Milk And Dairy Industry Uk Economics Essay

Milk And Dairy Industry Uk Economics Essay The  area of Great Britain and Northern Ireland  (commonly known as the  United Kingdom) is the sovereign state  located near northwest coast of  continental Europe. It is an  island country  spanning with an  archipelago, accumulated with the northeast part of  Ireland, and many small islands.  Northern Ireland  is the only part of the UK  with a land border, sharing it with the  Republic of Ireland.  Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the  Atlantic Ocean, the  North Sea, the English Channel  and the  Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to  France  by the  Channel Tunnel. (Wikipedia Information.net) SOME POLITICAL FACTS ABOUT THE COUNTRY The United Kingdom is a  constitutional monarchy  and   unitary state  consisting of four  countries:  England,  Northern Ireland,  Scotland  and Wales.  It is governed by a  parliamentary system  with its  seat of government  in  London, the  capital, but with three different  national administrations in  Belfast,  Cardiff  and  Edinburgh, the capitals of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland respectively. SOME ECONOMICAL FACTS ABOUT THE COUNTRY The UK is a  developed country, with the worlds  sixth largest economy  by nominal  GDP  and the  seventh largest  in  purchasing power parity.  It was the worlds first  industrialized  country  and the worlds  foremost power  during the 19th and early 20th centuries,  but the economic cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire in the latter half of the 20th century diminished its leading role in global affairs. The UK nevertheless remains a  major power  with strong economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence. It is a  nuclear power  and has the fourth highest  defense  in the world. It is a  Member State  of the  European Union, holds a permanent seat on the  United Nations Security Council, and is a member of the  Commonwealth of Nations,  G8,  OECD,  NATO, and the  World Trade Organization. (Wikipedia Information.net) The Dairy industry contributes  £6.8 Billion which is about 10% of GB GDP.   The contribution has been steadily rising over many years. The industry contains many different specialist sub-sectors and, increasingly, changes in technology have led to changes in the nature of jobs within the industry. The trend towards fewer, more skilled and better-paid employees , necessitates a significant further investment in education and training. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Flag Royal coat of arms Anthem:  God Save the Queen[1] The United Kingdom (dark green) shown in relation to the European Union  (light green) and other areas of  Europe(dark grey) Capital (and largest city) London 51 °30à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²N  0 °7à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ²W Official languages English  (de facto) Recognized regional  languages Irish,  Ulster Scots,  Scottish Gaelic  ,  Scots,  Welsh, Cornish (wikiPEDIA INFO.NET) REVIEW OF THE MILK AND DAIRY INDUSTRY INTRODUCTION The dairy industry represents around 18% of the gross agricultural output of the UK, and dairy farmers are an important and sizeable part of the National Farmers Union NFUs farming membership. Dairy farmers have endured difficult times in recent years, notably with regard to farm gate profitability. Soaring prices on the world dairy commodity markets in 2007 resulted in rises in farm gate prices, totaling an average increase of 8ppl by the autumn. This has created optimism in the dairy industry and allowed most farmers to start breaking into a profit. However, there are ten years of underinvestment and debt to make up for and farmers now need a sustained period of higher prices to enable some long-overdue investments in their businesses. While the outlook of the British dairy industry is broadly positive, the confidence of dairy farmers remains fragile. Production costs have risen massively in the last twelve months. Higher feed, fertilizer and fuel costs are eroding the benefits of higher prices. In addition to this are the substantial infrastructure costs that dairy farmers face under the proposed revisions to the NVZ (Nitrate Vulnerable Zones) Action Program. With these issues in mind, this document provides a background briefing to the dairy farming sector and looks at the future challenges and prospects. Britains Dairy Farmers Dairy farmers in the UK are amongst the largest and most competitive in the European Union. Dairy farms are situated across the UK, but are concentrated mostly in areas where the climate encourages favorable conditions for grassland farming. In recent years milk production has gravitated towards the West and South West of England, West Wales and Northern Ireland. The number of dairy farmers in the UK has fallen dramatically, and continues to decline. In 2001 there were 26,110 registered production holdings in England and Wales. By February 2009 this had fallen to 12,465. This figure represents a 5% fall on February 2008 figures, and therefore reflects the continuing pattern of decline. Until recently, for every farmer leaving the industry another farmer was willing to expand. Consequently, the average size of dairy herds in the UK has increased from 72 cows in 1999 to 95 in 2010. At the same time, genetic and management improvements in dairy cattle have seen the average cow increase milk production from 5,000 litres a year in 1993 to 9609 liters in 