Food production Essay Example for Free

Food production Essay There are staggering numbers of people all over the world who experience hunger. Many people believe that hunger is caused by the insufficient supply of food. More importantly, it is assumed that due to the large population of the world, an inadequate amount of food is produced. However, this is a completely false assumption for as Robbins said, â€Å"There is enough food in the world to feed 120 percent of the world’s population on a vegetarian diet. † (Robbins, p. 178) This fact then brings about the question, if there is enough food, then why do so many people go hungry? The answer lies in the economics of food production. Food is now a capitalist commodity. Therefore, the production of food must be seen as the production of any other market commodity. Food production is not driven by global need, it is driven by market demand. As Robbins mentioned, â€Å"Food production is not determined necessarily by the global need for food; it is determined by the market for food. † (Robbins, p. 186) Looking at food production from this perspective will reveal the factors that affect the production of food. The market for food refers to the number of people that have the means to buy and pay for food. However, since a large segment of the population lives in poverty, there are very few people who can afford food. Since it is demand that determines the amount of food to be produced, the lower demand translates to lesser food production. Producers do not want to produce at a maximum level because it will mean an over-production. This will result to lower prices and ultimately lower productivity. Another factor that affects food production is the fact that farmers tend to use land to produce non food crops such as tobacco and corn as well as for crops that are marginally nutritious. (Robbins, p 186) The choice of what crops to plant relies on what the market demands. For instance, farmers tend to prioritize planting coffee for there is a large global demand for this. Coffee produced in agricultural countries in Africa is not necessarily for local consumption; it is produced because the more affluent nations demand it. Farmers consider the profitability of producing certain crops and coffee production is considered to be more profitable than vegetable production. Another example is soy bean. Soy bean is not as nutritious as vegetables. However, since there is a market for this crop in the more developed countries, farmers tend to plant this rather than vegetables. A more concrete and evident example of how market demand drives food production is the production of beef. Robbins discussed why Mexican farmers tend to concentrate on beef production. â€Å"People in Mexico go hungry because land is devoted to the production of beef, which few Mexicans can afford, but which brings high prices in the United States. † (Robbins, p. 186) The rationale behind this is that food production is driven by the demands of the markets that have the money to buy food. There is no question that there is enough food to feed the world. Hunger cannot be attributed to the inadequate amount of food. Hunger is a result of an economic problem. Lack of food on the plate is a result of the lack of money to buy food. Food production is no longer determined by the need for it by everyone. It is driven by what people who have the means to buy food demand and want. Food has become a commodity rather than a necessity. The solution of the problem of hunger lies not in production but in distribution. As Robbins (p. 187) said, â€Å"Rather than seeing hunger or famine as a failure of production, we can focus on a failure of distribution†¦ The goal is simply to establish, reestablish, or protect entitlements, the legitimate claim to food. † Reference: Robbins, R. (2007). Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism. 4th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. pp 177-187.

Dialogic and Formal Analysis of Thomas Grays Elegy (Eulogy) Written in

Dialogic and Formal Analysis of Thomas Gray's Elegy (Eulogy) Written in a Country Churchyard By combining the formal and dialogical approaches, patterns and voices within the text seemingly interplay and overlap to reveal a deeper sense of the author's intentions. While the formalistic analysis focuses on the text and the unfolding themes within, the dialogical analysis recognizes "...the essential indeterminacy of meaning outside of the dialogic - and hence open - relationship between voices" (HCAL 349). When applied to "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," these two approaches collaborate to emphasize recurring concepts and establish a twisted sense of authority. Formal analysis identifies the initial elements of a work and determines their significance in relation to what remains. By selecting such a title as an "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," the author is providing the reader with an indication for what will follow. Amazingly, the poem is exactly what the title states. It is an "elegy," expressing grief and lamentation for the humble unknown villagers who hav... Dialogic and Formal Analysis of Thomas Gray's Elegy (Eulogy) Written in Dialogic and Formal Analysis of Thomas Gray's Elegy (Eulogy) Written in a Country Churchyard By combining the formal and dialogical approaches, patterns and voices within the text seemingly interplay and overlap to reveal a deeper sense of the author's intentions. While the formalistic analysis focuses on the text and the unfolding themes within, the dialogical analysis recognizes "...the essential indeterminacy of meaning outside of the dialogic - and hence open - relationship between voices" (HCAL 349). When applied to "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," these two approaches collaborate to emphasize recurring concepts and establish a twisted sense of authority. Formal analysis identifies the initial elements of a work and determines their significance in relation to what remains. By selecting such a title as an "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," the author is providing the reader with an indication for what will follow. Amazingly, the poem is exactly what the title states. It is an "elegy," expressing grief and lamentation for the humble unknown villagers who hav...

What are the reader’s first impressions of the Woman in Black?

