Busnisse law final exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Busnisse law final exam - Essay Example The above scenario can therefore be discussed under promissory estoppel which is a legal law that requires the promisor to honor his or her promise to the promisee. The board in its meeting passed a decision which was based on a promise about paying Faithful $3000 per month as pension as a sort of reward after he retires. The pension promise is implemented only for a period less than two years of which he was in good health. The new president therefore stopping his pension payment despite it having been recorded by the board is nothing short of a breach of a promise. It can be argued that the real reason the pension was stopped was because Faithful became ill and hence was thought to therefore be in no position to assist the company in any way despite him being retired and would therefore be more of a liability than an asset. According to the promissory estoppel, even though it is not legally binding in the sense of a contract with mutual consent, the promisor still has to honor the promise made to the promisee no matter the situation. The court can therefore demand the company to continue paying Faithful the promised pension whether he is sick or not and with this ruling, Faithful can recover his promised pension and continue to enjoy it as before. Homeowner is legally liable to be compensated by Better and also Retailer under negligence defense in the law of tort because of the newly enforced law in the state of East Colombia. According to him, he thought that the mower manufacturer and even seller had honored and implemented the law and hence he was sure it was safe for him to reach under the mower once he applied the brakes on it. In order to prove liability and make a strong defense, the plaintiff suing for negligence has to have had a duty of care from the defense, the duty has to have been breached and caused damage to the plaintiff (Miller and Cross, 123). All these conditions have been