2011. In recent years however, the industry has seen a decrease in production, suggesting that either larger milk producing herds are leaving or the number of herds expanding has decreased. (Wikipedia Information.net , The Dairysite.com) A Brief History of the British Dairy Industry Since the 1920s- 1994, the market for raw milk was managed by four statutory milk marketing boards (MMBs). One Board bought and sold all wholesale milk from farms in England and Wales. The MMBs were wound-up in the early 1990s allowing existing farmers to sell milk either to new farmer co-operatives created in their place or directly to dairy processing companies. The co-op, Milk Marque, was created for broker milk sales in England and Wales. In the early days following the abolition of the Boards, dairy farmers enjoyed a relatively prosperous time as milk prices had increased to 27 pence per litre (ppl). However, the rise in milk price coincided with a unique set of economic circumstances driven by Black Wednesday and the UK pulling out of the Exchange Rate Mechanism, which devalued the Pound against major EU currencies that had increased the value of EU market support and the competitiveness of UK dairy produce. Prices started to slide in 1998/9 and more and more producers opted to leave Milk Marque to supply dairy companies directly who offered a higher price as an incentive to join. Around the same time, a legal case was brought against Milk Marque by milk processors through the then Dairy Trades Federation, who argued that MM was operating as a complex monopoly and was abusing its dominant position in the raw milk market. In 1999, the Monopolies and Mergers Commission produced a report supporting the case brought to the Office of Fair trading by the DTF. The result of this case led to the break-up of Milk Marque. In its place, three daughter co-ops Milk Link, Axis and Zenith were set up in 2000. In recent years these businesses have consolidated, Axis brands merging with Scottish Milk brands to form First Milk and Zenith with a small milk co-op, the Milk Group to form Dairy Farmers of Britain. The Dairy Industry in modern times The dairy industry had seen remarkable consolidation at all levels in the last decade. While there were over 100 milk buyers in the country, six large dairy companies dominate the GB market. The largest dairy companies are: Dairy Crest The Company buys approximately 2.4 billion litres every year from 1,400 direct supplying dairy farmers, the majority of whom are located in southern, central England and South Wales (as well as some milk brokered from milk co-operatives, especially FirstMilk). Dairy Crest manufactures liquid milk and a range of dairy products, including cheese, milk powder, desserts, butter, and cream. Its best known brands are Cathedral City and Country Life. Arla Foods -Swedish/ Danish farmers co-operative of approx 9,400 members, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary in the UK. The company focuses on supplying fresh milk to retailers as well as managing dairy imports from Scandinavia and New Zealand. UK has a workforce of 6,300 and processes 2.3 billion liters milk at 13 plants, supplied mostly by the Arla Foods Milk Partnership, a farmer group of around 1,600 members. Dairy Farmers of Britain Farmer co-operative with around 2,600 farmer members, predominately located in the North of England and Wales. DFB makes a broad range of products including liquid milk, cheese, butter, ingredients and desserts, both for supermarkets and own brand. DFB also supplies milk to other dairy companies and runs eight separate processing sites and sixty distribution depots. Robert Wiseman Dairies Private dairy company that specializes in processing and delivering fresh liquid milk throughout Great Britain. It operates from 6 major processing dairies in Aberdeen, East Kilbride, Glasgow, Manchester and Droitwich Spa and a new dairy in Bridgwater, Somerset. The company has developed relationships with a number of major supermarket groups, resulting in more than 70% of its sales to multiple retailers. Milk Link Farmer co-operative essentially making cheese, ingredients and desserts. Milk Link supplies all the UKs major food retailers, many of its largest food processors, and food services organizations. It is the UKs largest cheese producer, with the bulk of its members being located in the South and South West of England. First Milk Farmer-owned business, with 2600 farmer members, formed in 2001, from the merger of two leading dairy groups. As well as supplying other dairy companies (notably Robert Wiseman Dairies in which it has a 15% stake and Dairy Crest) with milk, the company owns creameries in Cumbria, West Wales and the Scottish islands. There are also a large number of small to medium sized local or specialist processors such as Lactalis/ McLelland, Belton cheese, J Heler, Muller Dairies, Fresh ways, Medina Dairies and a small number of milk buyers that operate largely as intermediaries, supplying milk to a range of different markets. (http://www.ipaquotas.com/dairyfarmer.htm) The Current Dairy Market- The UK The British dairy market is observed as a domestic market. The UK is around 90% self-sufficient in milk and dairy produce and half of all raw milk is sold as fresh liquid milk. In the past, much of this would have been sold on doorstep rounds. Now the highest proportion is sold through major multiple retailers. Cheese takes up a further 28% of the market. Consumption of liquid milk had been declining until recently where statistics