Third World Country Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Third World Country - Term Paper Example eastern beliefs and practices and resulted to a culturally conservative but socially dynamic people who has always preserved the rich native culture but opened its arms to the influences of the west. The National Statistics Office (NSO) of the Philippines reported that its population is at 88.57 million as of August 2007. The National Capital Region (or more popularly called Metro Manila), where the capital city of Manila is situated has 11.55 million, the second largest populated region while the two regions adjacent to the National Capital Region are the 1st and the 3rd largest. The combined number of residents of these three regions already comprised more than one third of the entire population at 37.3% (Ericta, 2008). The Philippine economy had been sluggish compared with its other south east Asian neighbors, however the year 2007 showed indications of a stronger economy when it posted an average real growth rate in gross domestic product (GDP) of 7.3%, by far the highest in 31 years (WHO regional office, 2009). However, poverty statistics showed a 2.5 percentage points increase in poverty rate from â€Å"4.7 million poor families in 2006 compared with 4.0 million estimated in 2003† (WHO, 2009) thus the World Health Organization regional office in the western pacific surmised that the economic challenge is to trickle down the signs of economic progress to the poor sector of the population in order to alleviate poverty (WHO, 2009). Henderson reported that â€Å"poverty in the Philippines is most acute and widespread in rural areas (2002)† but Metro Manila, has the lowest occurrence of this nationwide phenomenon, where there are only 5% of the nations poor. He also conveyed how worse the situation is especially when translating the conditions in monetary value. The Filipino below the poverty line earns â€Å"less than $276 a year (...) considered the minimum required to meet basic living requirements† (Henderson, 2002). Culturally, the Filipinos adhere to

Victorian London Essay Example for Free

Victorian London Essay Charles Dickens was born in 1812 in Portsmouth, but spent most of his time in London and Kent. He grew up not being particularly wealthy, especially after his father was arrested for debt when dickens was nine years old. Charles Dickens knew poverty, especially poverty in London, and wanted to better himself through his writing. However he also wanted to educate the educated. At that time the only people who could read were the upper and middle classes as they were the only people who could afford to go to school. But most of London and indeed the countrys population were made up of poor, uneducated people. Dickens wanted to show the wealthy people what others suffered and wanted to tell them what life was really like for the poor. However, Dickens had to be very careful not to alienate his readers. If he produced a story that was too harsh then his readership simply wouldnt believe it. He had to tell them gently otherwise he would fail. I am going to examine whether dickens was successful in his aim of educating his readership, and whether he was accurate in his description. We meet the character of scrooge immediately, during dickenss description of Marley, scrooges ex-business partner. We can tell two things from the quote, even Scrooge was not particularly cut up by the sad event [Marleys death], but that he was an excellent man of business. The first thing we can tell from the source is that scrooge is a man of business and therefore of the middle class. The second is scrooges lack of heart; he does not care very much about Marley, his business partner and friend. Dickens is telling us that scrooge is representative of the middle classes. Dickens then describes scrooges personal characteristics. He is a tight fisted hand at the grindstone. We are being told how much of a heartless person he is through a vile description of his character and when scrooge talks about Christmas he is shown to be even more heartless. Not even Christmas could warm his spirit. This is inferred to us through the quote, no warmth could warm him, no wintry weather could chill him. His clear distaste for Christmas, every idiot who goes out with Merry Christmas on his lips should be boiled in his own pudding with a stake of holly through his heart. This makes dickens readers realise that scrooge has to change. Dickens then moves on to give his first, albeit brief, description of the life of the poor in Victorian London. A man arrives at scrooges office collecting money for charity. Scrooge is surprised and asks the man if there are any prisons. The man replies that there are. Scrooge then asks if there are any Union Workhouses. The man replies that there are. Scrooge asks finally if there are the treadmill and Poor Law in full vigour. The man replies that they are very busy. In Victorian times there were very few places the poor could go to get help. They would steal or get involved with other crime or go to a workhouse where they would labour for gruel (a kind of porridge) and a space on the floor to sleep. Families were split up and children sent away. Scrooge is happy with these solutions and does not care if they are inhuman or not. Scrooge then sums up the attitude at the time by saying, but besides I dont know that. Just because scrooge does not know acknowledge the dreadful conditions he feels that he has no need to want to change them and rejects basic provisions for the poor. However at the time his was not an extreme view, especially in the middle