Oscar Wao free essay sample

The ending of a novel can be evaluated by the reader in several different ways, however to properly analyze the work is to further explore the logic of how everything has come to be. The ability of the author to show the reader that the ending is reasonable from the preceding action and the character’s nature is what should truly be examined. Not only is the ending of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz both happy and unhappy, it is logical in the sense that it follows logically from the climax of the novel all while the character’s have been constant throughout, except Oscar. Oscar, the protagonist experiences a life-changing transformation that leads to his untimely death. However, the ending is convincing because of this transformation and it is convincing that the novel would end the way it would. Diaz wrote this novel in a way that kept the reader captivated and interested because his logic can not be questioned. We will write a custom essay sample on Oscar Wao or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page As the novel is coming to a close, the reader finds that Oscar’s attitude and appearance changes rapidly, he experienced some great burst of energy to adjust his reclusive lifestyle. The sudden alteration in his life is never revealed to the reader, but seems to be more of a â€Å"deux ex machina† tactic to go with the ending. Because of the frequent switching of stories and histories, when the reader is reintroduced to Oscar at the end, chapters of his life are left out and he had suddenly transformed. Having been shunned by society during his high school and college years due to his odd looks and awkward social habits seemed to be too cruel for Oscar. There had had to be something bigger in store for him. Oscar even began to branch out from his hermit way of life after the change; he even visited his family in the Dominican Republic where he was driven too far by love for a woman he met. His determination and passion eventually led him to his death but it seemed just right. Oscar had shown throughout the ending an unbreakable determination to court this woman and win over her love. His new appearance and outgoing personality drove him to pursue her and never give up. Trouble began to brew because of the woman, and it seemed logical to any normal person to discontinue the pursuit; but Oscar’s stubbornness that was frequently depicted in situations throughout the novel led him to his death. In this novel there was no other way for Oscar to die logically; he needed a big bang to bow out of his eccentric life and what better way for him, than to die for love. True love, what Oscar had been searching for his entire life and finally found, had killed him. The conclusion of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz is satisfying because the ending revolved around Oscar’s death, the separate stories of the novel now intertwined because of him. His transformation and new personality was ultimately the cause of his death, but in a sense it can be considered happy because it seems just right. Oscar becomes a new person and breaks free of his nerdy and rejected persona. Diaz seamlessly weaves the ending of Oscar Wao’s story and all the characters around him due to their natures and the preceding actions. The ending of this novel is convincing and logical because of Oscar’s new transformation which led him to do things which he would have not done before. These things that he did, most specifically pursuing a woman he should not have, led him to his death. Despite the morbid ending, it is not unreasonable; it is certainly logical and therefore satisfying to the reader.

Idioms and Expressions With Money

Idioms and Expressions With Money The following idioms and expressions with the noun money are less formal than collocations used with money. However, they are common in everyday conversation. Each idiom or expression has a definition and two example sentences to help understanding of these common idiomatic expressions with money. Color of Someone's Money Definition: the amount of money someone has available Show me the color of your money and then we can talk.If we knew the color of the companys money we could make a better bid on the deal. Easy Money Definition: money that can be earned with little effort Some people think that playing stocks is easy money.Unfortunately, there are few jobs are truly easy money. Front Money Definition: money paid in advance of receiving something Ill need to put up $100,000 front money to get in on the deal.Always be suspicious of companies that ask for front money. Heavy Money Definition: a lot of money Tom will bring heavy money into the company if he agrees to invest.They have heavy money. Im sure theyll buy the house. Hush Money Definition: money paid to someone so that they dont provide information Many people are paid hush money to not testify in court. Its illegal, but it happens.The gang tried to pay the man off with hush money, but he was having none of it. Mad Money Definition: money used to have fun, money to waste Weve put away a few thousand dollars in mad money for our next vacation.Dont go to Las Vegas without some mad money. Money From Home Definition: easily gained money Peter thinks investing in stocks is money from home.Shes looking for a job thats money from home. Good luck! Money Grubber Definition: someone who does not like to spend money, a stingy person Shell never give you money for your idea. Shes a money grubber.Money grubbers cant take it with them. I have no idea why they take it so seriously. I say easy come, easy go. Money Talks Definition: money has influence in a situation Of course, they let the big box store build in town. Never forget: Money talks.Just remember money talks. If they really want you for the position, theyll meet your salary demands. On the Money Definition: correct, exact Id say you are on the money about that situation.His guess that the company would succeed was on the money. Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is! Definition: lets have a bet about something Come on, if you think that is true, put your money where your mouth is! Ill bet you 100 to 1 that it isnt true.She put her money where her mouth was and made a fortune. Smart Money Definition: the best option, money of smart people investing in something The smart money is on Congress changing the law.He thinks the smart money is going to invest in renewable energy. Soft Money Definition: money which can be earned without much effort Take the job for a few months. Its soft money.Jane thinks the position is soft money. Spending Money Definition: money to spend to have fun, purchases unnecessary items Its important to have at least a little spending money each month.They dont have much spending money, so they like to stay home rather than go on vacation. Throw Money at Something Definition: waste money on a situation Throwing money at the situation isnt going to make it better.Some governments feel that throwing money at a program always helps. Once youve learned these expressions, its a good idea to also learn important phrasal verbs about money. Finally, use the business English resources on the site to continue improving your English as it relates to the business world.

The YUM brands Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The YUM brands - Essay Example Yum! Brand is one of the new developed companies worldwide. For instance, in 2010, the Company opened more than 500 restaurants in the mainland China. The main aim of the company is to be a leader in every significant food service category in China. KFC was the first restaurant chain to enter China in 1987 with quick services. It was also the first to bring franchising to China in 1992. KFC is still the number one quick-service restaurant brand in China.   Furthermore, it is the largest and fastest developing restaurant in the country with about 3,500 restaurants in different cities. Pizza Hut company was the first restaurant in the chain to introduce pizza and the western food-style to China in 1990 and was also the first to introduce the delivery of pizza to China in 2001. Pizza Hut has therefore emerged to be the number one casual dining brand in China with more than 560 Pizza Hut dining restaurants in many cities (Nunes et al 2010). The improvement of KFC in China is a clear in dication that knowing a business environment is very important. This is because the KFC brands have great force in China as they strive to achieve their goal and increase the business performance. The core part of improving the business is by understanding the STEP analysis. STEP analysis of business is an environmental model that stands for Social, Technological, Economic and Political factors. STEP is also used to represent the decision and frame work of macro-environment factors that are used in scanning. Other models such as SWOT, Mintizberg, and transformation model can also be used to describe the business environment.   In order to achieve the proposed goals, the business should consider various environmental factors both external and internal. When doing market search, the company is required to take into consideration various external factors that would help to know the progress of the business performance. Environmental analysis is relatively qualitative and involves the identification analysis of environmental variables, which influence the business performance. SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis are some of the environmental analysis frameworks that have been given much attention in the world of business management literature (  Leo 1999). The international differences in habits, value, tastes and demographics, age structure, lifestyle, and income of the local people are some of the social factors that illustrate what contributed to the success of KFC in China which has the greatest number of populations. The main social factors that affect KFC store include demographic issues explaining the extent of the diverse population that contribute to the large number of its diverse consumers. For KFC to succeed in China, its managers made every effort in order to ensure that the company appeared as part of the community. In addition, demographics are in the same category with the values that are held by that particular community so as to reflect on thei r lifestyle or way of life. Most KFC customers are presented to be in the same age structure of population, class, and the structure of income of the local population (Qin, Prybutok,& Zhao, 2010). For instance, in the corner grocery shop, most customers are people living nearby, the families, the people of same age groups, and the immigrants of the area. Business environmental analysis looks at the intrinsic factors in the business envi

