The Coffee Crisis Essay Example for Free

The Coffee Crisis Essay To begin, The Coffee Crisis is about an acute coffee crisis and how it threatens millions of small coffee farmers around the world and is putting economic growth, as well as social and political stability, at risk in scores of coffee producing countries in Central and South America, Africa and Asia. In 2004, the governments of coffee producing countries were considering how to respond to the dramatic decline in coffee prices caused in part by a large increase in coffee production in Brazil and Vietnam. Coffee was the main source of income for roughly 25 million farmers, mostly small land holders, in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Coffee prices had hit 40 year lows in 2001 and had remained low since, resulting in real hardship for many farmers. A variety of alternative solutions had been suggested. (Gomez-Ibanez Quinlan, 2004) The International Coffee Organization was advocating increasing demand through programs promoting coffee consumption; the Inter-American Development Bank supported promotion but also thought some high-cost countries should get out of coffee, while the non-governmental organization Oxfam was pushing fair trade pricing. The coffee crisis is worldwide. It is affecting farmers in Central America, South America, Africa, and Asia. While the Arabica farmers in Costa Rica may be getting 40 cents per pound for their coffee cherries, the Robusta coffee farmers in Viet Nam are only receiving 15 cents a pound for theirs. Even the low cost producers are not benefiting from the current situation. This condition is created because the market place does not view coffee as a true commodity. It places premiums and discounts on both coffee types and coffee grades. While both markets may move up and down in tandem, the arbitrage, or spread between one Arabica and Robusta, does not give one farmer an economic competitive advantage over another. This fact tends to get glossed over in most economic discussions on the coffee crisis. Many analysts believe that oversupply is at the root of the present crisis. After the system of coffee export quotas (the International Coffee Agreement, or ICA), administered by the International Coffee Organization, collapsed in 1989, the regulation of coffee production and quality was left to each individual producer country. Almost immediately following the dissolution of the agreement, excessive quantities of coffee entered international markets, prices became quite volatile and the overall quality of the coffee began to decline. Many of the coffee producing nations, including Mexico, were simultaneously in the process of deregulating, privatizing, and otherwise liberalizing agricultural production and national agricultural institutions. This had the effect of exacerbating the uncertainties faced by coffee farmers at the end of the 1980s. The coffee crisis is structural. It was not caused by the cyclical nature of coffee agriculture that has produced the â€Å"boom-bust† cycles of the past. The change in the market place has been brought about by the concentration of buying power in the hands of a few firms that present coffee to the consumer as a â€Å"blended and branded† product, void of any links to type and grade. This has led to intense price competition for market share that has rewarded increased market share to low cost products in the short run at the expense of stability in the supply chain in the long run. Since the crisis is a structural problem and not a cyclical one, remedies are to be found by taking intervening actions. These actions would include a strengthening of coffee institutions, a realignment of market forces, a creation of suitable financial tools, and a promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. It must be emphasized that any direct market intervention, such as quotas or subsidies, would only be short term in effect and would not correct the structural problems. It must also be emphasized that what is required is a series of steps in a number of different areas, as no single step will produce the desired structural changes that are needed. The crisis in the coffee sector continues. Its impact cannot be understated, since coffee constitutes the livelihood of an estimated 25 million families around the world. In world trade, coffee is the second leading commodity, after petroleum. The worldwide coffee market spans some 71 countries, of which 51 are significant producers and 20 are key consumers. Prices have not kept up with production costs to the extent needed to make participation in the coffee business profitable for most producers, even though the crop year 2003-2004 witnessed a worldwide decrease in production. (Central America The Coffee Crisis: Effects and Strategies for Moving Forward, 1992) In coffee producing countries, which account for over 26% of world consumption, the situation is more diverse. In some countries, prices of coffee have fallen in local currency and consumption may therefore be stimulated. In Brazil, the largest coffee market among producing countries, the devaluation of the real has maintained prices of green coffee at pre-crisis levels. As a whole, consumption in these markets is not expected to suffer any major negative impact. The root cause of the coffee crisis can be linked to three factors: over production; under consumption; and market oligopoly. In short, these are all problems associated with the economics of coffee farming. Without resolution, they will lead to both social and environmental breakdowns. (Central America The Coffee Crisis: Effects and Strategies for Moving Forward, 1992). The crisis has been caused by a large increase in coffee production over the past several years by two countries Vietnam and Brazil. In the case of Vietnam, within ten years this country grew from a relatively insignificant producer to the world second largest – ahead of Colombia but behind Brazil, now producing well over 10 million bags annually and accounting for approximately 12% of world exports. (Central America The Coffee Crisis: Effects and Strategies for Moving Forward, 1992) To conclude, without economic remedies to the crisis, it is difficult to promote sustainable agricultural practices in coffee farming. While niche markets within the specialty coffee industry can provide some relief, the size of these markets makes them too small to be an effective solution. References: Central America The Coffee Crisis: Effects and Strategies for Moving Forward. (1992, July 19). Retrieved February 4, 2012, from Latin American and Carribean: http://web. worldbank. org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/LACEXT/0,,contentMDK:20606092~pagePK:146736~piPK:146830~theSitePK:258554,00. html Gomez-Ibanez, J. , Quinlan, S. J. (2004). The Coffee Crisis.

