Chains and Sustainable Development Essay Example for Free

Chains and Sustainable Development Essay Those of us who preach the gospel of agriculture with evangelical zeal find the text compelling and convincing. We are regularly possessed by the spirit only to look around and see out colleagues, in other sectors, in country management, or even our senior management doubting, yawning or subtly edging towards the door. We face the implicit query, â€Å"If agriculture can do such great things, why have they not yet happened? †1 The past decade has been one of agro-pessimism. The promises that agricultural development seem to hold did not materialise. This pessimism seemed to coincide with pessimism about Sub-Saharan Africa. Especially for Sub-Saharan Africa the hope was that economic development would be brought about by agricultural development. After the success of the green revolution in Asia, the hope was that a similar agricultural miracle would transform African economies. But this hope never materialised, agricultural productivity did not increase much in SSA (figure 1), and worse, the negative effects of the green revolution in Asia became more apparent, such as pesticide overuse and subsequent pollution. Also in Asia the yield increases tapered off. The sceptics put forward several arguments why agriculture is no longer an engine of growth2. For instance, the liberalisation of the 1990s and greater openness to trade has lead to a reduction in the economic potential of the rural sector: cheap imported Chinese plastic buckets out compete the locally produced pottery. On the other hand, it does mean cheaper (imported) supplies. With rapid global technical change and increasingly integrated markets, prices fall faster than yields rise. So, rural incomes fall despite increased productivity if they are net producers3. The integration of rural with urban areas means that healthy young people move out of agriculture, head to town, leaving behind the old, the sick and the dependent. It is often also the men who move to urban areas, leaving women in charge of the farm. This has resulted in the increased sophistication of agricultural markets (and value chains) which excludes traditional smallholders, who are poorly equipped to meet the demanding product specifications and timeliness of delivery required by expanding supermarkets. The natural resource base on which agriculture depends is poor and deteriorating. Productivity growth is therefore increasingly more difficult to achieve. Finally, multiplier effects occur when a change in spending causes a disproportionate change in aggregate demand. Thus an increase in spending produces an increase in national income and consumption greater than the initial amount spent. But as GDP rises and the share of agriculture typically decreases, the question is how important these multiplier effects are, especially when significant levels of poverty remain in rural areas, which is the case in middleincome countries. The disappointment with agriculture led many donor organisations to turn away from agriculture, looking instead to areas that would increase the well-being of poor people, such as health and education. Those organisations that still focused on agriculture, such as the CGIAR, were put under pressure to focus more on reducing poverty, besides increasing agricultural productivity. However, since the beginning of the new century, there seems to be a renewed interest in agriculture. A review of major policy documents5, including the well-publicised Sachs report and the Kofi Annan report, show that agriculture is back on the agenda again. The most influential report, however, has been the World Development Report 2008 of the World Bank6. This report argues that growth in the agricultural sector 1 contributes proportionally more to poverty reduction than growth in any other economic sector and that therefore alone, the focus should be on the agricultural sector when achieving to reach MDG 1. A reassessment of the role of agriculture in development seems to be required. This policy paper addresses several timely though complex questions: †¢ First, how can or does agriculture contribute to economic development, and in particular how does it relate to poverty? †¢ Second, the agricultural sector has changed considerably in the past decades: what are the main drivers of this change? †¢ Third, what is the relationship between economic or agricultural growth and pro-poor development? †¢ Fourth, how does agriculture relate to other sectors in the economy? †¢ Fifth, who is included and who is excluded in agricultural development, specifically focusing on small farms? †¢ And finally, if agricultural development is indeed important to economic development, then why, despite all the efforts and investments, has this not led to more successes? 2. Agriculture and economic growth This section presents a number of factual observations describing how the agricultural sector changed in terms of productivity, contribution to economic growth, and indicating the relevance of the agricultural sector for poverty alleviation in different regions. Background: some facts In the discussion of the role of agriculture in economic development, a leading question is how agriculture contributes to economic growth, and especially to pro-poor growth. There seems to be a paradox in the role of agriculture in economic development. The share of agriculture contributing to GDP is declining over the years (see figure 1). At the same time, the productivity of for instance cereal yields has been increasing (see figure 2). It seems that as agriculture becomes more successful, its importance declines in the overall economy. Of course, other sectors in the economy can be even more successful, such as the Asian Tigers.