Public Policy Current Events Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Policy Current Events Analysis - Essay Example Chesapeake Bay is a crucial waterway. The bay is presently in critical condition and is facing a lot of challenges especially through pollution. Perhaps, the greatest source of pollution arises from increased nutrients in the bay especially phosphorus and nitrogen. Though, these nutrients are fundamental to sustain aquatic biological growth, if present in quantity excessive of the basic requirements, like in the Chesapeake Bay, they lead to excessive growth of algae and phytoplankton. This has had a twin effect. The algae have blocked sunlight, thus, preventing penetration to the deeper end water, thus, compromising the growth of bay grass. Secondly, when the algae die they use available oxygen in the deeper areas for decomposition creating dead zones, whereby the dissolved oxygen levels becomes too low to sustain marine life. This has led to dwindling of fishery resources in the bay. From the documentary, it is clear that these nutrients arise from a horde of sources notably from ag ricultural farms and sewage.Chicken manure is loaded with nitrogen and phosphorus which when carried to the bay by the rivers culminates in the dead zone. Hedrick smith also points to the fisherman as a source of the problems facing the Bay. He states that humans have drastically overfished the fisheries resources. This information has been known by the formal policy makers for quite a long time. Charles fox, EPA assistant administrator between 1998 and 2001, admits to this. They tried several methods to combat the problem such as trying to enact regulations and laws and initiating programmes to treat the sewage system. Nevertheless, they have been unable to combat this menace due to a horde of factors. Key among them is the lack of political will, despite available information showing what is necessary to save Chesapeake Bay. Leon Billing, US senate staff from 1966 to 1980 compares the same situation to the passage of Clean Water Act, which when it was passed in the senate, and the house, President Nixon vetoed it despite pressure from the people to enact the law to govern pollution. Charles Fox also points to preferential treatment to successful business stating that the Reagan administration had a deregulatory agenda often inviting successful businesses for a list of regulation they would want to relief. Further, he blames the administration for being an obstacle to the operations of EPA, stopping its operations for a period of about seven years and instead appointing people to run the EPA, people who were opposed to its mission. Informal policy actors have played a prominent role too.This is through active lobbying. Leon Billings states that the big chicken companies have hired top guns to lobby against the enactment of any meaningful regulations on the agriculture sector and, thus, influenced policy makers. When the Maryland legislature tried to compel mandatory nutrient management by farmers, they were opposed to the bill. Jim Perdue argues that the bill was a threat to survival of the industry in totality. Other informal policy actors include the public pressure, interest groups such as the non-governmental organization. PART 2 Gay marriage has emerged on the agenda because of both formal and informal actors. Same sex marriage has been a problem in the society for a while. It has captured public interest and as a result led to public debates whether to legalize it or not. With regards to New York, it was made an agenda due to electoral pledges, as

Expatriate Salespeople Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Expatriate Salespeople - Assignment Example es, there may be legal challenges that determine whether or not expatriate salespeople can be used or if the market is unable to support a full-time salesperson. The times that there might be situations in which expatriate sales managers are supervisors of the foreign salespeople. However, there are some issues that should be addressed. Some of these include the inability to be able to communicate between the foreign sales team and the expatriate sales manager. Another issue that is often faced is when the expatriate is unable to adapt to the foreign environment in which they are required to work. Many times there may also be legal barriers that can be significant problems. Many of the skills that an expatriate salesperson is required to do is to be nonjudgmental, be able to react professionally if there is frustration in a situation, and must be empathetic of other people’s needs based on their own standpoint rather than the salesperson’s own standpoint. A person must also have an interest in the culture and the people and be respectful. The family may include an interview with the candidate’s family to ensure that the person is right for the job because the family is typically the people who know the person the best and their ability to adapt and work in new areas. The candidate’s family is critiqued to see if there is a problem if the expatriate salesperson will be gone to a foreign country for a significant amount of time. Expatriates returning to the United States are often dissatisfied because of a growing number of attrition of those who return. There is a much lower morale. Many times those coming from the U.S. find that there are several family related problems that have strained their ability to work things out by being away for so long. They are often dissatisfied because of the compensation levels and