Essential Functions of a Project Manager Essay Example for Free

Essential Functions of a Project Manager Essay The Essential Functions of a Project Manager A project manager (PM) is a facilitator. The ideal project manager does whatever it takes to ensure that the members of the project team can do their work. This means working with management to ensure they provide the resources and support required as well as dealing with team issues that are negatively impacting a teams productivity. The project manager must possess a combination of skills including the ability to ask penetrating questions, identify unstated assumptions, and resolve personnel conflicts along with more systematic management skills. This person is responsible for initiating, planning, executing, controlling and closing a project. The actions of a project manager should be almost unnoticeable and when a project is moving along smoothly people are sometimes tempted to question the need for a project manager. However, when you take the skilled project manager out of the mix, the project is much more likely to miss deadlines and exceed budgets. The project manager is the one who is responsible for making decisions in such a way that risk is controlled and uncertainty minimized. Every decision made by the project manager should ideally be directly benefit the project. A successful PM must simultaneously manage the four basic elements of a project: resources (people, equipment, material), time (task duration, dependencies, critical path), money (costs, contingencies, profits), and most importantly, scope (project size, goals, profit). All these elements are interrelated. Each must be managed effectively. All must be managed together if the project, and the project manager, is to be a success. The Scope element of a project is the most important and it is the first and last task for a successful project manager. First and foremost you have to manage the project scope. The project scope is the definition of what the project is supposed to accomplish and the budget (of time and money) that has been created to achieve these objectives. It is absolutely imperative that any change to the scope of the project have a matching change in budget, either time or resources. If the project scope is to build a building to house three widgets with a budget of $100,000 the project manager is expected to do that. However, if the scope is changed to a building for four widgets, the project manager must obtain an appropriate change in budgeted resources. If the budget is not adjusted, the smart project manager will avoid the change in scope. Usually, scope changes occur in the form of scope creep. Scope creep is the piling up of small changes that by themselves are manageable, but in aggregate are significant. It is necessary to make sure any requested change, no matter how small, is accompanied by approval for a change in budget or schedule or both. A PM cannot effectively manage the resources, time and money in a project unless you actively manage the project scope. When the project scope is clearly identified and associated to the timeline and budget, the PM can begin to manage the project resources. These include the people, equipment, and material needed to complete the project. A successful PM must effectively manage the Resources assigned to the project. This includes the labor hours of the designers, the builders, the testers and the inspectors on the project team. It also includes managing any labor subcontracts. However, managing project resources frequently involves more than people management. The project manager must also manage the equipment used for the project and the material needed by the people and equipment assigned to the project. Managing the people resources means having the right people, with the right skills and the proper tools, in the right quantity at the right time. It also means ensuring that they know what needs to be done, when, and how. And it means motivating them to take ownership in the project too. Managing direct employees normally means managing the senior person in each group of employees assigned to your project. These employees also have a line manager to whom they report and from whom the usually take technical direction. In a matrix management situation, like a project team, the PM’s job is to provide project direction to them. Managing labor subcontracts usually means managing the team lead for the subcontracted workers, who in turn manages the workers. The equipment a PM has to manage as part of the project depends on the nature of the project. A project to construct a frozen food warehouse would need earth moving equipment, cranes, and cement trucks. For a project to release a new version of a computer game, the equipment would include computers, test equipment, and duplication and packaging machinery. The project management key for equipment is much like for people resources. They have to make sure workers have the right equipment in the right place at the right time and that it has the supplies it needs to operate properly. Most projects involve the purchase of material. For a frozen food arehouse, this would be freezers, the building HVAC machinery and the material handling equipment. For a project to release a music CD by a hot new artist, it would include the CD blanks, artwork for the jewel case, and press releases to be sent to deejays. The project management issue with supplies is to make sure the right supplies arrive at the right time. All the skill in managing resources wont help, however, unless the PM can stic k to the project schedule. Time management is critical in successful project management. Time management is a critically important skill for any successful project manager. Project managers who succeed in meeting their project schedule have a good chance of staying within their project budget. The most common cause of blown project budgets is lack of schedule management. Fortunately there is a lot of software on the market today to help manage project schedule or timeline. Any project can be broken down into a number of tasks that have to be performed. To prepare the project schedule, the project manager has to figure out what the tasks are, how long they will take, what resources they require, and in what order they should be done. Each of these elements has a direct bearing on the schedule. If a task is omitted, the project wont be completed. If the length of time or the amount of resources required for the task is underestimated, the schedule will be missed. The schedule can also be blown if a mistake in the sequencing of the tasks is made. The PM needs to build the project schedule by listing, in order, all the tasks that need to be completed. Assign duration to each task. Allocate the required resources. Determine predecessors (what tasks must be completed before) and successors (tasks that cant start until after) each task. The difficulty in managing a project schedule is that there are seldom enough resources and enough time to complete the tasks sequentially. Therefore, tasks have to be overlapped so several happen at the same time. Project management software greatly simplifies the task of creating and managing the project schedule by handling the iterations in the schedule logic. When all tasks have been listed, resourced, and sequenced, it is noticeable that some tasks have a little flexibility in their required start and finish date. This is called float. A line through all the tasks with zero float is called the critical path. All tasks on this path, and there can be multiple, parallel paths, must be completed on time if the project is to be completed on time. The Project Managers key time management task is to manage the critical path. Be aware, that items can be added to or removed from the critical path as circumstances change during the execution of the project. Installation of security cameras may not be on the critical path, but if the shipment is delayed, it may become part of the critical path. Conversely, pouring the concrete foundation may be on the critical path, but if the project manager obtains an addition crew and the pour is completed early it could come off the critical path (or reduce the length of the critical path). Regardless of how well you manage the schedule and the resources, there is one more critical element called managing the budget. Often a PM is evaluated on his or her ability to complete a project within Budget. If the project resources and project schedule is managed effectively, this should not be a problem. It is, however, a task that requires the project managers careful attention. Each project task will have a cost whether it is the cost of the labor hours of a computer programmer or the purchase price of a cubic yard of concrete. In preparing the project budget, each of these costs is estimated and then totaled. Some of these estimates will be more accurate than others. A company knows what it will charge each of its projects for different classifications of labor. Commodities like concrete are priced in a very competitive market so prices are fairly predictable. Other estimates are less accurate. For instance, the cost of a conveyor system with higher performance specifications that normal can be estimated to be more expensive, but it is hard to determine whether it will be 10% more or 15% more. For an expensive item, that can be a significant amount. When the estimated cost of an item is uncertain, the project budget often includes a design allowance. This is money that is set-aside in the budget just in case the actual cost of the item is wildly different than the estimate. Unusual weather or problems with suppliers are always a possibility on large projects. Companies usually include a contingency amount in the project budget to cover these kinds of things. So a project budget is composed of the estimated cost, plus the contingency and design allowance, plus any profit. The project managers job is to keep the actual cost at or below the estimated cost, to use as little of the design allowance and contingency as possible, and to maximize the profit the company earns on the project. To maximize the chances of meeting the project udget, the PM must meet the project schedule. The most common cause of blown budgets is blown schedules. Meeting the project schedule wont guarantee the project budget is met, but it significantly increases the chances. And above all, management of the project scope is detrimental. PM should not allow the project scope to creep upward without getting budget and/or schedule adjustments to match. Successful project management is an art and a science that takes practice. The ideas presented above can give a basic understanding of project management, but consider it is only the beginning. In order to have a successful career in project managements, it is necessary to talk to successful project managers, read, and practice to acquired experience and confidence.

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.