Free College Admissions Essays: An Unforgettable Summer :: College Admissions Essays

An Unforgettable Summer    Many people often mention the fact that everyone in their life time will have an unforgettable summer. Well, this seemed plausible after the summer I spent in Seoul, Korea. This trip is thus far the best summer in my lifetime that I have ever had the opportunity to be a part of. I remember from the first meeting spot for my own delegation in Portland, Oregon; how I came to meet new people from all around the United States. The trip was off to a success ever since we left for Korea from the Portland Airport and my adventure was underway. I love flying, but I gained new meaning when the initial flight took about 13 hours. However, this was great because it gave many people from my delegation to mingle together and become better acquainted with one another. I know for me it helped tremendously because I am a demure person at times, so as the flight progressed I grew more comfortable with everyone.    As my memory begins to extend even further I distinctly remember arriving at the Seoul Airport where we were befriended by some fellow residents of Korea involved with the Science Festival. As the first week was underway it was an incredible feeling as I interacted with many people from other countries and observed science lectures, and presentations. I remember seeing some excellent projects that were amonngst my own as we participated in the student presentation portion of the festival. One great moment for me was the talent show, where many countries presented themselves as a cultural representative of their native land. I remember I was supposed to perform in addition to presenting my science research report, but there was not enough time for every single person to perform, so I could not showcase my vocal talent. However, one day we took a fieldtrip to one of the Seoul high schools and there were various people on the chartered bus from different countries, so people start singi ng karokee on the machine that was on the bus. So needless to say I did my own rendition of a popular American song and I was surprised to see the huge reaction out of everyone because so many people knew the song and cheered along. Many people also loved the fact that I sang it without the music because I performed it acapella.

How two body system interrelate with each other Essay

The cardiovascular and digestive system are interrelate with each other to perform a named function of function by the food we eat. Which absorbed and passed down the oesophagus into the small intestine. It is then absorbed into the blood, which the cardiovascular then passes around the body supplying it with all the nutrients. By the cardiovascular system passing blood around the body with all the nutrients from food, it is supplying all the organs and body parts with energy so they can continue to work properly Another link between the cardiovascular system and the digestive system is that they both works hard when the body has to process a lot of food. For example, the digestive system needs more blood to do the job; therefore, blood vessels expand in preparation for this. Digestive organs stimulate the heart through nerve impulses, sending signals for increased amount of blood. The heart responds accordingly by sending more blood supply to the digestive system. The cardiovascular and digestive are system interrelate with each other to perform a named function of function transport oxygenated blood form the limbs around the body into cells. The oxygenated blood contains oxygen which is used by the cells to produce energy in the process of respiration. Digestive system needs the cardiovascular system for a proper digestive to continue. Become energy need blood to flow and the part of digestive. System e.g. intestine need blood to function properly. The cardiovascular delivers disgusted nutrient from the digestive system to the body for circulation and into the cells where respiration takes places. The cardiovascular system pastes blood around oxygen and nutrient and the body for the role purpose of energy production.

Alex Ferguson’s Leadership Style Case Study - 3258 Words

Alex Ferguson Alex Ferguson’s leadership style Case study Introduction Alexander Chapman Ferguson, known as Alex Ferguson, was born in 1941, in Govan Glasgow Scotland. As a teenager he was working as a tool’s apprentice in his father shipyard then in his 19, he became a labor union activist and an active member of the â€Å"Labor Party†. As far as Ferguson’s â€Å"the football player† career is concerned, actually, he did not achieve a successful career. In fact, as a player Ferguson started with a small local football team the â€Å"Queens Park and St Johnston† club. Afterward, he got the chance to join the â€Å"Glasgow Ranger† club, yet this union did not last since he resigned after being responsible for the defeat of his team against its fierce rival†¦show more content†¦What in your reading have you been able to find that supports your view? Sir Alex Ferguson has been using the charismatic leadership style. In order to understand, Alex Ferguson style we have to start by defining the â€Å"charismatic leadership† style as well as the charismatic personality treats. Charismatic leadership is defined as a â€Å"social influence process that involves the formulation and articulation of an evocative vision, provides inspiration to motivate collective action ...and displays unconventional and personal risk-taking behavior† (Sosik, Dinger, 2007). As far as the personality treats as concerned, charismatic leaders are most of the time â€Å"being dominant, having a strong desire to influence others, being self-confident, and having a strong sense of one’s own moral values† (Northouse, 2004). Concerning Alex Ferguson style, he has been using encouragement and enthusiasm as motivation methods. In fact, Ferguson has been known as the greatest motivator in the modern football times. To illustrate his cheerleading feature, in 1999, during the European Cup final, he indicated to his team â€Å"at the end of this game, the European cup will be only three feet away from you and you will not be able to touch it if we lose† (Alex Ferguson, 1999). Furthermore, as a leader he has been very demanding and always expecting a 100% from his players since he believes that hard-work is the key of success: â€Å"I think it is important to work and I’m entitled to work, someShow MoreRelatedA Leader Within A Sport Organization1307 Words   |  6 PagesConsider the discussion of various sources of power as related to leadership. Provide a discussion of how a leader within a sport organization (be sure to identify this leader) uses those sources of power when exercising leadersh ip behavior. Sport Leadership in the 21st Century discussed the theory of leadership and the sources of powers that leaders tend to use in order to have influence over a group or individual and provides the ability to change another person’s behavior, actions, or attitude