Repatriation: Africa in the Horizon :: essays papers

Repatriation: Africa in the Horizon The idea of the repatriation of Blacks to Africa is a theme that runs deeply within Rastafarian beliefs. Although the concept of Ethiopia being the true and glorious home of all Blacks is imbedded in Rastafarian beliefs, the idea dates much farther back in history. Dating back to the African slave trade beginning in the eighteenth century, Ethiopianism has influenced the Black race dramatically. People such as Marcus Garvey have raised the world’s awareness of the oppression of the Black race and his solution of repatriation. Garvey believed that if Blacks could have a land of their own, where they could prosper and gain power then the world would have to respect this nation and it’s people. (Barrett, 1997, P.68-69) Contrary to the original idea of actual movement to Africa, recently a new idea has surfaced about repatriation. This idea is that repatriation should begin with internal liberation and a connection with Africa. Therefore, instead of a literal movement to Africa it is a mental connection to Africa. (Barrett, 1997, P.172) Repatriation is a complex idea that is understood in several different ways. The underlying principle of repatriation is that Blacks have faith and hope in overcoming centuries of oppression by reconnecting to their roots and a time of prosperity. Repatriation is not only a religious belief for Rastafarians but it also has served as a worldwide theme of Black Nationalism and unification. Not all Africans that were taken from Africa and sold in "The New World" were from Ethiopia, but that is the designated destination of the repatriation movements. The most obvious reason for this is because it was in Ethiopia that Haile Selassie ruled. This would explain why Rastafarians would desire to repatriate to Ethiopia. The following quote explains the Rastafarian connection to Ethiopia. Ithiopia represents a tangible reality within the transitory flesh; spirit more powerful than flesh, the reality of the indestructible Irit, the umbilical chord of creation rooted in the core of the personality, the illusive link with Jah and the breaking asunder of the psychosociological bonds of mental slavery which have pauperised and plagued West Indian psyche for 400 years in the Diaspora. (Faristzaddi) Another reason why Ethiopia is the destination for repatriation is that historically it is revered as the home of one of the most advanced civilizations. Historians believe that Ethiopians and Egyptians were the same people and that they were members of the Black race.