Revolutionized Relationship Essay -- Canadian History

One of the major problems associated with a bilingual country, inevitably, is national unity. In Canada, national unity usually refers to the relations between both the French and English Canadians. English-French relations have always been unstable, ever since the English conquest on the French in the late 1800s. In the twentieth century, this link was further depreciated primarily because of conscriptions during the First and Second World War along with the Quiet Revolution and the October Crisis. Conscription during the First and Second World War was one of the initial major causes that began the deterioration of French-English relations largely because the French had no desire to go to war. The Quiet Revolution was an effort to redefine the role of the francophone civilization inside Canada, which was an attempt at strengthening the French-English relationship. Lastly, the October Crisis, which was a sequence of events that were set off by two kidnapping of government official s by members of the FLQ, Front de liberation du Quebec, caused an uprising between French and English Canadians. Theses moments in history greatly affected the French-English Relation greatly. During the twentieth century, the main reasons for the changes of French-English relationships are conscription during the World Wars, the Quiet Revolution and the October Crisis. When World War One was declared, the French immediately made it clear that they had no interest in fighting in the war, especially alongside the English Canadians. Conscription during the war one of the leading causes that worsened, the already weak English-French relations. Because Canada was part of the British Empire, they were involuntarily forced to partake in the war with the... ... with Quebec and bake until separated. The Martlet. Date of publication May 9, 2012. http://www.mar tlet.ca/martlet/article/recipe-separatism/. French English Relations. Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board. http://www.dpcdsb.org/NR/rdonlyres/1038755C-4E4C-40DB-837B- DE4023D0B133/38622/FrenchEnglishRelations1950PresentNotes.pdf. French-English Relations. Prairie Land Regional Divisions. Last modified March 2006. http://www.plrd.ab.ca/public/v/ellen.vanderkolk/projectroom/ss10- 13/fr.eng.relations.htm. M. D. Behiels, Francophone-Anglophone Relations. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Last modified 2012. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/ francophoneanglophone-relations. Robert Bothwell. The October Crisis. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Date of publication November 15, 2010. http://www.cdnexperience.ca/read-the-series/29-the- october-crisis/.

Middle Age Religion

During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was the sole church in Europe, where it has its own laws and its own treasury. The church was considered as an important law-making body, recognized not only by the people, but also by its leaders. The heads of the Catholic Church played big roles in the government, as they used their influence to get their way on things. Bishops were rich people at that time, and has come from a line of noble families. They have a tight hold on the people, especially since they are the ones who are â€Å"closer† to God.The lives of the people living in the Middle Ages were greatly dominated by the church. The church’s influence is limitless, from peasants, to noble lords and even the Kings – they all succumb to the will of the Church. Many of the medieval people dedicated their lives in the service of the Catholic Church and the religion they are in. They offer a life of service to the people of the Church, in hope that their actions w ould be acknowledged by God, the creator. This had been the usual threat being issued by the people of the church in order to get what they wanted from the people (Carr).During the early years of the Christian religion, its growth was being suppressed by the Roman Empire. This is because the Christians have refused to worship the Roman gods or acknowledge the power of the Roman Emperor. Christians have been persecuted all throughout the empire. These persecutions ended during the reign of Emperor Constantine, who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Constantine the Great then proclaimed himself as the emperor of the Christian people, thus spreading the religion throughout the Empire (Middle-Ages.org.uk).The beginning of the 5th century saw the crumble of the Roman Empire. This is caused by invading Germanic tribes conquering the city of Rome. This has led to the period referred to as the Dark Ages. The fall of Rome however, signals the rise of the Christian C hurch. The Dark Ages became a stepping stone for the Catholic Religion to flourish. From the Dark Ages up to the Early Middle Ages, the only accepted Christian religion was the Catholic religion. Catholic means universal, or as a whole. Any sect that was established was viewed to be as acts of heresy and the people are heretical (Middle-Ages.org.uk).The power of the Catholic Church in the middle ages was so great, that it owned lands, imposed its own taxes, and created its own laws. It is a very powerful institution that even Kings succumbed to its influence. The Church also accepted gifts and special offerings made by those who wanted to make sure that they have a place in heaven. The influence of the church extended to various lands. They were alongside the kings and rulers of Europe when it comes to power. Those who oppose the Church will instantly receive excommunication – they would go straight to hell when they die (Oakley).One of the major events in the Catholic Religi on in the middle ages occurred in the latter part of the middle ages. This is when the Eastern and Western Christian Churches split because of issues which arise from the crusades. This is called as the Great Schism, separating the two halves of Christian Churches. Another split occurred in the Western Christendom when two Popes have been elected and established at two different places. This is caused by disagreement in the elections. This continued to a few decades, up until the issue was healed at the Council of Constance, and the Catholic Religion finally became known as the Roman Catholic Religion.Works Cited:Carr, Karen. â€Å"Medieval Religion†.   1998. November 4 2007. .Middle-Ages.org.uk. â€Å"Middle Ages Religion†.   2002. November 4 2007. .Oakley, Thomas P. â€Å"Religion and the Middle Ages†.   2007. November 5 2007. .