classes. They had mostly worked their way up the social ladder and feel that if they did it then others can do it -why should they have to pay through higher taxes and charity. The basic message is that the middle class doesnt want to pay, mainly because they think that the existing system is fine. Another view of scrooges is represented in the quote if they had better die they had better do it quickly and decrease the surplus population. Scrooge clearly thinks that these poor people are a waste and it is their fault for having too many children, a system is in place and if they dont like it then tough. Dickens wants his readerships attitude to change and he has decided to do it through four ghosts, and four lessons. This is because he cannot tell them himself or he would never have got the book published as it would have been too risky, and so he got around this by using a third party the ghosts. The ghost of Marley appears and confronts scrooge. Scrooges way of judging people is by how good a businessman they are, just as Marley had done. In death Marley realises this is wrong, the first lesson. In order to change he has to receive three ghosts otherwise he cannot hope to shed the path I [Marley] tread. Not only is dickens telling his character to listen to the ghosts and learn the lessons, he is saying it to the readers as well. The first ghost, the ghost of Christmas past, visits Scrooge and shows him up to a point where he could have chosen to go down a different path. Immediately after seeing how a simple act can make people happy Scrooge changes and wishes to say a word to Bob Cratchit and apologise. Scrooge is then shown what he has lost. He sees Bell who had left him because he spent too much time at work. Bell is married with children and he sees what he could have had and then what he has been missing out on Christmas celebrations. Scrooge is then met by the ghost of Christmas Present. At first Dickens describe the houses as black enough, and the windows blacker, showing the poorest part of London for what it really is. But then he changes showing the shops in London full of food, as if the poor have no problem getting all this food in a happy congruously festive atmosphere. The sentence, steeples called good people all, to church and chapel. Dickens even throws in the idea of going to church to appease his readership and make them feel more charitable if the poor were seen as good Christians like they believed themselves to be they would feel more charitable towards the poor. He even talks about the bakers ovens cooking geese, almost saying they arent that poor because they can afford geese and implies that everyone is the same and generalises the poor. This is before we consider the poor living conditions. Dickens then further identifies the poor with the Cratchits by establishing the identity off Tiny Tim. Scrooge is the introduced to his nephews party and scrooge enjoys being there so much he doesnt want to leave. This is the first real clue as to how much scrooge has changed. The ghost then produces the hideous figures of want and ignorance. To make the blow hit harder they are depicted as children. They are Dickenss way of telling his readers what actually goes on in the perversion of humanity. They are not actually real, rather symbolic representations like cartoon characters and they are different from what scrooge is being told about them. Dickens tells his readers through the ghost to look out for them, particularly ignorance but at the same time he cannot tell his readers the truth. The last ghost appears and shows scrooge his own funeral, but scrooge fail to appreciate the meaning of it. Then the ghost shows scrooge his own grave. Scrooge then tells the ghost that he is a changed man, but is uncertain if the future can be changed. We are also shown the picture of Bob Cratchit weeping over the loss of his son Tiny Tim. Even in death we are not shown a picture of Tiny Tim suffering, there is no illness. Dickens uses this sentimental effect to show how he will be missed. When scrooge wakes up the change is immediately noticeable. He visits his nephew to reunite the family; again this is something his readers will approve of, and makes the Cratchits lives happier. The main message of the book is be charitable and give money to the poor. Dickens is so aware of his readership, however, that he has to insert the mechanical point telling his readers that Tiny Tim did not die. In conclusion Dickens does not describe the social conditions of the poor in London adequately. The proof of this is in Mayhew, who described the social and other appalling conditions in London for the poor. It shows that dickens is not being truthful. He shows the poor homogenously, grouping them together but there is a substantial between dickens version of Victorian London and reality. Dickens needs to get his point across about changing but he can only do so if he provides a sanitised version for his readers. In reality the Cratchits are very well off for people of their class, they have a respectable home and Bob Cratchit has a good job that pays fifteen shillings a week, which is a huge amount for a poor family. I think that dickens wanted to show London as it truly was for the poor but he couldnt do that because people were too sensitive about their own position and standing and felt vulnerable so he inserts pictures such as going to church and no suffering whilst alerting his readers to the problems. To a certain extent he is successful as he shows that there are problems in London but he does not go far enough to show the reality and alienate his readers.