Synthesis and Growth of HAp Crystals

Synthesis and Growth of HAp Crystals Results and discussions Synthesis of HAp/Chitosan/Dopamine films Two types of HAp-chitosan composite films were prepared: HAp-chitosan films with and without dopamine (Figure 1). The weight ratio between HAp and chitosan in the films was fixed to 50 wt% since the HAp content in human bones is about 50-70wt% in dry weight28-30. In comparison with the 50 wt% HAp-chitosan, 70 wt% HAp-chitosan films containing dopamine were also generated, but this composite was too brittle to be used as hard tissue substitute. HAp-chitosan films were successfully casted and the films were slightly yellow in color. Dopamine containing HAp-chitosan films were also casted and the color was changed to dark brown. The color alteration of the films was due to the oxidation of dopamine that formed phenolic tanning compounds19,31. Based on the previous studies, wet precipitation methods were carried out to synthesize a nano-HAp in the presence of chitosan and its derivatives13,16. Chitosan strongly interacted with HAp and regulated the anisotropic growth of crystalline HA. I n addition, it was revealed that dopamine can also facilitate the growth of the HAp crystals along the c-axis21. Therefore, the synthesis and growth of HAp crystals in the presence of both chitosan and dopamine were examined by FTIR, XRD and SEM before conducting the mechanical analysis and water uptake analysis. FTIR analysis and Wide-angle X-Ray Diffraction FTIR spectra of the composite films are shown in Figure 1. Generally, hydroxyl and phosphate bands of HAp and characteristic peaks of chitosan are present in all of the composites FTIR spectra regardless of dopamine addition. More specifically, FTIR spectra of the composites showed the identity bands of HAp; stretching and bending vibration modes from the phosphate groups () were identified at absorption bands of 898 1095 cm-1 and 477 660 cm-1 respectively. The combination band of hydroxyl (O-H) bending and libration modes was observed at 630 cm-1. Furthermore, observed band at about 3600 cm-1 indicated the O-H stretching. On the other hand, several typical chitosan absorption peaks of 1150, 1375, 1640 cm-1and 2900 cm-1were observed in the chitosan containing composites. Peak at 1150 cm-1 was indicating glucosamine unit. The peak observed at 1640 cm-1 represents amide I (C=O) and anti-symmetric NH3 deformation. The band appearing at 1599 cm-1is attributed to amide II bands. Both am ide I and amide II show a hydrogen bond between –NH2 and –OH of HAp. Peak at 2900 cm-1 represent the –CH2 backbone. In the dopamine containing composite, the polyphenolic content resembled by phenolic COH peak that was discerned at 1260 cm-1. Moreover, both of aromatic C=C and COO bands were also observed at 1600-1650 cm-1 FTIR is an appropriate technique to observe the composite constituent interaction. It measures the frequencies at which chemical functional groups absorb as the result of the sample’s chemical interaction. In this regards, the appearance of glucosamine unit band at 1150 cm-1 that overlap with the stretching vibrations bands of HAp indicated that HAp crystals were formed on the chitosan molecules through certain interaction. In addition, chitosan interaction with ions by means of phosphorylation were also identified by the emergence shoulder at 1220 cm-1 and an increased at 1064 cm-1 absorption peaks of the chitosan containing composites spectra12. Chitosan has great affinity to react with ions without pH dependent13. This interaction makes chitosan tend to undergo phosphorylation in acid, basic and neutral solutions. In the presence of the phosphorilated groups, chitosan can strongly bind with intermediate form of HAp, amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), and impose constrain ts of ACP subsequently lead to crystalline HAp formation13. Furthermore, chelation of calcium ions by phosphate functionalities may also induce the formation of crystalline HAp. The XRD spectra of the samples with or without dopamine also support the existence of HAp crystalline phase in the composite films. Most peaks in the XRD spectra of the samples could be indexed to the known HAp structure (Ca10(PO4)6) with characteristic peaks at 2ÃŽ ¸ regions of 26Â º, 29Â º, 32-34Â º, 40Â º, 46-54Â º, which are consistent with HAp phase (JCPDF #09-0432), confirming that the phase was formed in all samples13,32. However, the crystallinity of HAp in the chitosan-HAp composite films was lower than 100% HAp powder due to the presence of chitosan. The broad peak around 20Â º is an indicative peak for chitosan in the composite film regardless of dopamine addition13. Interestingly, some evidence which support anisotropic growth of Hap in the presence of dopamine were shown in the XRD spectra. The intensities of HAP diffractions relating to (002), (300) and (211) peaks (at 2ÃŽ ¸ of 26 Â º, 32 Â º, 33 Â º respectively) were measured. The ratio of the measured diffra ction intensity of c-axis (002) to another direction was used to determine the orientation degree. The XRD results after Gaussian Fit indicates that the (002) to (300) intensity ratio of 50% HAp samples with and without dopamine was 0.17 and 0.45 respectively. This indicated the preferential orientation of the HAp growth in the c-axis was significantly increased with the presence of dopamine. Additional broad peaks (~10Â º ~15Â º) were observed in the dopamine containing film. It indicates that the addition of dopamine induced structural changes in d-spacing over 0.6-0.9 nm in the film due to dopamine-mediated crosslinking, or dopamine-mediated HAp growth. Overall, XRD spectra suggest that the aspect ratio and anisotropy increased in the dopamine containing HAp/chitosan composite. SEM, TEM analysis and Cell Test Result To examine the effect of dopamine addition on the surface morphology, the dopamine-containing films were observed under SEM and TEM (Figure 3 and 4). The figures show a presence of nanorod particles in the composites with narrow and uniform particle size distribution in all samples. In the absence of dopamine, this structure is likely formed due to phosphorylation of chitosan which bind with phosphate precursor compounds and modulate the crystallization of HAp13,16. In the presence of dopamine, the aspect ratio of HAp was increased up to ~4.7 fold compared with control HAp in the absence of chitosan nor dopamine (figure x). For a comparison, in the 50 wt% composite, the aspect ratios are 2.4 and 4.5, without and with dopamine crosslink respectively. The dopamine effect is probably because of catecholic group from the dopamine bind with Ca2+ in HAp crystals formation 21. The pKa dopamine is ~8.9, dopamine was added while the pH decreased from ~8 to 4.2 The protonated cathecholic group of dopamine are possibly involved in HAp formation and regulate the one-dimensional growth of HAp crystals. This phenomenon is well agreed as the previous experiment result that polydopamine addition on HAp provides mechanism for surface-anchored catecholamine moieties to enrich the interface with calcium ions, facilitating the formation of hydroxyapatite crystals19.The addition of dopamine not only guides the anisotropic directional growth of hydroxyapatite crystals which increased its aspect ratio, but also changed the homogeneity of the grain distribution and shape of the nanostructure (Figure 5). To study the effect of HAp content on the aspect ratio of the nanostructure, the 25% and 70 wt% HAp-chitosan film with/without dopamine was synthesized. As the results, the aspect ratio is increases with increasing of HAp weight %. The 70 wt% with dopamine containing sample showed the highest aspect ratio. (Supporting figure X). The aspect ratio is a significant property of HAp related to the absorbability and fracture toughness of the samples. Higher aspect ratio known to have better adsorbability since it is proportional to the surface area of rods3, which are beneficial for cell attachment. However, aspect ratio alone is inadequate to identify the cellular affinity of sample, as a previous study suggested that surface roughness can also play an important role33. It was also found that aspect ratio and surface roughness of the composite film have a significant effect on the cell attachment and proliferation1. We tested MC-3T3 cells (mouse pre-osteoblast cell line) proliferation on the HAp-chitosan composite surfaces. To measure the dependence of MC-3T3 cell viability and proliferation on surface materials quantitatively, WST-8 [2-(2-methoxy-4-nitrophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-(2,4-disulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, monosodium salt] based cell counting assay was performed. WST-8 produced yellow-colored product (formazan) when it was reduced by dehydrogenases in living cells34,35. The levels of cell viability and proliferation on the sample that contains dopamine were slightly lower than others (Figure 6) suggesting that the increasing of HAps aspect ratio is not always beneficial because the cell viability was rather decreased. Nevertheless, the number of viable cells in the sample is still increased, yet at a slightly lower rate than the other sample. This is implying that this material would probably have no strong cytotoxicity. However, in vivo testing is remains to be proved the cytotoxicit y of the dopamine-containing composites.

Availability :: essays papers

Availability It requires a great deal of money to fund the use of assistive technology in schools. There are training costs, teacher’s salaries to be paid, and the expenses of constantly upgrading technology. It also requires a great deal of testing to figure out what students have disabilities and what the best course of action would be to aid their learning. For students that attend school in a low income neighborhood, the facilities they are exposed to are most likely not up to par with the standards of higher education, or at least can not compete with the technology in schools in higher income neighborhoods. People with higher income live in better areas and they pay more in taxes, which, in part, goes to the schools their children attend. These schools are more likely to have teachers that are sufficiently trained in the different technologies used to help the students. The socioeconomic stand point also highlights the fact that people with more money will have more resources outside of schools to help their children receive the best education possible. Whether it be hiring tutors, investing in computer programs or just going over the children’s homework with them, it is often easier for families with higher income to provide these resources to their struggling children. Teachers must be well trained in the uses of the technologies needed to help the students in their classrooms. Mull and Sitlington stated in a 2003 journal article: Successful integration of computer technology and assistive technology into special education programs depends on the training of the professional required to use it, and they cannot be expected to teach students how to use the technology if they themselves have not been properly taught its uses. (pp. 26-32) If teachers are poorly trained, or not trained at all, students receive little or no useful assistance with their learning. There are many different kinds of technologies used to help students perform better in the classroom. There are proof reading programs, spell checker, speech synthesis (Bryant, Bryant & Raskind 1998), Braille calculators, printers and typewriters, as well as electronic readers (Bryant & Rivera, 1995). Also useful are tutors, interpreters and note takers, to name a few. Some other techniques that proved helpful in the classroom setting, as stated by Bryant and Rivera’s (1995) study, are instruction and modeling, grading, rewards, materials and resources, activity structure and roles, and both individual accountability and collaborative/social skills.