indicate stabilization in consumption, with increasing demand for low fat milks. Utilization of milk by UK dairies 2010/11 (million litres) The concentration of the industry on liquid milk and failure to add value has had important consequences for British dairying. The industry has, to some extent, become more commoditized and struggled to capitalize on real growth markets. It has also seen the value of imports increase compared to the value of exports with recent estimations that the deficit. OBJECTIVES OF THE REPORT The following objectives will be covered in the report in detail: To study the Milk production in U.K. To study the reasons for decline in milk production Pricing factors for the industry Challenges faced within the industry To analyze the milk and its products consumption in the British families (Via Survey Method) Milk production in U.K. Deliveries to dairies in the 2010/11 milk year totaled 15,212 million litres. Adjusting this figure for the presence of a leap year gives total milk deliveries of 16,176 million liters, the lowest cumulative figure since deregulation and around 500 million liters (4.2%) down on the five year average. 5 year average daily 2010/11 average daily Looking at average daily deliveries by month shows the milk year started off relatively well with April deliveries only 0.9 million liters per day less than the five year average. This was a result of a mild spring encouraging good grass growth and early turn out. The three months from May to July were the wettest on record which was one of the factors that led milk deliveries in July to fall to an average of 35.4 million litres per day. That was three million liters per day (7.8%) lower than the average for the month. This deficit decreased towards November with better weather and prices. However the effect of the earlier poor weather on silage quality and rising feed prices appears to have impacted on milk deliveries in the final four months of the milk year with daily deliveries averaging 3.5% lower than the five year average. The UK dairy industry employs more than 23,800 across 600 workplaces nationwide. It includes the operation of dairies and the manufacture of dairy products, such as iceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cream. There are many wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ known companies, such as Yeo Valley Farms, Danone, Dairy Crest Ltd., Unilever iceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cream and Wensleydale Dairy Products. 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 Key facts: There are 23,800 people working in the dairy industry, of which: 87% of the workforce is in the operation of dairies and cheese 14% in the manufacture of iceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ cream The industry represents 6% of those employed in Great Britains food and drink manufacturing sector. 36% of the workforce is 45 years or older. 45% of the current workforce will be eligible for retirement within the next 20 years. 13% of the workforce has a degree or equivalent qualification . The highest qualification for much of the workforce is GCSE grades Aà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ C (20%) or A Levels (13%). 19% of the workforce has no qualifications. Workforce statistics Number of UK employees: 23,800 Number of UK employers: 600 Gender: 76% male 24% female Ethnicity: 92% of the workforce is white, 5% Asian/British Asian and 3% Black/Black British 2,300 migrant workers (nonà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ UK nationals) are estimated to be working in the industry Age: 26% of the workforce is aged 16-30 years 14% is 30-34 years 15% is 35-39 years 13% is 40-44 years 22% is 45-49 years Disability: 7% of the workforce has some form of work limited disability. [N.B. Data derived from Labour Force Survey, 2010 and Annual Business Inquiry, 2009.] Reasons for decline in milk production In most instances in the dairy industry, increases in production costs have offset/negated any efficiency gains made by expanding producers. More recently, this logic has been tested as milk production has gradually fallen over the last 5 years. 2011 was an exceptionally bad year due to the additional effects of poor weather on grazing conditions and winter forage quality. Cumulative production to March 2011 stood at just 13,215 million liters, which was 2% lower than last year and represents a production figure not seen since the 1974/5 milk production year. In addition, in the 2010/11 milk production year, the UK was a massive 986m liter (7%) under quota. Research suggests that the falling trend of milk production in the UK will most certainly continue in the short term. The low level of confidence has led to reductions in producer numbers and a reduction in the number of farmers willing and able to expand further. Coupled with this, the industry has suffered many years of underinv estment due to a sustained period of low milk price. In light of the challenges ahead in the form of environmental regulation, coping with the impacts of disease and higher variable production costs it is likely that we will see further contraction in the industry in the immediate future. Recent price increases have however brought some confidence back to some producers in increasing milk production on their holdings. The 2010 Farmer Intentions Survey from Dairy Co revealed that 37% of dairy farmers intend to increase milk production, yet 7% of dairy farmers intend to exit the industry in the next two