?What are the reader’s first impressions of the Woman in Black? The first description of the Woman in Black raises a lot of questions for the reader to think about. The fact that she is described as being ‘Dressed in deepest black†¦that had rather gone out of fashion’ suggests that the woman is out of place in the time period as well as at a funeral. This links to how the other funeral attendants cannot see her. The fact that she is a woman and described as being dressed in ‘black’ links to the title of this novel which gets the reader wondering if she is the Woman in Black.Secondly, her cloths are described as ‘a little rusty looking’. This gives the impression that her clothes are ageing which links with her isolation from the rest of the funeral party as she isn’t dressed in the most up to date formal funeral wear. She is also said to have a ‘terrible wasting disease’ and the ‘thinnest layer of flesh was tautly stretched and strained across her bones’. Also Arthur says she had a ‘blue-white sheen’ on her skin. All three quotes suggest a ghostly looking character. This links to other ghostly descriptions of the woman including ‘Eyes seemed sunken back into her head’.The quote ‘thinnest layer of flesh†¦across her bones’ links to the quote ‘a victim of starvation’ because if someone has been starved then you can see the shape of their bones. However, to create contrast, Arthur Kipps shows sympathy for the woman when he says ‘some lingering hint, of a not inconsiderable former beauty’ and ‘I bent my head and prayed †¦for the soul of that lonely old woman. ’ Her skin is described as being ‘extremely pale, even more than a contrast with the blackness of her garments could account for.’This shows that the contrast between the colour of her skin and her dress is completely different l inking her to the theme of contrast in the novel. Twice in this section of the story, Arthur notes the movement of the woman when he hears ‘some slight rustle behind (him)’ and the same again later on with a ‘slight rustle of clothing. ’ The use of small sounds to show her movement creates suspense as the reader doesn’t know if she is real or not because she is making a sound when she moves but the description of a ghostly figure contradicts that.The quote ‘on hearing some slight rustle behind me’ then links to having ‘acuteness of the senses’ and the theme of sounds in both Edgar Allan Poe novels. When the funeral congregation moves outside, Arthur describes where the woman stands. She stands ‘some yards back, beside another headstone†¦overgrown with moss. ’ This makes the reader question why the woman is looking at another headstone and not looking at the actual burial. The fact that the headstone is over grown with moss suggests that it is an old headstone but it would be hard to tell how old.This links to Arthur finding it hard to tell how old the woman is. Could it be her headstone? Finally, when we first meet any of the other characters in ‘The Woman in Black’ we are given a short description of how they look and dress, however, the Woman in Black has a considerably longer and more detailed description meaning that this character and this meeting obviously had a bigger impact on Arthur than any other character as he can quite easily recall and retell every detail of the funeral of Mrs. Drablow.

Racism And White Privilege And Institutional Racism

Racism; one word, a very powerful meaning and reminder. Many people shy away from talking about racism because speaking it into existence mean that we as a society have not gotten away from it. Unfortunately, this fact that we have not escaped racism and its effects still rings true today. I myself have tried to minimize the effects of racism in relation to white privilege and institutional racism. Sadly, I found that minimizing racism in general, when experiencing white privilege and or institutional racism while helpful can be harmful as well. As a child I guess I never really understood racism. I had no negative or positive experience with it so racism was never an issue. Many today would say that this is acceptable, understandable even because it is not a child’s job to understand racism. In society it is believed that a person doesn’t learn about racism until they experience it. After all, we go to school and receive a textbook definition of what the educated expla nation is. It is expected that we accept this definition and that is it but in actuality, this idea is not brought into perspective until it is experienced. I say all of this to point out that this was my line of thinking. I never really understood racism because I was not socialized to truly understand it. My thought process during that time was similar to that described by Victor Luckerson in his article Millennials Can’t Afford to be Color-Blind about Race; he says â€Å"because we have been taught to believeShow MoreRelatedRacism Is Not A Physical Action1533 Words   |  7 PagesYears A Slave being threatened by his white masters for being able to read and write. Not only did Blacks such as Northup suffer from the structural violence that was slavery, but also from institutionalized racism in the school system. Racism is more than a single person s actions towards another based on skin color. Racism is â€Å" the belief that all members of each race possess certain cha racteristics that make them inferior or superior to another race†. Racism is not a physical action, rather a mentalRead MoreRacism And White Supremacy For African Americans1288 Words   |  6 Pagestheir freedom, their history, and their human rights due to racism and white supremacy. However, in 1868 there was a light at the end of the tunnel, African Americans thought there was an end to racism and the beginning of equality when the 14th Amendment was created. The 14th Amendment stated, â€Å"All persons born in the United States are citizens of the United States†¦ no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall anyRead MoreStructural Or Institutional Racism Is Formed By The Social, Economic, Political Or Educational Forces Essay1063 Words   |  5 Pages â€Æ' Structural or institutional racism is formed by the social, economic, political or educational forces that foster discriminatory outcomes or give preference to members of one group over the other deriving its genesis from the concept of race. The biological fact for the race has been invalidated by biologists, but the social aspect of it is formed by the community. The physical traits still possess the meanings of social race identity. 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Read MoreAmerican History And Its Current Setting927 Words   |  4 Pagesused the term racist or racism, the denotation suggest that they are talking on an individual level. The Oxford dictionary regards racism as an individual hate and discrimination against another race. But what about the bigger picture? Is society ignoring the systematic and power relationship racism actually stems from? The first print of the term racism was recorded in Oxford Dictionary in 1902 by Richard Henry Pratt (Demby, â€Å"The Ugly, Fascinating History Of The Word Racism†). Pratt once made a