry."
Tags: plow, writing, settlements, war, agribusiness
Abstract This paper examines how fair trade chocolate is supposed to give growers and workers of the cocoa bean a better wage than that paid by the international cartels of chocolate buyers. It also explains how fair trade chocolate could help alleviate the the problem of the millions of hungry and starving poor that exist in the world in spite of the abundance of food. Additionally, the paper presents a history of fair trade chocolate and how it contributes to the concept of sustainability.
From the Paper "It is likely that more people are familiar with the term Fair Trade Coffee, simply because major coffee house chains have begun promoting their organic fair-trade brews. When most people think of chocolate, it is more likely to be a foil-wrapped mass-market candy bar, perhaps a Kit Kat, that is wolfed down to quiet hunger pangs without a thought to the plight of the people who produced the chocolate. As there are no trendy, global chain 'chocolate houses,' there is no monolithic commercial avenue through which to either purvey fair trade chocolate, or make its advantages known."
Abstract Untangling the economic, political, cultural, technological, political and social forces that allow companies like McDonald's to prevail is a complicated task. This paper argues that the success and continuing growth of fast food companies is the consequence of advanced capitalism with broad international and domestic implications. Support for this argument is drawn from the consequences of the pro-corporate bias in legislation, agribusiness, cultural imperialism, privatization, unfair labor and trade practices. The paper concludes that the only hope for thwarting these cumulative consequences is a shift in public consciousness.
From the Paper "Food is not merely a commodity to be exchanged, but it is a cultural tradition (Jameson 57, Ritzer 87, and Schlosser 240). However, culture is largely shaped by those who are in power, and in an American-style capitalist economy money is power. Though I applaud Greenpeace activists Helen Steel and Dave Morris for making the world take note of fast food's evils when McDonald's sued them for libel, it is simply not enough (Klein 387-391). Revolution is the only adequate concept to describe the magnitude of social consensus in and within all nation-states that will be required to reign in fast food giants. American fast food corporations and their multinational kin are archetypal capitalists, exploiting the proletariat at home and abroad through dehumanizingly routinized and poorly compensated labor, cultural erasure and the destruction of the land which raises its beef (Ritzer 88). "
Abstract This paper examines how the free trade agreements in America affect the labor unions, and the small farmers; mostly middle class to lower class persons. It explains that the people who stand to gain the most are those with high positions in corporations, who, thanks to Free trade agreements, can wipe out small competition, and are able to make their own shipping agreements for less money with farmers and manufacturers in less industrialized countries. The paper discusses how the new agreements, which make tariffs on the imported goods low to keep them cost effective, will ultimately crush the small farmer between the giant agribusinesses and the new Central American imports. The paper also looks at instances where labor unions and farmers protested in the hopes of gaining political support, but their attempts to influence policy have been largely ineffective.
From the Paper "Free trade agreements have become more common in the U.S. during the last half century, leading to disputes on whether or not those agreements are actually beneficial to our country. Free trade allows countries to trade unique products that cannot be produced in or found in their own countries. Free trade also allows them to be sold at reasonable prices to the consumers. The disadvantages of free trade are that there are also many products that can be produced in multiple countries. Some countries can produce these products cheaper. This can cause huge economic issues/problems for the people who were originally making this product."
Abstract This paper discusses how ethanol extraction from corn is altering the cultivation and distribution pattern of this major crop in the United States in a significant manner. While the proponents of ethanol as an additive to gasoline are enthusiastic about the transformation it has brought about in the rural areas of United States by creating job opportunities and reducing fuel costs, critics are equally vehement in their view of the criminal neglect of hunger facing humanity in less developed parts of the world, as a vital food cereal is being 'burnt' uneconomically to provide fuel for running vehicles. The paper examines both aspects critically by putting forward the scientifically derived opinions of agriculturists and economists from both factions.
Outline:
Ethanol from Corn
The US Scene
Impact of Fuel Prices at the Pump
Impact on Food Prices in the US (And the Rest of the World)
Impact on Farmland Prices and Large Agribusiness Firms in US
Impact on Agricultural Exports and Overall Balance Of Payments
Environmental Costs and Benefits
Conclusion
From the Paper "Widespread industrialization throughout the world has generated the need for power to such an extent that it has become absolutely necessary to search alternative fuel sources, as the natural reservoirs of the planet are diminishing at an alarming rate. Crude oil has not only fuelled the machines made by man but war too as it has been one of the major forces affecting world economy and politics. The present spurt in the crude prices has further spurred research for cheaper alternative fuel sources. Atomic and solar energies have been harnessed to a certain extent, but there are practical difficulties in using them as a general source of power. They cannot be used to run the existing infrastructure of equipment and appliances dependent on engines fuelled by liquids, which in turn are integral parts of the pre established and irreplaceable norms of industry and lifestyle. The possibility of preparing fuel from biodegradable material like animal waste and plant materials is the focus of current research in the chemical industry and ubiquitous materials have been shortlisted as likely candidates for ethanol production. "