years. This forecasted increase in production on some farms, coupled with a reduction in the number of dairy farmers will result in a further fall in milk production by 2012/13 in Britain of 0.6%. Pricing factors for the industry Milk pricing and profitability are the biggest issues affecting dairy farmers. The average farm gate milk price for 2007 was 20.66 ppl with a February 2008 average milk price of 25.62 ppl. This reflects a much needed 8ppl increase on the average farm gate price of just 18ppl in 2006 which has increased drastically in 2011/12 by 48ppl. Since the mid 1990s, the industry has seen a general decline in dairy farm profitability and massive restructuring has taken place at farm level. To cope with Low Prices, farmers have sought efficiency gains to remain profitable largely through increasing herd size and cutting costs where feasible. In the past a combination of factors has driven farm gate milk prices including: Prices for internationally traded commodity dairy products EU market support Exchange rates The balance between the supply of raw milk and the level of demand for milk products Weak negotiation, due to structure of industry The costs of manufacturing milk EU and world commodity markets have been seen historically as the biggest driver in raw milk prices. They are still influential and are the biggest reason behind the well documented increases in milk prices in the UK and elsewhere in 2011. However, the British dairy market is essentially domestic, which should limit the exposure to commodity market forces The British retail market for dairy products is fiercely competitive. In respect of the cheese market, for example, regular tendering is the norm and with large quantities of cheese imported from Ireland and other EU member states, there is fierce competition to secure supply contracts. Costs of Milk Production It is notoriously difficult to establish average production costs, however over the last three years production costs have increased dramatically as a result of oil, fertilizer and feed price increases and the escalating cost of farm labor. The First Milk/Promar report of March 2009 suggests that the true cost of production for UK dairy farmers is estimated to rise to 36.64ppl in the next year, not accounting for any profit margin. Challenges faced within the industry Access to raw material is key to global position Milk production is highly regulated by quotas and mobility of raw material is difficult Raw milk is perishable and cant be transported long distances Milk production is challenging: no compromises on food safety, labour intensive and milk is collected daily Seasonality of production leads to overcapacity Requires long term investments on farm and industry level Competitiveness of the dairy processors is increasingly decisive for the pricing of raw material milk to farmers Better regulation and simplification Flaws are identified, but results are not satisfactory Slow decision-making process Lack of predictability Horizontal regulations concerning feed, hygiene, claims and labelling New regulations for animal welfare and quality labelling? Milk specific regulation: drinking milk, spreads and preserved milk Route to market Access to world market Global players include different geographical regions in their business strategies, but SME ´s have difficulties in approach. Specific support mechanisms could be helpful Industrial policy is made too much on terms of agricultural policy Technical and sanitary measures are barriers to trade: animal disease outbreaks, divergent analysis and sampling methods, zero tolerances, milk products and animal health standards Innovations Innovations have been and are essential in improving the global competitiveness of dairy industry and creating value added products Innovations in the future are more and more linked to the health and well-being of consumers. This means that more scientific evidence is needed for marketing of these products EU should create and improve platforms to support such development in research. The Technology Platform on food research, called Food for Life is a good example of such development and creating science based innovations Claims are essential and needed for marketing and consumer communication of these new products. This means that approval of claims should not prevent or slowdown this development European level programs in science and research (7th framework program) are essential in boosting the science-based innovations in open environment. Probiotic dairy products are good examples of commercial success in this area SME ´s should have easier access to these programs Environmental Challenges Among the biggest challenges facing UK dairy farming is how the industry interacts with the environment. The industry is working hard to ensure that any environmental risks associated with milk production are minimized and to deliver positive environmental improvements. Some notable achievements include a 13.5% reduction in methane emissions from livestock since 1990 and a reduction in overall fertilizer usage in dairy farming by 46% since 1997. Over 35% of farmland managed for dairy farming in the UK is now in an ELS environmental stewardship agreement. Action on farm is being co-ordinate through the Environmental Plan for Dairy Farming (EPDF). The EPDF promotes integrated solutions to tackling the sectors environmental problems, i.e. solutions that tackle more than one environmental issue and are easy for farmers to implement such as nutrient management