Aa Meeting Reaction Paper Essays

Aa Meeting Reaction Paper Essays Aa Meeting Reaction Paper Paper Aa Meeting Reaction Paper Paper SAB 210 April 12, 2010 Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting Reaction Paper I attended an A. A. meeting on April 5, 2010. Before the meeting I seemed very anxious. This was not my first meeting I have been to meetings before but they all seem to make me nervous. When I arrived the nervousness had eased off because everyone had made me feel welcomed. I was made to feel like a part of their family from the beginning to the end of the meeting. I seemed to have realized I missed going to these meetings and I miss the fellowship but it has not interfered with me staying sober. The meeting began with some readings. I read on the AA Promises which I thought was a waste of time. In my opinion I felt like they should have left the readings for you to read to yourself because the meetings are on a time frame and people seem to have a lot of other important issues to talk about and be concerned with other than reading the same readings every time. The topic of the meeting was on feelings and emotions which I definitely could relate to. As people discussed their emotions and feelings I started feeling sad for some of them. I did not realize how much pain these people are in. I could feel their pain as they talked about what was weighing so heavily on their minds. I sat there and thought what I could do to help them. I started to feel a little sorry for some of them because I feel they depend too much on others to keep them from drinking. Don`t get me wrong the support network they have is amazing but only you can do it for yourself. I wanted so bad at times to tell some of these people only you can keep yourself clean. I think some of these people acted like only these meetings could keep them clean. I do not believe that to be the truth. I felt sorry for one girl because her friend had just committed suicide and she was having a hard time not taking a drink over it but the ones with more recovery time seem to come to her rescue. However, I thought what these people would do without each other and how devastating their lives could be if they did not have one another. I wanted to respond to this girl and help her but I kept quiet and talked with her after the meeting. I felt proud of myself for trying to help her and who knows maybe something I said may have helped her. I will never know but at least I was able to walk away with a smile on my face. I also sat there wondering how these people sit here talking about alcohol and not want a drink. In my opinion the more you talk about it, the more you would think about it. More time should have been spent on the recovery process and less time on re-living the good old days. I did not like the arrogance that some of the old-timers displayed, as if they were better than the others because they had been sober longer. I sat thinking every one has the same problem in common and just because you have more recovery time does not give you a right to act like you are better than the next person. That part of the meeting made me lose respect for those acting that way. I wanted so bad to say something to that person but I remained silent. It was painful at times listening to the pain these people were feeling in their hearts. I only wished I had a magic wand and could have made each one of these people better. In addition to feeling their pain, I felt joy and was happy for them because they were at least trying to work a program to fight their disease which is extremely hard. I know this from experience. Struggling with alcoholism myself this meeting made me realize how far I have come in life and how much stronger I am today. I use to be one of these people in the rooms and I know what they face on a daily basis. These meetings made me want to reach out to everyone there and tell them it will get easier in time. My heart went out to all the people at this meeting. I could hear the determination they had in their voices. I admired these people for the battle they were fighting. I felt like each one of these people was strong and at least willing to not let this disease destroy them and their lives. However, I was angry as I sat there and listened to what this disease has done to people and how it had ruined their lives. I did sit there in my chair and think how blessed these people were to have each other. In conclusion, I feel A. A. has saved many lives. It offers strength, hope, and support to those struggling with alcoholism. I felt one hour just was not long enough. I wanted to stay longer and help those in need. The meeting seemed to put me back in touch with reality and had touched my heart. I felt so many different emotions and feelings at this meeting. At one point I became teary-eyed as a young girl spoke of what she had been through. It did make me feel uncomfortable holding a stranger`s hand when we formed the circle but I think by saying the Serenity Prayer it gave each one of them hope, wisdom, and the courage to start a brand new day without the disease eating away at their lives and to replenish their day with a new perspective on life. I feel this project was an opportunity for me to explore how much I have grown since I was last in the rooms. I was dreading this project from the beginning even though I was once a part of the A. A. family but I felt I wanted to give back what A. A. had given to me which was a chance to show another alcoholic that they can win the battle of alcoholism. This was the first meeting I attended for this semester`s project and I am looking forward to the second meeting in hopes of helping other individuals.