Critique of Gallery Shows of Asian Art Essay

Asian art can refer to the vast genre of art and artists throughout the Asian continent. The history of Asian art is as varied as the cultures that make up this region of the world. From ancient bronze sculptures in India to the Manga cartoons of Japan, each country has a distinctive perspective on the world around them. In this paper I will look at three proposals for gallery shows of Asian art, each completely unique in their view of Asian culture. The first group looks at â€Å"Pop culture in Asia† focusing on the works of artists Wang Guangyi, Satoshi Kon, Takashi Murakami, and Basak Aditya, as well the art of Japanese tattoos. Organizing such conflicting works together seems disjointed and lacking coherence. Indeed the idea of Pop culture in Asia could be defined in multiple ways, but this grouping lacks consistency and logic. Works by Wang Guangyi, Satoshi Kon and Takashi Murakami, each with their pop art style and references, would be a good match for a show focusing on pop culture. Wang Guangyi reinvents propaganda posters from the 1960’s and 70’s into capitalist propaganda posters, using the same triangular composition and palette. Takashi Murakami is known for his sculptures of highly stylized cartoon or invented characters, referring to the popular culture of Japan or contemporary films. Satoshi Kon is a director of animated films that are loaded with Japanese cultural references and symbolism. I believe the work of these three artists would have been enough for a succinct show of Pop culture in Asia. The addition of the works of Basak Aditya and Japanese tattoos makes this grouping lose its focus. Although the work of Basak Aditya, with his poetic landscapes and dream-like portraits, is interesting, it is not a good fit because they are too personalized and make no references to the pop culture of India. And finally the addition of Japanese tattoos just seems like an arbitrary decision. Although some tattoos may have pop cultural references, the inclusion of photographs of skin art is incompatible with the cohesion of the first three artists in the grouping. The next group â€Å"Art and Power† successfully showed a variety of artwork that represented power throughout the ages. Beginning with paintings from the Chinese era of emperors and using concise language to demonstrate their interpretation of power. This group then looks at the brass and copper sculptures of Buddha, Shiva, and Jambhala, clearly demonstrating the power of religion in the regions of Tibet and India. Next are a grouping of decorative and ceremonial items from Korea, signifying the power of the ruling and upper-classes of ancient Asia. This grouping ends with a group of painting and sculpture of samurais and two thangka paintings. The overall consistency of the objects and paintings used for this grouping makes for a successful exhibition. All the works chosen were clearly indicative of power in this well organized grouping. Finally the last group chose â€Å"Asian Animation† as a theme. Again this is a clear and well put together group of mostly Japanese cartoons and figures. This group first looks at the work of Satoshi Trajiri, and the media franchise of Pokemon. This group clearly spent time on creating colorful cartoon-like backgrounds to add to their clear, well planned presentation. They then look at the illustration work of Akira Toriyama and his colorful, well defined sharp edge illustrations. The group then looks at toys and costumes that are created from these cartoons and comics, again using a similar background to unify the presentation. Although some of the content is repeated at the end of the grouping, the overall vision of presenting these comics and cartoons as art forms is cohesive and easy to understand. The group points out how important comics as an industry is to Japan and their cultural affects throughout the world.

forsest service essays

forsest service essays Since World War 2, the Forest Service had gone through a major revolution that it included the need to be more efficient and cost-effective in production of timber as a crop from national forest lands. However, the increased effort of timber production clashed with environmental issues, the need for more recreation and wildlife viewing. In 1960, law with management of the national forests according to a philosophy of sustained yield and multiple use charged the Forest Service. This was the production of timber, preservation of fish and wildlife habitat, watershed maintenance, mining, grazing, and recreation. In the 1960s, demand for timber led the Forest Service to adopt the practice of clearcutting used also by the commercial timber industry. Vast forest tracts were stripped of all trees, leaving an unsightly bald area. As a result of many environmental consequences by clearcutting, environmentalists and the general public became livid and filed several lawsuits against the Forest Service. They urged restoration of damaged areas and more equitable multiple-use management in the future. In particular, emphasis has been placed on managing the forests in terms of broad concepts of land use and environmental quality. Like other federal agencies, the Forest Service must now assess the environmental impact of proposed actions, such as building new roads through the forests or granting rights to drill for oil or mine for coal and other minerals The main goal of The National Forest Service in modern times is to find a balance between forest protection and resource production. With the given pressures of increasing population growth and heightened demand for forest resources in recent years, the task has proven difficult. A special program in 1990 called the New Perspectives for Managing the National Forest System was established within the Forest Service as a means to achieve this balance. The Program's objective was to enhance the ...

What are the effects on trade regulation for food security under the world trade organization system The WritePass Journal