plans. In addition to the EPDF, the development of an industry Roadmap for the dairy sector in England identifies the environmenta l impacts of producing and consuming milk across the supply chain and sets targets for mitigating and reducing those impacts. Critically, the Roadmap promotes better understanding of the social, economic and environmental benefits of milk and aims to achieve a balance between productivity and environmental improvement, thus securing the long term sustainability of dairying. Other Challenges Animal health and welfare continue to be high priorities for the dairy industry. The UK dairy industry adopts the highest standards of animal health and welfare, monitored primarily through the Assured Dairy Farms (ADF) scheme, of which 95% of UK dairy farmers are registered. The England Cattle Health and Welfare Group (ECHAWG) also provide a forum for the veterinary profession, farmers, industry bodies and government to work together to tackle health and welfare issues such as Johnes Disease, mastitis ,lameness, bovine Tuberculosis, an increasingly serious issue for many dairy farmers and, most recently, Bluetongue. FINDINGS Analysis via survey method to detect the rise and fall in the consumption of milk and its products! This analysis was carried forward by using the survey method thereby utilizing the questions given in the form of a questionnaire to assess the participants on the total consumption of the milk and its products in the uk. A sample of 50 participants was drawn from the population for further analysis. A sample figure of the questionnaire is given below- The procedure of the experiment that adopted the survey method as a means of reaching its destination has drew the following findings. According to the survey, 38% of the individuals preferred first milk as a brand over other milk brands and least no of people preferred milk link as a brand. This difference between the preferences must have existed due to pricing of the products, its quality, advertising and its availability. Another interesting fact that emerged was preferences of individuals for choosing the type of milk and it was found out that 42% of people preferred whole milk over other milk types followed by least preference for skimmed milk with only 24%. This difference obviously existed due to quality difference and tastes of the milk types. Another fact that was found out was individuals preferences for powdered and bottled milk that showed a positive percentage for bottled milk with 78% and very little preference for powdered milk. This must be existent due to quality reasons of the milk and the freshness (preservatives vs. fresh milk). The end part of the survey dealt with the family preferences for milk consumption in the UK. It was noticed that maximum no of individuals purchased the milk on alternate basis resulting in 46% from the total. And the numbers of individuals consuming milk within the families are also ranked as high as 42% which reflected that all of the family members drink milk and its products almost on daily basis. It was interesting to note that most of the individuals went by the price of the milk compared to the quality of milk which meant that they usually compromised over the quality over the price thereby resulting in gains for companies that provided milk at a cheaper cost compared to others. Lastly it was asked as to which product of milk apart from its pure form was preferred the most and it was noticed that 46% of the British families preferred cheese product of milk and least preferred the butter 12% which shows the British preference of dairy products depending on their cuisines and dishes made in their homes. By the end of survey finally it was found that most of the individuals preferred milk as an essential nutrient for their daily breakfast needs (64%) compared to any other meal of the day which reflects the energy source and dietary supplements provided by the milk maximize the most over other food supplements. RECOMMENDATIONS FARMERS à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Know your cost of production and Add value by maximizing your contract. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Make use of the NFUs inputs monitor and challenge suppliers to seek out best deals. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Offer farmers proper milk contracts, in line with the NFU template, that provide long term stability and transparency on terms and price. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Be transparent about costs, markets and milk prices. Show how you are improving efficiency and cutting costs at the factory. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Promote the Red Tractor prominently, on front of pack, on all branded dairy products. RETAILERS AND FOOD SERVICE à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Food service sector to extend commitments to sourcing assured, British products to all dairy products and promote the Red Tractor to clients. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ All major retailers to increase the number of British, Farm Assured dairy product lines offered to consumers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Retailers to promote the Red Tractor prominently, on front of pack, on all own label dairy products. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Retailers to establish direct, dedicated relationships with dairy farmers supplying British, own label cheese lines. GOVERNMENT à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ All government departments to adopt the NFU model clause and specify use of Red Tractor in its procurement contracts. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Establish a milk production taskforce to examine the reasons behind, and the solutions to, our falling milk production trend. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Make farmers aware of the support and funding streams that are available to them through the RDPE. RDAs to ensure that these funds are easily accessible. BANKS à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Banks to honor long term, established relationships with clients. Pass on base rate cuts in full and support farmers including tenants to invest for the future. NFU (NATIONAL FARMERS UNION) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintain the call for an independent body to take the politics out of animal disease and resist any attempt by Defra to transfer costs onto the industry. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Continue lobbying to improve milk contracts offered to farmers by milk buyers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintain scrutiny on input costs to ensure that changes in prices are being passed down to farmers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lead a positive campaign to promote the benefits of dairy farming and the importance of productive British agriculture. CONCLUSION The outlook for the British dairy industry is broadly positive. Despite the irrefutable pressures that farmers continue to face, the future prospects for British dairy farmers is bright. Milk producers are efficient and operate in a prosperous, well-populated country, with strong traditions of consuming dairy products. Demand for many dairy products, worldwide, is increasing as a result of economic and population growth. Climatic factors appear to be pegging production in traditional export areas and the EU may be well placed to capitalize on world market growth in the long run. But there remain many significant short-term challenges.

History Paper on Caribbean Diaspora Essay

Decendents of the Caribbean Diaspora are located in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and countries that were previously colonial empires. The inhabited islands that are in the Caribbean are not only geographical regions, but also regions of the imagination, lived cultural experiences and are an interesting study in religious identity as well (Harry:2). † Colonized by European powers from the sixteenth century, the Caribbean islands have become a mixture of cultures from Europe, Africa, and India, as well as from the original inhabitants of the islands. Harry Goulbourne and John Solomos in there article â€Å"Ethnic and Racial Studies† says that the â€Å"History of the Caribbean has been shaped for a number of centuries now by the economic, social and cultural impact of movement of people across the Atlantic. † Without the migration of individuals to the Caribbean, due to slavery, the making of the Caribbean world would be nonexistent (Harry:2). Emancipation is defined as the various efforts to obtain political rights or equality, often for specifically disfranchised groups. Numerous countries and states have gone through this process during one period of time in their historic accounts. For the Caribbean Diaspora, this period was also a mark of re-development and re-establishment of economies and societies. Emancipation in the Caribbean was the catalyst for many positive steps in the future but also a setback in humanity with respect to human rights. In this paper one will examine the culture and religion of individuals in the Caribbean such as the Yoruba People and also will gain knowledge from personal family history in the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Throughout history, the system of slavery is primarily an institution based upon the labor of poor individuals who are forced into harsh working conditions while an elite few reap the benefits of the work of the larger masses. â€Å"African slavery in the Caribbean is a late development in the evolution of slavery in human society. † However, for the Caribbean diaspora this all began in the seventeenth century when the European colonization of the Caribbean began to change drastically as exploration gave way to exploitation. With European colonizers looking for ways to fill their pockets, the Caribbean was stormed and eventually flooded with lavery. With the introduction of this new oppression to the world, a major form of organized labor was created which changed the social organization radically in the Caribbean Diaspora (Klein:1). As the plantation system began to thrive and expand through the following centuries, the Caribbean became the focus of American slave centers. For instance, Thornton writes in his novel Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World, 1400-1800, that â€Å"More than half of all the Africans who were transported to the Americas in the eighteenth century went to the island colonies of the Caribbean (Thornton:317)†. With this abundance of slaves arriving in the Caribbean, plantations developed laws to regulate the plantation system and the many slaves imported to work on the plantations. This legal control was the most oppressive for slaves inhabiting colonies where they outnumbered their European masters and where rebellion was persistent. During the early colonial period, rebellious slaves were harshly punished, with sentences including death by torture and less