Intro to Macro Notes

A situation In which unlimited wants exceed the Ilmlted resources available to fulfill those wants Economics: The study of the choices people make to attain their goals, given their scarce resources. Economic Model: A simplified version of reality used to analyze real-world economic situations.Often based on unrealistic assumptions that simplify the problem at hand without substantially affecting the validity of the answer No one model can address every important topic, so we will learn diff models as we study difftopics Economic analysis may be positive or normative: Positive analysis: Analysis concerned with what is Positive statements can be evaluated as true or false using only data. For example, â€Å"After speeding cameras were Installed on 1-38, the average speed of motorists dec reased. † Normative analysis: Analysis concerned with what ought to be.Normative statemnts involve personal values, so they cannot be evaluated as true or flase using only data â€Å"the gover nemtn should install addition speeding cameras on 1-380 Economics is studied on two levels: Microeconomics: The study of how households and firms make choices, how they nteract in markets, and how the government attempts to influence their choices. Macroeconomics: The study ot the economy as a whole including topics such as Inflation, unemployment, and economic growth. Micro and macro are closely Interwlned because changes In the overall economy arise from the decisions of individual households and firms.CHAPTER 2 Trade off: The idea hat because of scarcity, producing more of one good or service means producing less of another good or service PPH A curve snowlng tne maxlmum attalnaDle comDlnatlons 0T two products tn ay be produced with available resources and current technology The PPF is an economic model used to analyze the tradeoffs that individuals firms, and countries face when deciding how to employ their scarce resources. Combinations outside the PPF are unattainable, given t he available resources and current technology (scarcity) Combinations inside or on the PPF are attainable, given current shit.Inside the PPF is ineffificent, reosuces are not being used and possible for economy to produce more of one without making more of other Comibinations of the PPF are efficient because the maximum output obtained from he available resouces are current technology so it is impossible for the economy to produce more of one good without producing less of the other(Trade ofO Oportunity cost: The highest-valued alternative that must be given up to engage in an activity Every choice has an opportunity cost because every choice has a next-best alternative In our pPF example near can use all is avaible resources and current technology to produce either 200 laptops per week or 400 tablets per week 200L=400T so 1 L=2T and IT=O. L Near's Marginal opportunity cost of 1 laptop is constant at 2 tablets, meaning that for Near to produce 1 more laptop, it must give up producin g 2 tablets; inversely, Near's marginal opportunity cost of 1 tablet is constant at one-half of a laptop, meaning that for Near to produce 1 more tablet, it must give up producing one-half of a laptop In the same example, Far can use all resources and currnet technology to produce either 220 laptops per week or 1100 tablets per week 220L=1100T, so IL-5T and IT=. 2L Fars marginal opportunity cost of 1 laptop is constant at 5 tablets, and Fars marginal opportunity cost of 1 tablet is constant at one-fifth ofa laptopA bowed-out PPF illustrates increasing marginal opportunity costs: as the economy increases it production of one good in one-unit increments, it must decrease tis production of the other good by larger and larger amounts (see page 44 of the textbook for a numerical example) I nls occurs Decause some resources are netter sultea to produce one g ratner than the other A bowed-out PPF is more realistic than a straight-line PPF but we use straight-line PPFs for simplicity (the c onclusions are the same for both) At any given time, the resources available to an economy are fixed, but over time, the esources available to an economy may increase or decrease. When an economy gains resources, its PPF shirts outward, and when an economy loses resources , its PPF shifts inward An improvement in technology makes it possible for an economy to produce more goods and services with the same amount of resources, so the economy's PPF shifts outward when technology improves. Economic Growth: The ability of the economy to increase the production of goods and services. Outward shifts of an economys PPF represent economic growth EXAMPLES: illustrate the effect of each of the following on a bowed-out PPF for corn and computers:Comparative advantage: The ability of an individual, a firm or country to produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than competitors Near has the compartative advantage in the production of laptops: Far's marginical opportunity cost of 1 lap top is 5 tablets, while nears marginial oppurnity cost of 1 laptop is only 2 tablets. Far has the comparative advantage in the production of tablets. Near's marginal opportunity cost of 1 tablet is one-half of a laptop, while far's marginal opportunity cost of 1 tablet is only one-fifth ofa laptop. It is possitble o have the absolute advantage without having comparative advantage n production of that good (far and laptops) It is possible to have comparative advantage without having absolute advantage too. near and laptops) Gains from trade arise form specialization and trade are based on comparative advantage.