Coffee Plantations in Wayanad

Coffee Plantations in Wayanad The coffee production in Kerala accounts to about 28 % of the overall coffee production in South India which includes the three states Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The coffee production is mainly suited to grow in the hilly tracts of these states with Karnataka accounting to the majority of coffee production a whopping 53% of a total production of 8200 tonnes (Year 2010 figures). The coffee production in Kerala is around 23 % of the countrys total coffee output which makes it the second largest coffee-producing state in India. Wayanad, a popular district in Kerala produces almost around 90 % of the states coffee produce which literally concludes that the coffee economy of Kerala is highly correlated with the coffee economy existing in Wayanad. Our study plans to analyze and evaluate the agricultural farming practices adopted by the farmers in Wayanad, a district situated in the north-east of Kerala, and very popular for the coffee plantations and tea estates growing in this region. In this section, we will however be concentrating with the existing farming methods and the scope of natural farming in the area of coffee plantations. We will first discuss about the topography of Wayanad and how it suits to the growth of coffee on an extensive scale, followed by the existing farming practices of coffee and the contribution of NGOs , co-operative societies and self help groups in educating the farmers about the modern eco-friendly methods of farming. Finally, we will analyze and evaluate the scope of natural farming in the area of growth of coffee plantations in Wayanad and how it will improve the value chain from the farmers perspective. About Wayanad Topography Wayanad, the 12th district formed in Kerala, which is also called The Land of Paddy Fields is located in between the boundaries of the Kozhikode and Kannur districts. The region is located on the top of the majestic Western Ghats and its altitude range from approximately 700 meters to as high as 2100 meters. A large part of the regions population comprises of the indigenous tribal communities. The region is full with densely populated high-standing hilly terrains, mountains (Chembra Peak), lakes (the beautiful Pookot Lake), waterfalls and dams (Banasura Sagar Dam) as an attractive location for tourists. Climate Wayanad being distant from the mean sea level and densely covered by forests provide a very pleasant climate. Typically the temperature variations are reported to be in the range of 18 to 28 degree centigrade. The average rainfall received in the region is around 2500 millimeters per year. As a result of a high extent of presence of both sunlight and rainfall, the agricultural land in this region is very fertile. Wayanad due to its extensive scope of agricultural farming has been reported to be holding a position amongst the 18 real agribiodiversity hotspots situated in the globe. Rivers Most of the Wayanad district is situated close to the river Kabini (an important tributary of the river Kaveri) along with its three tributaries namely, Panaraman, Kalindy and Mananthavady rivers. Dams such as the BanasuraSagar Dam and aqueducts have also been built in the region with the sole purpose of supplying water to the drought stricken regions in the district. Economy Speaking about the economy of Wayanad, majority of the regions economy is based on agriculture as can be implied by the meager figure of 3.79 % of the districts population being urbanized. The main cash crops growing in the region are coffee, tea, plantain, pepper, vanilla and cocoa. Apart from these crops, another important and essential cash crop growing in the Wayanad region is rice. Although there has been an agrarian crisis due to the increase in lower prices of the locally-grown cash crops such as coffee, ginger, pepper, etc. , yet it has been noted that there is an increasing trend in the price of agricultural land in Wayanad. The geographical description of the territory covers a vast portion with agricultural land, roughly 54 % of the districts area. Around 37% of the territory is covered up with densely populated forests. One of the main cash crops growing in the region apart from tea is coffee which has two main varieties of coffee plantations. Coffee Arabica, the premier coffee and Coffee Robusta, the low-quality coffee which well suits the environmental conditions originating in Wayanad are the two main varieties of coffee growing in this district. However, majority of the coffee growing in this region is of the robusta variety which accounts to approximately 95 % of the total coffee production in Wayanad. The capacity of land occupied by coffee plantations in terms of agricultural land area amounts to around 58 %, numerically around 110,000 hectares. It has been reported that around 80 % of the total coffee produced in Kerala comes from Wayanad. Population The population extent in Wayanad counts to roughly around 800,000 people with more than 80 % of the population being majorly dependent on agriculture. The majority of the coffee growers in Wayanad are small and marginal farmers which account to more than 90 % with more than 60 % of the land holders occupying less than one hectare of land. The average landholding size of a farmer in the district has been found to be approximately 0.68 hectares. As already discussed earlier, a large chunk of the Wayanad population consists of tribal communities with almost 17 % of the states tribes residing in Kerala. The tribal communities also have a significant role to play in agriculture. Infrastructure Wayanad passes through the Calicut, Mysore and Bangalore connectivity via road. The closest railway station and airport is situated in Calicut which is around 100 kms from Wayanad. With the advancement of technology and infrastructure services, the district has good network coverage and internet connectivity apart from