Typesetting 101 The Only Guide to Interior Book Design You Need

Typesetting 101 The Only Guide to Interior Book Design You Need What is Typesetting? Your Guide to Interior Book Design Think that you’re ready to publish your book? Think again. Before you send your book off to the printers, you not only need to make sure that the content of your book is good - it also has to  look  good on the page. Imagine your gut reaction to a room that’s sloppy and cluttered, for instance. Not great, right? If the interior design of your book is similarly slipshod, your readers will also discover a sudden urge to back away slowly.That’s why we’ll sum up the secret to a more inviting reading experience in one word now: typesetting.In this post, we define what is typesetting, investigate what separates the pros from the amateurs, and reveal exactly what you need in order to make a beautiful book. And of course, we'll answer the biggest question of all: how can you make sure that you’re properly typesetting your own work? Let’s find out.What is typesetting?Typesetting is the process of setting text onto a page. In this stage, which occ urs towards the end of book production, the typesetter arranges the book’s interior to create the best reading experience. He or she will, among other things:Determine the size of the margins,Style the chapter starts, andPick the right font typeface and size for the content.At its core, typesetting is all about visual communication. Underestimating the importance of typesetting is a mistake because that would affect the readability of your book - which, in turn, impacts its sales. In the words of world-class typographer Erik Spiekermann:Disclaimer: we’re the team that created the Reedsy Book Editor. Basically, our objective was to simplify the process of making a beautifully typeset book. We believe that we succeeded.  The Reedsy Book Editor is a one-click formatting tool that makes it incredibly easy to typeset books in a professional manner  -   and it is (and always will be)  free for writers to use.It's a  Ã¢  ¤Ã¯ ¸ Ã‚  for: Text-only books. Find  ou t more about the RBE in this FAQ.Adobe InDesignInDesign is an incredibly powerful design software that professional designers use. You can use it too, though it’ll set you back a cool $239. InDesign is capable of kerning, stroking, paragraph formatting, drop cap stylization - all things that might take you ages to carry out in Word.  But the curve to master its functions is really steep. If you’re willing to spend that time (or if you’re publishing an illustration-intensive book), we recommend trying out its free one-month trial.It's a  Ã¢  ¤Ã¯ ¸ Ã‚  for:  More complex books that contain many illustrations and page spreads.If this is all a bit overwhelming to you, don’t worry! Typesetting is a discipline that takes years to master. If you can’t commit the time that it takes to become a great typesetter, it might be a better use of your resources to work with a pro. Speaking of which...Tips for working with a professional typesetterProfessi onal typesetters are experienced designers whose medium of choice is typography. However, it’s important to make sure that you find the right typesetter for your work, which is why we’ve got some tips for you below - straight from the professional typesetters on our marketplace.1. Get a typesetter who’s familiar with the genre or market of your book. Euan Monaghan: Each category often brings its own conventions and styles. The writer may wish to follow these conventions, or utterly subvert them - but your designer needs to understand the 'normal' baseline for the intended readership.2. Look at typesetting examples of their work. Rachel Reiss: Always feel free to ask them to email you some PDFs, so you can examine their work up close. If they’ve designed different types of books, do the designs vary from book to book and do the different designs feel as though they "fit" the content of the books? Is it easy and comfortable to read the text?PRO-TIP: If you’re on Reedsy’s marketplace, you can click through typesetters’ portfolios to check out typesetting examples of their work.3. Judge the typesetter's work as a reader. Annabel Brandon: When you've encountered someone that may be suitable, try not to look at the design, instead, read their work. If it reads well, and you don't stumble or specifically notice anything, it's perfect. If a designer chooses to add ornamentation, there should be an apparent reason as to why. Otherwise, it's a distraction and doesn't honor the text itself.4. Educate yourself and ask questions. Kevin Kane: Designers, especially book designers, are some of the nerdiest people you’ll ever meet. Having an interest in their trade can make a big difference in the author-designer relationship. Ask questions about the designer’s process, and about the decisions they make while designing a book. If you find a designer who can’t answer your questions about book design thoroughly, you’ve probably taken on the wrong designer.Generally, the cost of a typesetter will depend on the type of book that you’re publishing - the typesetters on Reedsy charge between $500 and $2,000, for instance. However, whichever route you choose in the end, just remember to keep the end goal in sight: a polished, clean, and welcoming book interior that invites readers into the story.Have you typeset a book before? Which typesetting software did you use and what did you think of the process? Share your experiences in the comments below! We'd love to hear your thoughts ⠝ ¤Ã¯ ¸ 