What are the effects on trade regulation for food security under the world trade organization system Abstract What are the effects on trade regulation for food security under the world trade organization system AbstractI . IntroductionII. The Concept of Food Security1. Definition of Food Security2. Food Security as a Food Sovereignty3. Food Security as a National Security4. Food Security as a Human RightIII. Problems and Shortcomings in the Agreement on Agriculture1. Lack of Food Security Provision2. Inequity between FoodExport and FoodImport Countries3. Insufficient Recognition of S D Treatment for Developing Countries4. No Recognition of Uniqueness of Agricultural Products5. Insufficient Recognition of Importance of Domestic Production for Development and Food Security6. NonImplementation of the Marrakesh Decision(11) Food SafetyV. ConclusionRelated Abstract With the launch of new negotiations on international trade called Doha Development Agenda (DDA), agriculture is once again expected to be a central and difficult issue. As a solution to the problems associated with food security in the DDA negotiation on agriculture, this article suggested a creation of a food security box. The basic idea of the food security box is, (i) to allow, like other existing exemptions (such as Green and Blue Boxes), a series of exemptions to the AoA for members whose agriculture was not meeting basic food security needs (hereinafter the members); (ii) to allow the members to protect and enhance their domestic production capacity under certain conditions; (iii) to provide flexibility to the members so as to increase domestic support for agriculture until they have achieved a certain level of food self-reliance; (iv) to obligate developed countries to give to developing countries technical assistance for improvement in the productivity; (v) to balance the rights and duties between food-exporting countries and food-importing countries. Free trade alone cannot solve the global food security problems, since free trade may have both positive and negative effects on food security. It should be noted that the policy to achieve food security based only on food aid and trade liberalization is too risky in terms of long term public policy. Given the instability of agricultural production and food aid, it is in the special interests of many food-importing countries such as the Republic of Korea and Japan to increase domestic agricultural production to ensure food security. I . Introduction The Doha Ministerial Declaration, issued at the fourth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference on 14 November 2001, launched new negotiations on a range of subjects, and included the negotiations already underway in agriculture and services. With the launch of new negotiations on international trade entitled Doha Development Agenda (DDA), agricultural trade is expected to be the most contentious and difficult issue.) It is agreed that the non-trade concerns (NTCs) such as food security and environmental protection will be taken into account. At the DDA agricultural negotiation, food security * Professor, College of Law, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea E-mail: [emailprotected] This work was supported by the Korea Research Foundation (KRF-2001-013-000021). is a key element of NTCs. The NTC Group (comprising the European Communities, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, South Korea and Mauritius), often called as the Friends of Multifunctionality, raised NTCs as a central part of their negotiating positions. The United States and the Cairns Group rejected, however, the concept. Some countries argue that there is no food security issue for developed countries because they can afford to purchase if necessary. Food security is, however, fundamentally a matter of national security, justice and human rights where all countries have a great concern. The focus of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) is, unfortunately, not on food security but on trade liberalization. The existing provisions of the AoA can not only not solve the global food security problems but also have detrimental impacts on food security and sustainable development, consumer health and safety and the environment. The AoA does not adequately and equitably address the food security needs of both developing countries and developed countries. As a solution to the problems associated with food security in the WTO negotiation on agriculture, this article suggests a creation of a food security box. This article will not attempt to explain or describe the details of the AoA. Section II describes the concept of food security under the context of the WTO system and international law. Section HI points out some problems and shortcomings in the current AoA. Section IV describes the concrete contents of a proposed food security box. Section V provides a brief summary and conclusion. II. The Concept of Food Security 1. Definition of Food Security The term food security has been defined in diverse ways. Both developing countries and developed countries have adopted some kind of food security policy. One starting point in understanding the concept of food security is a widely accepted definition adopted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the World Food Summit in 1996: Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. 2) There are four elements implicit in this definition: availability, accessibility, reliability (or stability), and sustainability. Adequate food availability means that sufficient food supplies should be available to meet consumption needs. Access to food means that both physical and economic access to food should be guaranteed. 3) A reliable food supply means that an adequate food supply should be continued even during seasonal or cyclical variations of climate and socio-economic conditions. Access to adequate food is essential for good nutrition, but it is not in itself sufficient. Food should also be safe in order that people may survive and be free from disease. Food security, therefore, inevitably requires food safety. In addition, food security requires agricultural sustainability in terms of long-term food security. If agricultural production is managed through exploiting non-renewable natural resources or degrading the environment, it may threate n long-term agricultural sustainability and global food security. 4) Thus, food security requires available, accessible, reliable and sustainable food supply at all the times. Food security has three dimensions: individual, national and multinational levels. 5) At the individual or household level, poverty or gender inequality may influence the distribution of food affecting individual food security even when food supply is sufficient. At the national level, natural disasters or socio-economic conditions such as armed conflicts may seriously disrupt food production and supply. States may have sufficient food at the national level, but have some food insecure individuals because of unequal distribution of food. At the multilateral level, especially within the context of WTO, food security is considered as a State affair, and discussion tends to focus on liberalization of agricultural trade, trade regulation and adequate supplies of imported food to members. 2. Food Security as a Food Sovereignty Food sovereignty is the right of each nation and its people to maintain and develop its own capacity to produce the peoples basic food, while respecting productive and cultural diversity.6) Food may be used as a tool by nations to impose political and economic pressures on others. The effective realization of food security is essential to national sovereignty since the use of food as a political weapon among nations may limit and jeopardize the sovereignty of individual nations. Thus, in the Rome Declaration on World Food Security, government delegates agreed that [alttaining food security is a complex task for which the primary responsibility rests with individual governments. Because of the responsibility assigned to governments for achieving food security, they emphasized that Mood should not be used as an instrument for political and economic pressure. Food sovereignty is, therefore, a pre-condition for a genuine food security. The term food sovereignty was elaborated by NGO. In an Action Agenda adopted at NGO/CSO Forum on Food Sovereignty, food sovereignty was affirmed as a right of countries and peoples to define their own agricultural, pastoral, fisheries and food policies which are ecologically, socially, economically and culturally appropriate. 7) 3. Food Security as a National Security One of the major tasks of a State is to ensure enough food to feed its own people. Adequate food is indispensable for the survival of a sovereign State. When we are, therefore, talking about food security, we are really talking about a national security issue. Thus, some commentators justify the maintenance of a certain minimum level of production of agricultural products in the name of national `safety and security. Although the WTO members have not resorted to Article XXI (national security exception clause) of the GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) to protect their domestic agricultural industry, the relevance of national security was pointed out at the Special Sessions of the WTO Committee on Agriculture. Under GATT Article XXI, national security issues may be exempted from Wf0 trade disciplines. Food security is also inextricably connected to national security and political sovereignty. Chronic food insecurity puts national security in jeopardy by placing at risk the health of a large number of people, and also it incites internal turmoil and instability. 4. Food Security as a Human Right Access to adequate food is recognized as a human right. Food security is fundamentally a matter of human right. Many commentators agree that under international law there is currently found, to a minimal extent, a treaty right conjoined with a customary right to be free from hunger.il)) International Agreements such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights 12) support this view. In the Rome Declaration on World Food Security, government delegates reaffirmed the right of everyone to have access to safe and nutritious food, consistent with the right to adequate food and the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger... 13) Food security is a global issue. National disaster or armed conflict in one agriculture exporting country can seriously affect the food security of other countries. International cooperation is, therefore, indispensable in order to ensure universal food security. Thus they also reaffirmed the importance of international cooperation and solidarity as well as the necessity of refraining from unilateral measures not in accordance with the international law and the Charter of the United Nations and that endanger food security. 14) Each nation must cooperate regionally and internationally in order to organize collective solutions to global issues of food security. In a world of increasingly interlinked institutions, societies and econo mies, coordinated efforts and shared responsibilities are essential. 15) III. Problems and Shortcomings in the Agreement on Agriculture 1. Lack of Food Security Provision The focus of the AoA is not food security, but trade liberalization. Its main objective is to establish a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system through substantial progressive reductions in agricultural support and protections(Preamble). The AoA aims to liberalize agricultural trade in three principal ways: increase of market access, reduction of both domestic support and export subsidy. The AoA has no provision on food security, and no definition on food security. There are, however, a few provisions mentioning the term food security in a very narrow sense. Commitments under the reform programs should be made in an equitable way among all members, having due regard to non-trade concerns, including food security(Preamble). Article 12 of the AoA provides that members instituting export prohibition or restriction shall give due regard to the effects of such prohibition or restriction on importing members food security. Annex 2 of the AoA articulates public stockholding (para3) for food security purposes. 16) Para.4 (domestic food aid) of the Annex 2 is also a provision for food security, although the term food security is not used. Thus, the term food security in the WTO is used in a very narrow sense and relates primarily to the adequate supply of food to member states through free trade. 2. Inequity between FoodExport and FoodImport Countries The AoA has a lack of due consideration for non-trade concerns such as food security. The AoA enables food-export countries to continue to subsidize and protect domestic producers while requiring food-import countries to open up their markets to foreign competition. Consequently, it failed to balance the interests of food-exporting and food-importing countries. It should be noted that there are special provisions for developing and least-developed countries, not for food-importing countries. Even the net food-importing countries (NFICs) are merely a subcategory of developing countries. 