a robust post office network and availability of courier services. Moreover, no power scarcity problems have been reported in the region. Farming Methods of Coffee In order to understand the farming methods of coffee adopted in different regions of Wayanad, we have conducted a personal interview with senior members of existing non-profit organizations (NGOs) operating in that district. We have also performed a thorough literature research on the farming methods of coffee, the constraints faced by the farmers if any and the scope of natural farming given the existing constraints such as high cost of production, scarcity of skilled and unskilled labour, etc. The specific objectives we have tried to cover in this section include the following:- Analysis of the coffee production costs and the revenue structure Identifying the most significant determinants which impact coffee yield Analyzing the relationship between farm-size holdings and the farms coffee output efficiency Performing a comparative analysis of the evaluation of the labor-absorption capacity on coffee produce as compared to other cash crops (tea, rice) produce Dependency of farming methods on the extent of fluctuation in coffee prices Impact of climatic conditions on yield of coffee and scope of pests and coffee-related diseases and their impact on coffee productivity Understand, analyze and evaluate the participation of regional institutional agencies such as the Regional Research Coffee station in Wayanad ( popularly known as the Coffee Board) and Krishibhavan on methods of coffee cultivation Our study of coffee cultivation methods mainly spans around farmers originating from three different regions across Wayanad namely Sulthan Bathery, Nenmeni and Noolpuzha. Our reason for choice of these three gram panchayats is due to the majority of the farmers originating from these regions having coffee cultivation as their predominant cash crop and hence source of cultivation. Most of the coffee cultivation takes place in Noolpuzha among the three gram panchayats with 2900 hectares of land available for coffee plantations while around 1500 and 1200 hectares of land is available in Sulthan Bathery and Nenmeni respectively. As per the definition of a farmer by the Coffee Board in Wayanad, small and marginal farmers typically have a farm land of less than 5 acres i.e. two hectares whereas large farmers are holding huge coffee estates of land size more than 10 acres. The current division of farmers in Wayanad based on this classification suggests that roughly 90 % of farmers fall in t he category of small and marginal farmers. The general method of harvesting coffee includes the following three steps in a sequential manner:- Plucking the coffee seeds from the coffee gardens by using charged labour where natural farming techniques are more desirable. Use of pesticides and fertilizers is minimal. Drying these seeds in the drying gardens for atleast 1 to 1.5 weeks where the coffee seeds are kept for drying under the sun. Finally bagging of raw coffee is done after drying where the general standards practiced in Wayanad define one bag of coffee to contain around 54 kgs of coffee. Including the weight of the bag typically to be one kg, each bag of coffee weights around 55 kgs and this harvested coffee is then sold off to local traders at prices which are commensurate with the local coffee market existing in Wayanad. Types of Coffee There are mainly two varieties of coffee i.e. Coffee Arabica and Coffee Robusta. During the mid nineteenth century (1825-1869), the mainly cultivated coffee variety was Arabica as it had more beverage value and hence fetched higher coffee prices in the domestic as well as international markets. However, this variety of coffee was more vulnerable to pests and diseases and eventually the large coffee estates producing this variety were left abandoned as the crops perished due to the threats prevailing from major pests existing in that period such as white stem borer, leaf rust and green bug. During the later half of the nineteenth century, the Robusta variety of coffee became more popular in Wayanad. One of the major reasons for shifting to this variety was that Robusta can withstand against threats arising from existing as well as new coffee-related pests and diseases. Currently, Robusta coffee produce is more than 95 % of the total coffee cultivation done in Wayanad. As an approach t owards natural farming, the farmers generally grow coffee plantations under the shade of spice plantations mainly pepper so that the cash crop can be protected against pests and other diseases generated in the soil. However Arabica coffee which accounts for less than 3% of the total coffee produce in Kerala is also grown in hilly terrains mainly confined to the high altitude regions comprising the districts such as Kozhikode, Palakkad, Idukki and Kannur. Cropping Pattern The small and marginal farmers generally follow a mixed cropping pattern wherein coffee is produced along with other cash crops such as pepper, arecanut and banana. Some of the reasons for these farmers going for a mixed cropping pattern instead of mono cropping are:- Livelihood: Agricultural income being the only source of income for this section of farmers, land is the most precious asset they possess. However in recent years, it has been reported that due to a very high fluctuation of coffee prices in the markets, farmers have suffered from high financial losses by being solely dependent on only one cash crop i.e. coffee. Hence the farmers have decided to utilize their vacant land on other high priced cash crops such as pepper which would act as an alternative source of income for them. Moreover crops such as pepper and banana would provide shade to coffee plantations and act as a mode of natural farming methodologies adopted to protect against arising threats from existing as well as new pests and coffee related diseases. As per the sources we