Children s Morals From Their Parents - 751 Words

Many children ask multiple questions every single day. Many of them are lighthearted simple questions; some of them hide deeper meanings that provoke serious thoughts. The author Robert Coles finds that many children acquire morals through their parents. As he interviews children, he finds that less parents instill morals into their children than he thought. Although some children look to others for their morals, most of children gather their morals from their parents. Most children look to their parents for guidance in morals, but many parents fail to offer the guidance that children need. Many parents try offer an answer to their child’s question but fall short in their explanation. â€Å"We didn’t know what to do; the teacher kept telling us that we should be good and obey the law, but my daddy said the law was wrong.† (Coles, ,440) The kid wondered about the approach his teacher presented to him. The teacher stated that they needed to follow the law, and the teacher insisted on it. However, the boy’s father thought otherwise. The boy’s father believed that the law was wrong. This causes confusion for the child having two different opinions from two different people he respects. Parents might also try to answer the question in a few short words rather than take their time giving a full explanation. â€Å"Two miners got killed. My daddy said it was their own fault because they’ll be working and get careless. When my mother asks if there was anything wrong with the safety downShow MoreRelatedMoral Values1480 Words   |  6 Pagesfabric of any society is held together by the standards of morality that we maintain and practice. Values are our personal set of beliefs about what is important, unimportant, right, wrong, good and bad. When we are confronted by choices, options, or moral dilemmas, the decisions we make will indicate what values we hold. Human values give worthiness and respect to life. The foundation of hu man values are based on  · Dignity of human life  · Respect and consideration for the other  · The importance ofRead MoreMoral Development : What Are Morals And How Are They Developed? Essay898 Words   |  4 PagesMoral Development: Jimmy What are morals and how are they developed? The word moral has many definitions to define its meaning. In this case the proper definition to define moral would be â€Å"of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior† (Moral, n.d.). This definition is pertaining to one’s judgment. Kohlberg is the psychologist who developed a theory on moral development. He used ideas from Piaget and developed his own theory. His theory will be discussed throughout this easy, whileRead MoreThe Theory Of Moral Development Essay1398 Words   |  6 PagesThe theory of moral development was developed by psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg and is a very interesting subject that stemmed from Jean Piaget’s theory of moral reasoning. this theory helped us to develop the understanding that morality starts from the early childhood years and can be affected by several factors. This theory encompasses the ideas that moral reasoning, which is considered the basis for moral behavior, h as six identifiable developmental stages. According to Kohlberg the six stagesRead MoreI Hate Shades Gray And The Argument Of â€Å"Morals† In Laws.1491 Words   |  6 Pagesargument of â€Å"morals† in laws. Unfortunately, that is all Parent liability laws are, morals. And there the worst type of morals, old morals. And there popular, and the worst part is that the plaintiff and the defendant alike have strong cases against each other. After putting on my grandmother’s readers and looking over the case and listening to witness, my gavel has been brought down. Parent Liability laws aren’t inherently bad their just poorly written. The government should articulate parent liabilityRead MoreErikson s Psychosocial Development Theory Essay1622 Words   |  7 PagesIn this research project several individuals, both parents and children were surveyed and asked various questions to see what their views on morals and values were and if teaching them had an impactful effect on children. With the secondary research conducted the teachings of morals and values will be linked to socialization as well as being looked at through different developmental theories. Many pages in the Individuals and Families, Diverse Perspectives (Holloway, Holloway Witte, 2010) willRead MoreKill A Mockingbird By Harper Lee1304 Words   |  6 Pages Children Are What They Learn Not only have the adult characters in the book To Kill A Mockingbird set a solid ground of good morals and beliefs for the children in the book but also young readers decades later. Children are often influenced by adults in their life whether it has been a positive or negative moral aspect. Children often receive advice and encouragement from their guardians or adult figures. In author; Harper Lee s novel, To Kill A Mockingbird, readers observe three parents whoRead MoreChild Development Assignment : Children, Part 1, And It Is Written By Kenneth Barish949 Words   |  4 Pageschose is from Psychology Today, September 8, 2014. It is entitled, How to Have a Well-Behaved Child, Part 1, and it is written by Kenneth Barish, Ph.D. b. The article discusses the behaviour of children today, commonly suggested solutions, and what the writer has found in his experience to be the best form of discipline. c. The intended readership are parents and other caregivers of children. d. The goal of the article is to inform readers of practices they can do to have well-behaved children, resultingRead MoreWhy Is Parenting So Difficult?956 Words   |  4 Pagesthe confidence in trusting her nurturing instincts and disregard any advice from others. â€Å"If your younger child is headed into danger, into traffic, you can grab them and hold them, but you should under no circumstances hit them.† ++++++ Good parenting is something that does not come easily because it is something that need values, beliefs of what is right and wrong (morals), and dedication to giving your all to your children. A value is a social principle goal, or standard held by an individual, classRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Narnia 1679 Words   |  7 PagesBesides the personification present in the book and its supposed spread of mysticism to children, â€Å"Narnia† has also been challenged as to not offend non-Christians, similar to how â€Å"Charlotte s Web was challenged as to not offend Muslims. Because Aslan is a Christ-like figure and because of the strong presence of Christian teachings in the books, challengers said that making children read the book in school in unfair to non-Christians. In 2005, Florida Governor Jeb Bush included â€Å"The Lion, the WitchRead MoreGuide For Parents, Especially Of Young Children1092 Words   |  5 PagesI would suggest a book or guide for parents, especially of young children. This could be paired with a program that essentially does one on one help with parent(s). This could take the form of physically guiding a parent with their child, meeting with the parent to come up with a plan, and/or providing the guidance. For this, I would want students who have taken many education courses or professionals. The people providing the program would have to be dedicated to the program as they would need to