17) The AoA, like other WTO Agreements, specifies different types of legal rights and obligations concerning market access, export subsidies, and domestic support, according to different categories of countries. The principal classifications are developed and developing countries, with the latter receiving special and differential (SD) treatment. It should be also noted that commitments under the reform programs for agricultural trade should be made in an equitable way among all members, having due regard to non-trade concerns, including food security (Preamble). 3. Insufficient Recognition of S D Treatment for Developing Countries As pointed out above, the AoA confers more beneficial legal rights and obligations concerning market access, export subsidies, and domestic support on developing countries. Developing countries were given different timetables, different target reduction rates, and different exemptions. The implementation period for making reductions was six years (until 2000) for developed countries and ten years (until 2004) for developing countries. Developing 17) The net food-importing countries (NFICs) are a subcategory of developing countries, which is defined by the WTO Committee on Agriculture based on trade profile data and negotiation among members. As of February 2000, there are 19 NFICs. countries were allowed to apply lower rates of reduction in the areas of market access, export subsidies, and domestic support (but not less than 2/3 of those to be applied by developing countries). Least-developed countries were exempted from reduction commitments, although they were required to bind their tariffs and domestic support and not exceed those amounts. Most of the current SD provisions for developing countries are, however, largely irrelevant and ineffective because they lack the funds and means to use export subsidies, and domestic supports. The AoA enabled developed countries to continue to subsidize and protect domestic producers while requiring developing countries to open up their markets to foreign competitors. The AoA provisions systematically favor agricultural producers in developed countries and multinational agribusiness, and are unfair to developing countries. No WTO Agreement is more iniquitous than the AoA. Thus, the AoA enabled developed countries to maintain trade-distorting subsidies and import restrictions, and failed to achieve its stated objective of establishing a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system. 18) It should be noted that the Doha Declaration articulated that SD treatment for developing countries shall be an integral part of all elements of the negotiations.(para.13) 4. No Recognition of Uniqueness of Agricultural Products Agricultural products are unique and most essential commodities in every country. In addition to its primary function of producing food, agriculture also provides non-food services to our societies jointly produced from agricultural activities. Non-food services of agriculture that have characteristics of public goods include the viability of rural areas, food security, environmental protection, rural employment, and preservation of cultural heritage and agricultural landscape. In this context, the multifunctional role of agriculture, in both developed and developing countries, should be recognized. 19) In addition, agricultural production is biological and site-specific. Demand and production in agriculture is inelastic. Supply is heavily dependent upon the weather, and very sensitive to climate change. Over 90% of global rice production depends on the same monsoon area. 201 All these unique and multifunctional characteristics of agriculture need to be recognized and should be reflected in the revised AoA. [T]o ensure that international trade plays a positive role in ensuring food security, it is essential that trade rules respect the characteristics that distinguish agriculture from other sectors. 21 ) 5. Insufficient Recognition of Importance of Domestic Production for Development and Food Security The AoA is premised on the idea that trade liberalization can enhance national and global food security. There is, however, widespread public concern that the current direction of trade liberalization under the AoA has a detrimental impact on food security and development. To date, the AoAs objectives of removing trade barriers and protection have failed to promote the goals of sustainable agriculture and food security. The AoA overestimates the importance of free trade, but underestimates that of domestic production, in terms of sustainable development and food security. In order to reduce the risks that are often associated with an excessive reliance on imports, a certain degree of domestic agricultural food production is essential for food security and development.22) Domestic production may play a role of insurance against risks such as import interruptions and poor harvests in exporting countries. 23) Agriculture is a way of life in many developing agrarian countries, and support of agricultural production is essential for ensuring food security, rural employment, and poverty alleviation. Agriculture continues to be an important source of foreign exchange and revenue for developing countries. In this context, domestic production should be recognized as an essential means to secure food security and development in the revised AoA. 6. NonImplementation of the Marrakesh Decision For countries that may be adversely affected by trade liberalization, a separate decision was adopted, called the Marrakesh Ministerial Decision on Measures Concerning the Possible Negative Effects of the Reform Programme on Least-Developed and Net Food-Importing Developing Countries (Marrakech Decision). 25) The Marrakech Decision was supposed to protect LDCs and NFIDCs from food insecurity caused by trade liberalization through ensuring a continued flow of financial resources, food aid, and technical assistance. To date, the Marrakech Decision has not been sufficiently implemented. The Marrakech Decision is ineffective because it does not adequately define the problem (what are the negative effects?), it does not assign responsibilities, and it has no implementation mechanism. The requirement for providing a proof of damage and causality makes it also very difficult to invoke the Decision. N. Proposals for Food Security Box Food security is a key element of non-trade concerns and agricultural problems. As pointed out earlier, however, the existing provisions of the AoA can not only not solve the global food security problems but also have a detrimental impact on food security and sustainable development, consumer health and the environment. The AoA does not adequately and equitably address the food security needs of developing countries and developed countries. The AoA needs, therefore, fundamental reform from the perspective of food security, and food security should have top priority in the DDA agricultural negotiations and a revised AoA. Food security should be mentioned in the preamble of the AoA as a central objective,and specifically reflected in its Articles. As a solution to the problems associated with food security in the DDA negotiations on agriculture, this section will suggest a creation of a `food security box; the provisions of which will be elaborated in detail, based on the four elements of food security mentioned above. It should also be noted that the food security box is different from the concept of a `development box in that the latter is concemed with SD treatment for developing countrie s,26) while the former reflects the food security concerns of both developing countries and (net food-importing) developed countries. 27) The basic idea of the food security box is, (i) to allow, like other existing exemptions (such as Green and Blue Boxes), a series of exemptions to the AoA for members whose agriculture was not meeting basic food security needs (hereinafter the members); (ii) to allow the members to protect and enhance their domestic production capacity under certain conditions; (iii) to provide flexibility to the members so as to increase domestic support for agriculture until they have achieved a certain level of food self-reliance; (iv) to obligate developed countries to give to the members technical assistance for improvement in productivity; (v) to balance the rights and duties between food-exporting countries and food-importing countries. (1) Tariffs Basic food security crops should be exempt from tariff reduction commitments. Each member may nominate, based on a negative list approach, a list of staple food security crops for exemption from reduction commitments. The basic food security crops or staple food security crops are crops which are either staple foods in the country concerned, or the main sources of livelihood for low-income farmers 2 8) To be qualified as basic food security crops, they should be sensitive in terms of food security and sustainable development. 26)  Ã‚   Some members proposed a Development Box at the Committee on Agriculture. See The Development Box, Non-papa by Dominican Republic, Kenya, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Special Session of the Conunittee on Agriculture Informal Meeting, 4-6 February 2002. (2)  Ã‚   TRQs Tariff rate quotas (TRQs) were introduced in the Uruguay Round to ensure that existing access conditions were not undermined and as a means to create new market access opportunities. The expansion of TRQs may help to ensure greater market opportunities, for exporters especially in developing countries, and to further liberalize and increase trade in agricultural products. Since TRQs have contributed positively to increased market access and the food security of net-food importing countries, much flexibility in connection with the TRQs administration should be given to the basic food security crops of net-food importing countries. Some members proposed at the Committee on Agriculture auctioning as an efficient and transparent method of TRQ allocation. 29 (3)  Ã‚   SSG The Special Safeguard (SSG) provisions were introduced to facilitate the reform process and as a means of protecting domestic farmers injured by increase in imports. Given the special nature of agricultural products, the SSG mechanism should be continued, in order to minimize serious injuries caused to the domestic industry by sudden import surges and price fluctuations in food security crops. Consideration should also be given for extending the SSG to cover crops which have the potential to substitute for local food security crops. (4)  Ã‚   Domestic Support At the WTO Committee on Agriculture, many delegates emphasized the importance of domestic production in achieving food security. 30) Most delegates contended that the most efficient solution should lie in a combination of domestic production, imports (trade liberalization), food aid and stockpiling, but they varied a lot in the emphasis they gave to various means. Food aid and free trade can play important roles in achieving food security. The heavy dependency on imported foods and foreign food aid is, however, too risky especially to net food-importing countries in terms of food security policy, since they can provide major food-exporting countries with a powerful political weapon. They can foreclose the potential of domestic production as an engine of rural development and economic growth. It should be noted that the policy to achieve food security based only on food aid and trade liberalization is, therefore, too naive and risky in terms of a long term public policy. The maintenance of a certain degree of domestic food production is, therefore, an essential element in national food security policies, in each country whether it is a developing or a developed country, and no matter how high its optimum self-sufficiency ratio may be. All domestic support taken to increase domestic production of basic food security crops for `domestic consumption should, therefore, be exempted from any form of domestic support reduction commitments. 32) It should be emphasized that greater diversity in food production systems may contribute to achieve food security by enabling the access to food within a region 33) Developing countries should have the flexibility to take any domestic support measures including price support for food security, rural development and poverty alleviation, regardless of its impacts on trade.34) (5) Export Subsidies Export subsidies provided by developed countries may impact negatively on the food production system of importing countries and have detrimental effects on their domestic markets.35) Thus, they may impact negatively on the food security situation of net food-importing countries and developing countries. It may be contended that net food-importing countries and developing countries may also benefit from lower world agricultural prices caused by export subsidies provided by other countries. These benefits are, however, highly unreliable, and export subsidies are the most trade distorting of policy tools used in the agricultural sector. Therefore, at the Doha Ministerial Declaration, it was agreed to reduce, with a view to phasing out, all forms of export subsidies. 