interviewed, the fluctuations in coffee price last year i.e. in 2010 were controllable though, which was within the range Rs. 1900 to Rs. 2500 per kg of coffee. The harvesting period of coffee which generally starts in the month of December and is set to close in February is almost over and as per our sources; the average price of coffee in Wayanad is trading at Rs. 3000 per kg. Farm size:- The farm size and land holdings being relatively smaller for marginal farmers as compared to large estate farmers makes it advantageous for them to adopt a mixed cropping fashion. This is because they dont follow any systematic method of planting saplings in arrays which ensures that there is still enough scope of planting maximum plants per area due to the inadequate stocking method followed. However, the conversion process is very difficult for large estate farmers because the area of land under mono-cropping is huge. Labour availability:- The labour availability for small farmers is majorly in the form of domestic labour i.e. labour resources are the members of the family and mainly the cash crop cultivator who is the owner of the land. However, in case of large farm estates, the labour resources are typically the paid labours who are generally also the members of organized trade unions operating in Wayanad. Several cases have been reported of undying resistance from such trade union members against mixed cropping in large farm estates due to the fear of losing employment. As per one of the sources who is a member of the M.S. Swaminathan NGO operating in Wayanad, the labour charge for plucking coffee from coffee gardens is priced via two different pricing mechanisms. Hourly basis charge wherein a labour typically charges around Rs. 150 200 per hour. Plucking capacity basis wherein labour required for plucking per kg. of coffee is charged roughly Rs. 1.50 2.50. However, labour charges vary from place to place in different regions of Wayanad. The table represented below shows the recent numbers in variation of mixed crop cultivation implemented in Wayanad. The results from the table clearly indicate that marginal farmers had been more enthusiastic to shift their cropping pattern from coffee to pepper. The major cash crops which replaced coffee are pepper, tea and arecanut as shown by the table mentioned below. Cost of Coffee Production Coffee production being highly labour-intensive encounters a very high cost of production which has become one of the primary reasons for small and marginal farmers to shift from coffee to alternative higher revenue generating cash crops such as tea, pepper and arecanut. The usage of manual labour in the process of coffee cultivation can be attributed to the following sequentially adopted sub-processes mentioned below:- Activity of controlling weed which is usually done thrice a year. The women labourers in Wayanad are typically engaged with the control of this agricultural activity wherein they cut and remove the weeds manually using sickles Activity of upturning the soil with manual labour using a spade is usually done twice a year Activity of applying manures such as cow dung and fertilizers is done twice a year Activity of pruning where the undesired parts of the coffee saplings are ripped off is typically done twice a year Activity of final coffee bean collection at the time of harvest during the month of December to February is done by hand-picking which is usually carried out once a year Activity of applying pesticides and insecticides to protect against germs is also done once a year. This activity increases the cost of labour by a huge extent given the embedded cost of pesticides which is also charged along with the cost of applying it with the soil. The costs related to all these activities can be termed as the current expenses which are currently found to be in the range of Rs. 35,000 40,000 per hectare. Moreover, large estate farmers who install sprinkler irrigation systems or drip systems incur a much higher cost due to the large investments involved with these systems. The initial cost associated with raising a new coffee farm altogether would include the current expenses of the initial four years from the start of preparing the farm. This is because from the generally seen trend, it has been found that coffee plants usually start producing sufficient yield from the fourth year of planting. Constraints faced by farmers There are many constraints faced by the coffee-producing farmers in Wayanad which makes it more difficult for them to adopt coffee-farming as the one and only mode of family income. Some of them are:- Scarcity of labour is a major concern and given the intensity of labour required for adopting more of natural farming methods in coffee cultivation all throughout the year, this problem should be resolved by providing better opportunities to both labourers (who need to be paid reasonable income for their employment in coffee gardens) and farmers (who need to generate a decent income to pay off the labourers well). The scarcity of labour has thus resulted in a very high cost of labour charged which along with the huge coffee price fluctuations makes it all the more worrying for the coffee-cultivating farmers. The farmers do not possess any market knowledge about what the coffee prices are in the domestic and international markets. Their only network within the coffee chain is with the local traders or middlemen whom they sell the coffee produce in bags typically containing roughly 54 kgs of coffee. The M.S. Swaminathan NGO operating in Kalpetta, Wayanad currently only provides training and demonstration on ways of efficient coffee cultivation. Their primary function is to teach the farmers the various methods of coffee-capacity building. They also provide the farmers the opportunity to take certifications regarding coffee cultivation practices but given the limited source of income from coffee cultivation, most of the farmers except the large farmers do not avail this opportunity of taking farm-related certifications. However, they dont provide any financial help to the farmers. The funding support provided by the farmers is majorly provided by nationalized banks such as State Bank of Travancore and other district co-operative banks which provide loans at lower interest rates compared to the market rates. However, there are a lot of hidden cost charges in the loan which makes a loan very expensive during the time of settlement. So, the small and marginal groups of farmers have very little scope of negotiating their selling prices with the local traders as their urgent requirement for liquid cash to pay off their loan installments makes them more anxious. Adding to that, these group of farmers do not have any warehouses of their own to keep the harvest and sell them off when the local market offers higher coffee prices. The cost of carrying inventory in warehouses possesses an impounding effect along with the existing interest charges taken due to loans availed earlier. However, large estate farmers having the advantage of possessing economies of scale for co ffee cultivation in Wayanad, some of them do have their own warehouses and hence are able to make higher revenues than that of small and marginal farmers. Moreover, the farmers having lack of co-operation amongst themselves have not been involved in collaborative decision-making to form co-operatives for a better cause. Microfinance institutions are also not working in Wayanad, which makes the availability of funds more costly. The farmers are not in any way directly connected to the wholesalers or retailers of the coffee market. This makes the middlemen to pocket much of profit which could have otherwise been a part of the farmers profit. The NGOs also dont provide any help and assistance to increase the networking potential of farmers connecting them directly to the end-sellers in the market, thereby cutting out the need of middleman in the coffee chain. The main reason could be the strong lobbying from the local traders which makes their participation in the coffee chain inevitable. Lack of adoption of natural and eco-friendly methods such as rain water harvesting due to the excess costs incurred in implementing it. Although there have been certain government schemes to promote rain water harvesting in Kerala which are rare, the farmers being unaware of such schemes actually have not been able to avail them. Moreover lack of co-operation among the farming community creates hindrances in active engagement of such environmental friendly schemes. Conclusion After conducting a thorough research analysis of the coffee cultivation methods in Wayanad, we have tried to identify the major problems encountered by the farmers in adopting natural farming methods at the grassroot level. Although most of the sub-agricultural activities related to the coffee cultivation are done through natural farming instead of organic farming, still the farming method is not entirely natural. This is because of the following reasons listed below:- Organic farming although increases the cost of coffee cultivation by a certain extent, is a proper mechanism to fight against pests and insurmountable diseases. It also brings along with the flavor highly regarded in the coffee market. Coffee cultivation being a major source of income, farmers gives strong emphasis to the farming technology used so that they can maximize their income as much as possible. Simple natural farming technology needs much more labour than that for organic farming which makes it all the more costly given the high costs of labour in Wayanad. However, with proper guidance from NGOs about the modern methods of natural farming which are highly efficient and the availability of cheap labour, the farmers can incorporate natural farming in the long run which would be a beneficial cause from all angles. Interviewees The following people who have been interviewed have provided extensive support in revealing necessary information for completion of our social development project. They are:- Name:- N. Gopalakrishnan, Farm Manager of M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (NGO) Office: Puthorvayal, Kalpetta, a small town in Wayanad Cel No:- +91- 96561-02590 Kindly ask Anil to add three more names including the One whom he has interviewed. Please follow the above format

Aldo Leopolds A Sand County Almanac Essay -- Aldo Leopold Sand County

Aldo Leopold's A Sand County Almanac Although Leopold’s love of great expanses of wilderness is readily apparent, his book does not cry out in defense of particular tracts of land about to go under the axe or plow, but rather deals with the minutiae, the details, of often unnoticed plants and animals, all the little things that, in our ignorance, we have left out of our managed acreages but which must be present to add up to balanced ecosystems and a sense of quality and wholeness in the landscape. Part I of A Sand County Almanac is devoted to the details of a single piece of land: Leopold’s 120-acre farmed-out farmstead in central Wisconsin, abandoned as a farm years before because of the poor soil from which the "sand counties" took their nickname. It was at this weekend retreat, Leopold says, "that we try to rebuild, with shovel and axe, what we are losing elsewhere". Month by month, Leopold leads the reader through the progression of the seasons with descriptions of such things as skunk tracks, mouse economics, the songs, habits, and attitudes of dozens of bird species, cycles of high water in the river, the timely appearance and blooming of several plants, and the joys of cutting one’s own firewood. In Part II of A Sand County Almanac, titled "The Quality of Landscape," Leopold takes his reader away from the farm; first into the surrounding Wisconsin countryside and then even farther, on an Illinois bus ride, a visit to the Iowa of his boyhood...