36) Developing countries should have the flexibility to use export subsidies in order to promote exports, especially when these exports are critical for achieving their food security needs. (6) Dumping Export subsidies may contribute to the problem of dumping which has also detrimental effects on the food production system of importing countries. The US and EC farmgate prices for many crops are less than many countries cost of production, because of huge amount of export subsidies. Producers from other countries cannot compete with dumped products from the US or EC based grain multinationals such as Cargill. The existing AoA does not address the problem of dumping of agricultural products. Thus, [Ole lack of rules in agricultural trade that preceded the AoA contributed directly to food insecurity in the world.37) Therefore, dumping of agricultural products should be prohibited, and food-importing countries should be allowed to take appropriate border measures against the dumped products, if they impact negatively on the food security policy of importing countries. (7) Export Credits Subsidized export credits, along with export guarantees and insurance, could be used to circumvent export subsidy commitments. 381 For this reason, strict rules and disciplines on export credits should be established in the revised AoA. Export credits may be, however, useful for food security in food importing countries suffering from financial crises or food supply problems,39) and should be allowed to be invoked through specific criteria, so long as they are not used as a means of circumventing export subsidy commitments. As of August 2002, export credits covering exports of agricultural and food products are not governed by any specific discipline within the AoA. 401 Rules and disciplines on export credits should ensure that export credits conform to commercial practices and do not confer an export subsidy.41) Developing countries should be, however, allowed to have the flexibility to use export credits. (8) Export Restrictions and Taxes Export restrictions and export taxes may be necessary for the food security of food-exporting countries in cases of emergencies like food shortages. For this reason, article XI of GATT 1994 prohibits quantitative export restrictions but makes an explicit exception for export prohibitions or restrictions temporarily applied to prevent or relieve critical shortages of foodstuffs or other products essential to the exporting contracting countries. Export restrictions and export taxes may, however, have detrimental effects on the food security of food-importing countries by promoting price variability and uncertainty. At the WTO Committee on Agriculture, a number of food-importing countries, like South Korea and Japan, contended that their food supplies could be disrupted and their food security jeopardized if exporting countries restrict exports of agricultural products. 42) Article 12.1 of AoA further obligates the member instituting the export restrictions to give due consideration to the effects of such restrictions on importing countries food security. However, given their significant distortion effects on world agricultural markets, strict rules and disciplines on export restrictions and export taxes should be established in the revised AoA. Above all, the period of export restrictions should not exceed more than three months, and a certain amount should be exempt from exporting restrictions during its implementation, for the food security of importing countries. Differential export taxes which encourage exports of processed products and discourage primary product exports should be prohibited.43) Developing countries should be, however, allowed to have the flexibility to use export restrictions and export taxes. (9) State Trading Enterprises Many countries have used state trading enterprises to control domestic markets and to regulate trade. State trading enterprises with exclusive or special rights and privileges may have negative effects on the establishment of a fair and market-oriented agricultural trading system. From the viewpoint of food security of importing countries, import state trading enterprises may, however, play an important role to ensure stable food supply. On the contrary, export state trading enterprises with monopolistic power may have a significant and direct impact on the international market. More stricter rules and disciplines on export state trading enterprises should be, therefore, established in the revised AoA. New disciplines on state trading enterprises should ensure export and import transactions are non-discriminatory and transparent. Developing countries should be, however, allowed to have the flexibility to use state trading enterprises. 44) (10) Food Aid and Stockholding Article 10.4 of the AoA does not prohibit the use of food aid as a means of surplus disposal or market expansion. 45) Food aid may, however, have negative effects on food security, and be used to circumvent export subsidy commitments. 46) At the WTO Committee on Agriculture, MERCOSUR group contended that there was an urgent need to establish more detailed rules on food aid in order to ensure that WTO commitments on reducing export subsidies are not circumvented while at the same time preserving the humanitarian dimension of food aid. Strict rules and disciplines on export restrictions and export taxes should be, therefore, established in the revised AoA. 47) Above all, food aid should only be in the form of grants rather than credits, should respond genuinely to demand, and should be targeted at the needs of the recipient countries. It should not harm the domestic production systems of the recipient countries, should not distort international trade, should not amount to the disposal of price-depressing surpluses, should not allow countries to circumvent their export subsidy commitments, and should not be used as a means of expanding market share by subsidizing countries. Developing countries should be provided with the technical and financial assistance to improve their domestic food production capacity.48) Public stockholding of basic food security crops for food security purposes should be given a wider definition under the Green Box provision. According to para.3 of Annex 2 to the AoA, the volume and accumulation of stocks shall correspond to predetermined targets related solely to food security, and there are strict criteria for how such stocks are purchased and sold. The AoA should also provide for regional food security plans, including joint maintenance of emergency food stocks. 49) Some countries at the WTO Committee on Agriculture proposed creating an international food stockholding system in order to effectively address food security concerns of developing countries. 50) Developing countries should be allowed to have the flexibility to use food security stocks. (11) Food Safety Recently, food safety has been an emerging NTC issue. Public concerns on food safety increases as the trade of agricultural products increases. Food safety requirements may be used as a means of disguised protectionism. Food safety cant be, however, given up in the name of trade liberalization, because food supplied to people should be safe, at least from the perspective of food security. Without consumers confidence in food safety, trade liberalization of agricultural products cant be accomplished successfully. Strict rules and disciplines on food safety should be, therefore, established in the revised AoA. Since food safety issue may also be discussed in the SPS and TBT Committees, this article proposes a written Understanding to be adopted, which may be annexed to the AoA or SPS Agreement.51 ) The Understanding should, among other things, deal with the precautionary principle, burden of proof on food safety, mandatory labeling for GM (Genetically Modified) crops or foods, cooperation with other organizations such as OECD and Codex. Since most food-importing countries lack technical capacity to show scientific evidence against imported foods, technical and financial assistance should be provided to members, especially to developing countries. 52) (12)Peace Clause Article 13 (due restraint) of the AoA is due to expire at the end of 2003. This Peace Clause protects members using domestic support measures from being challenged under the GAIT 1994 and the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, so long as they comply with their commitments on export subsidies and domestic support under the AoA. The Peace Clause should be preserved and extended for all measures that are taken to achieve the food security policy of developing countries. (13)Environment and Sustainable Agriculture Agricultural activities have both positive and negative effects on the environment. Agriculture contributes to environmental goods such as biological diversity and landscape conservation, which may enhance agricultural sustainability. It should be noted that agriculture in many developing countries is based on small-sized farms, and this type of farming is ecologically sustainable. [There is an emerging realization that agricultural systems in both developed and developing countries face challenges to achieve long-term sustainability and food security, 53)especially in light of growing populations and resource degradation. Without local agriculture there would be no positive effects, and without some level of support and protection there would be no agriculture. A certain degree of domestic production should be, therefore, maintained for sustainable agriculture and long-term food security. Green Box measures alone are not sufficient, 54) and the criteria for Green Box need to be broadened and flexible enough to enhance sustainable agriculture and long term food security. 55) Domestic supports for sustainable agriculture should be also allowed under the Blue Box. V. Conclusion At the DDA agricultural negotiation, food security is a key element of the NTCs and the most contentious issue. Trade liberalization may enhance national and global food security by expanding sources of food supply, encouraging more efficient allocation of resources, lowering food prices in importing countries, and increasing economic growth rate. However, the proposition that free trade can solve the food security problems is wrong for the following reasons. Agricultural products are different from industrial products in some respects and agriculture has the characteristics of a public good. Thus, when we are talking about agriculture, we are really talking about food security, rural development, environment, employment, culture, as well as production of food for sale in a market. Agricultural production heavily depends on climate and land conditions, unlike industrial products. Given the uncertainty of food supply in the world food market, there will always remain a residual threat to food security. The policy to achieve food security based only on free trade is too risky in terms of long term public policy. The maintenance of a certain level of domestic agricultural food production is, therefore, essential for food security of both developed and developing countries. The current AoA does not, however, adequately and equitably address the food security needs of developing and developed countries. With a view to redressing the imbalance and inequity of rights and obligations under the AoA between food exporting and importing countries, this article proposed a food security box. Among other things, basic food security crops should be exempt from tariff reduction commitments. Much flexibility in connection with TRQs administration should be given to basic food security crops. All domestic support measures taken to increase domestic production of basic food security crops should be also exempted from any form of domestic support reduction commitments. The agricultural negotiations are scheduled to end by 1 January 2005, along with almost all the other negotiations under the DDA. It should be noted that the DDA negotiations are a single undertaking. No element of them will be agreed until all areas are agreed on. As of 23 November 2003, the 31 March deadline for establishing modalities in the agricultural negotiations was not met. WPO members failed to set guidelines on tariff and subsidy cuts to use in subsequent negotiations. The first and revised draft of modalities for the future commitments prepared by the chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture failed to reflect the food security concerns of net-food importing and developing countries. This agricultural impasse may, therefore, spill over into other areas of negotiations, including services, and threaten the entire DDA round of multilateral trade negotiations. Without a system or compromise to solve the food security problems of both net-food importing countries and developing countries, the DDA round cant reach a successful and satisfactory settlement.