The Six Sigma

Globalization coupled with round the clock access to information, products and services have transformed the manner in which business are conducted. The highly competitive environment of the present day does not allow any scope for error to creep in. Customers must have to be kept always delighted and companies have to persistently work out novel ways to exceed the expectations of the customers. Due to these reasons, Six Sigma came to be part of the culture of eminent companies. Six Sigma is an extremely structured process that assists companies in focusing on the development and delivery of product and services that are close to perfect. Sigma is a statistical term that calibrates the degree a particular process deviates from perfection. The core concept behind Six Sigma remains that in case it is possible to calculate the number of flaws or defects one has in a given process, it is possible to thoroughly know the manner in which to remove them and attain the level of ‘zero defect' as far as practicable. Adoption of Six Sigma has transformed the basic structure of General Electric — GE and has become the work culture in everything one does and every product designed. (Making customers feel Six Sigma) In order to attain Six Sigma quality, a process should not exceed 3.4 defects per million opportunities. An ‘opportunity' stands for a chance for noncompliance, or not fulfilling the needed stipulations. This implies that businesses have to be close to ‘zero-defect' in implementing the core processes. Six Sigma constitutes a vision which companies endeavor towards and a philosophy that is a constituent of business culture of companies. In its core, Six Sigma centers on a few important concepts. These are (i) Critical to quality: Attributes are vital to the customer. (ii) Defects: Unsuccessful in delivering what the customer desires. (iii) Process capability: What process it is able to deliver. (iv) Variation: The things that the customer witnesses and feels (v) Stable operations: Making sure consistent, predictable processes so as to improve what the customer is able to see and feel. (vi) Design for Six Sigma: Designing to fulfill the requirements of the customer and process capability. One of the most important aspects which companies fail to recognize is that assessment from the company level is based on average or averages that are based on mean of the latest results. However, customers do not judge companies on averages, they perceive the variance in every transactions and every product that is shipped. The main idea of Six Sigma remains primarily in reducing process variation and thereafter on improving the capability of processes. (Key concepts of Six Sigma) A question that is usually put is the difference between Six Sigma and TQM. The tools are fundamentally identical based on the level of TQM sophistication. In case Six Sigma is applied exclusively at the project stages to eliminate flaws, it constitutes a segmental improvement approach with some structure and discipline. This can be extremely precious, however misses much of the real importance of Six Sigma and the crucial differences between TQM and Six Sigma. It is important that the real values of Six Sigma begins to exhibit when it is integrated with the strategic plan of the organization assisting to execute that plan with a concentration on paying the customers. (Differences and similarities between Six Sigma and TQM, total quality management) Various Methodologies of Six Sigma: (i) The DMAIC Model: Six Sigma originated in Motorola's quality enhancement initiatives in the later part of 1980s. During the 1990s, Six Sigma attained popularity due to the success of General Electric and Honeywell implementing Six Sigma. Whereas the name Six Sigma has assumed wider implications, the basic idea of Six Sigma statistically speaking is to enhance the processes in such a manner that at the minimum six standard deviations between the worst case specification limit and the mean of process variation is present. In common meaning it implies that the process is essentially free from flaws. The apparatus used in Six Sigma are the identical tools applied by the Quality Improvement Tools in the 1970s and the initial part of 1980s. Of course it has appealing tags attached to it like ‘Black Belt', however its true value lies in the methodical approach to development. (Six Sigma: Total Quality Engineering) The DMAIC acronym stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. Important product process performance variables are measured, analyzed, improved and controlled through the use of statistical methods. The simple â€Å"statistical† tools which gained popularity in the Total Quality reign are strengthened with the Design of Experiments — DOE and higher sophisticated Statistical Process Control techniques. The DMAIC process is an edition of the PDCA — Plan-Do-Check-Act which a lot of people find helpful. Undoubtedly, Six Sigma can be helpful for organization to improve processes. The most optimum approach is to align the Six Sigma projects with the strategic business plan of the organization. (Six Sigma: Total Quality Engineering) (ii) The DMADV Model: This model is applied to build new product or process designs in such a manner that it outcomes in an increasingly expected, established and ‘zero-defect' performance. Five phases are present that consists of Define, Measure, Analyze, Design and Verify. Under ‘Define', goals are formally defined of the design activity, which are in keeping with the demand of the customer and the enterprise strategy. ‘Measure' identifies the capabilities of the product, capability of the production process, assessment of risk etc. ‘Analyze' develops the design alternatives, building of high-level design and assess design capability to choose the best design. ‘Design' develops detail design, design optimization of design and plan for design confirmation. This phase might need simulations.' ‘Verify' validates the design, establishes pilot runs and executes the production process and handover to the process owners. This phase might also need simulations. (Six Sigma: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Usefulness of Six Sigma in the Organizational Strategic Planning Processes: Six Sigma characterizes a distinct roadmap in the achievement to Total Quality. (i) Leadership Commitment: The top management not just initiates the deployment of Six Sigma; it also contributes actively in the entire deployment cycle. Six Sigma starts by giving the senior leadership with the training in the principles and instrument requires in order to direct the development of a management infrastructure to support Six Sigma. This entails lowering the levels of hierarchy of the organization and elimination of procedural hurdles to experimentation and change. (ii) Customer focus: Systems are built for setting up close communications with â€Å"external customers' — i.e. direct customers, the suppliers, end-users, law making agencies and with internal customers — i.e. employees. Right from the upstream suppliers till the final end-users, Six Sigma removes the scope for flaws. (iii) Strategic Deployment: Under the aegis of Six Sigma, it aims at a small number of high-financial leveraged items. It concentrates the company's resources: correct support, correct people, correct tools and correct proposals on finding and enhancing the performance metrics which link to bottom-line success. (iv) Disciplined framework: The projects under Six Sigma are implemented through the use of Measure, Analyze, and Improve as well as Control disciplined roadmap. It is this MAIC structured approach which establishes a distinct procedure to help in the internal communication. Apart from this, from a business viewpoint, Six Sigma is also a structure for continuous business improvement. (v) Education and Training: Six Sigma considers that right dedication is propelled by correct understanding. Since it is fact-based methodology, it deeply makes use of quality and statistical tools to convert a practical problem to a practical solution. Therefore a top-to-bottom training is undertaken according to the Six Sigma philosophy and system improvement methods for every level. (Total Quality through Six Sigma) To conclude, the approach and deployment of Six Sigma renders it distinguishable from other quality endeavors. Six Sigma methods uses the statistical tools within a structured method for benefiting the knowledge necessary to attain better, speedier and less costly products and services compared to what the rivals are offering. The continuous, structured application of the master strategy repeatedly in projects, where the projects are chosen based on important business objective propels the return on investment to the bottom-line with the outcome that it leads to remarkable profits. Besides, prompted by the improvement to the bottom-line, the apex management will be repeatedly be dedicated to this approach, the work culture will be repeatedly cultivated, the customer will certainly be satisfied ones and this will ultimately lead to Total Quality.

Tourism: England and Local Facilities

In today’s globalized world, people go on holidays every year. They often choose exotic places abroad to fulfill their excitement of traveling and visiting other countries. But should those countries encourage tourism? There are a few advantages and disadvantages on this issue. Firstly, the desire to attract tourists to a certain area often encourages governments to improve local facilities. This leads to the development of the country and, of course, is beneficial for both, citizens and tourists.On the other hand, over-development can lead to ugly, crowded tourist spots and environmental damage. Consequently, the development of the country must be controlled and planned in such a way it does not destroy the natural beauty. Therefore, the development is necessary, but has to be thoroughly planned. Secondly, tourism is claimed to be an important source of income. People from wealthy countries often travel to smaller and more exotic ones, so the economic situation of the weaker country can be boosted.However, a country’s economy may become so dependent on tourism that it is weakened. If, for example, a natural disaster happens, then the tourists may not arrive for a long time. In this case, the country can be helpless without their main income source. Thirdly, tourism allows people to experience new cultures. When tourists visit other countries, local people can see the way they behave, talk, what clothes they wear, what are their customs, and in that way learn more differences. In contrast, the impact of tourism may destroy the local way of life.The new customs brought with tourists may replace the old and unique ones, therefore making local customs mix or even disappear. All in all, there are arguments both, for and against the encouragement of tourism. It is very important for the economy, it allows the locals to experience other cultures, but there’s also a treat of giving up some traditions. Governments may improve local facilities, yet crowded tourist spots can damage the environment. Tourism is a very important field, but needs a lot of careful attention. Tourism: England and Local Facilities In today’s globalized world, people go on holidays every year. They often choose exotic places abroad to fulfill their excitement of traveling and visiting other countries. But should those countries encourage tourism? There are a few advantages and disadvantages on this issue. Firstly, the desire to attract tourists to a certain area often encourages governments to improve local facilities. This leads to the development of the country and, of course, is beneficial for both, citizens and tourists.On the other hand, over-development can lead to ugly, crowded tourist spots and environmental damage. Consequently, the development of the country must be controlled and planned in such a way it does not destroy the natural beauty. Therefore, the development is necessary, but has to be thoroughly planned. Secondly, tourism is claimed to be an important source of income. People from wealthy countries often travel to smaller and more exotic ones, so the economic situation of the weaker country can be boosted.However, a country’s economy may become so dependent on tourism that it is weakened. If, for example, a natural disaster happens, then the tourists may not arrive for a long time. In this case, the country can be helpless without their main income source. Thirdly, tourism allows people to experience new cultures. When tourists visit other countries, local people can see the way they behave, talk, what clothes they wear, what are their customs, and in that way learn more differences. In contrast, the impact of tourism may destroy the local way of life.The new customs brought with tourists may replace the old and unique ones, therefore making local customs mix or even disappear. All in all, there are arguments both, for and against the encouragement of tourism. It is very important for the economy, it allows the locals to experience other cultures, but there’s also a treat of giving up some traditions. Governments may improve local facilities, yet crowded tourist spots can damage the environment. Tourism is a very important field, but needs a lot of careful attention.