Cooperation or Hegemony Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Cooperation or Hegemony - Essay Example The paper reviews how the present-day international trade functions. It points out that core of the international trade system lies in the trade policies towards protectionism or free trade of different states. The author shows that in contemporary times, the international trade system involves certain rules, which explicitly target reducing protectionism. In this way, the instability, which may occur because of the uncertainty and unpredictability of trade relations can be, minimized. The work examines if the United States has a complete hegemonic control and dominance over the international trade market, because it is a known fact that powerful states tend to have broader focus upon political power, aggregate national income, social stability, and economic growth, which in some way affect the working of the international trade system. It also attempts to see whether different countries have brought the trade system together. The author concludes that much of the international syste m, which is established today, focuses on the ideas of the United States, which included an anti-government and liberal approach to the area of the trade. The international trade system seeks to create such a situation, so that countries can benefit from trade on maximum. The writer analyzes historic events which prove that the United States had a major role in creating a beneficial trade system. The conclusion of the research is the United States has a hegemonic control, necessary for the stability of the international market.

Corruption and Multi-National Corporations Essay

Corruption and Multi-National Corporations - Essay Example Legally, facilitation payment is not allowed in the United Kingdom. However, it is allowed legally to certain extent in the United States (Special Cases, 2009). The issue of facilitation payment becomes specially challenging when doing business with a foreign country. The laws in a different country may or may not be similar to those your own country. Hence, this issue has to be studied clearly and carefully before deciding on its legal implications. Multi-national corporations operate in different countries all over the world. So it is not possible for them to work under one set of rules. Their memorandum of association must tally with the laws and customs of the host countries. They also have to do business with customers in the host countries as well as overseas. This makes the situation of facilitation payments more complicated if flexibility is not maintained (Special Cases, 2009). Research show that majority of multi-nationals have indulged in facilitation payments although they same majority would prefer not to make these payments. This is a catch-22 situation with the giver and taker harboring guilty conscience and yet performing the act in the larger interest of business (Gordon, Kathryn and Miyake, Maiko; 2001, p3) "Bribes can come in all sizes. ... ch-22 situation with the giver and taker harboring guilty conscience and yet performing the act in the larger interest of business (Gordon, Kathryn and Miyake, Maiko; 2001, p3) "Bribes can come in all sizes. The media likes to highlight the more flagrant examples, but the smaller, everyday forms often go undetected. In the past, governments have overlooked facilitation payments. Western lawmakers assumed that such payments were simply unavoidable, a necessary part of doing business abroad" (Wrage, Alexandra; 2009). Nonetheless, the issue does not stop at that. Time and again, facilitation payments have reached the courts and resulted in destabilizing outcomes. Daewoo is an example of a major multi-national firm collapsing owing to financial irregularities (Daewoo corruption scandal deepens, 2001). However, facilitation payments continue to be made the world over. How do these payments reflect in the eyes of the law Morally, facilitation payments, whether big or small, are wrong. But these payments are given and received in different and ambiguous ways and bypass the law. They may simply be given under the nomenclature of a gift or in the form of entertainment. International businesses have accepted it as a necessary evil. And it does appear that it is prospected to stay this way for a very long time to come (D'Ascenzo, Michael; 2008). By and large, in most countries, facilitation payments are tolerated if the sum involved is small. Nobody is inclined to run to the courts on small amounts spent on getting business. However, it is large facilitation amounts that can cause trouble. Large amounts not only cause legal hassles, they can even destabilize the concerned corporation. It is not healthy for large corporations to be paying out large facilitation amounts as these