serious crimes such as assault, theft or persistent escape attempts were commonly punished with mutilations, such as the cutting off of a hand or a foot (Thornton:276). Sadly, nothing could help these individuals during this time period because their voice of opinion was robbed from them once they were captured and forced into slavery. With high mortality rates, controlled lives, hard labor and poor nutrition in the Caribbean Diaspora, the African population slowly started to decrease and the rates of importation gradually started to increased. This paved a way towards the creation of new land and enterprises which in return increased the production of materials such as sugar and coffee beans. Although, slaves were forced into a controlled environment and labor, their native language and culture was still close to their hearts. As Thornton writes, â€Å"Whatever the brutalities of the Middle passage or slave life, it was not going to cause the African-born to forget their mother language or change their ideas about beauty in design or music: nor would it cause them to abandon the ideological underpinnings of religion or ethics – not on arrival in America, not ever in their lives. † With this mother language, culture and religion not forgotten, slaves developed a way of communicating mongst each other and also grasped the â€Å"American way† when speaking to their masters (Thornton:317-320). Also, by keeping the memories and traditional ways of their people, Africans were able to pass their knowledge and history of their people down to the next generation which would eventually bring to life the monstrosities that really occurred during this time period. While some may deny it, slavery and the impact it had on the world is still with us today in movies, books, poetry, songs, articles, and even in the minds of the people that had experienced it firsthand. However, although countless individuals came to America as slaves, there are also those who entered this soil via immigration. During the late eighteenth century and early to mid-nineteenth century, a mass exodus of people coming from Europe, China, Japan, Canada and the West Indies moved into the United States (Harney). This was a time for growth in the United States, often referred to as the Industrial Age. This time period was an exciting period because of the fact that there is another revolution going on in the workplace. As technology started to change and bloom, everything around it started to transform and more jobs were created. As a result, the Industrial Revolution affected the whole stability of a nation, not only the economy. It affected the relationships between classes, and also the relationships between countries and gave those individuals who migrated over to the United States a chance at a prosperous life without slavery. With many Africans migrating to the United States there were those who decided to go back to the Caribbean and continue their traditional cultural ways. In the late eighteenth century, written reports discovered a cultural tradition of masking by Africans in various parts of the Caribbean: Belize, Bermuda, Haiti, Jamaica, the Bahamas, St.  Kitts, Nevis, Guyana, Grenada, and Trinidad. These masking activities were called by several names like gumbe, jonkonu, or kambula, however today it is referred to as Carnival. Carnival is an annual celebration of life found in many countries of the world and is an integral part of West African religious culture, intimately connected with secret societies that were gender specific (Lewis:180). Growing up in a family that celebrates this specific tradition, the history of how it began is very familiar to me from family stories and also by traveled experiences. This tradition â€Å"Carnival† came from hundreds of years ago when the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy began holding a wild costume festival right before the first day of Lent. Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, carnevale which means â€Å"to put away the meat. † As time passed, Carnivals in Italy became quite famous and in fact the practice spread to France, Spain, and all the Catholic countries in Europe. Then as the French, Spanish, and Portuguese began to take control of the Americas and other parts of the world, they brought with them their tradition of celebrating Carnival. The dynamic economic and political histories of the Caribbean are indeed the ingredients of festival arts as we find them today throughout the African and Caribbean Diaspora (Liverpool). Trinidad and Tobago is a beautiful example of how the tradition of Carnival can unite the world. For in this small nation, the beliefs and customs of many cultures come together and for a brief five days the whole country forgets their differences to celebrate life! For African people, Carnival became a way to express their power as individuals, as well as their rich cultural traditions. Today, Carnival in Trinidad intertwines the many immigrants who have come from different parts of the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, India, and China. For my family in particular, Carnival is not just an event that happens every year; it is actually a business that has been in my family for decades. Carnival was introduced to Trinidad around 1785, as the French settlers began to arrive. The tradition caught on quickly, and fancy balls were held where the wealthy planters put on masks, wigs, and beautiful dresses and danced long into the night (Liverpool:127). The use of masks had a special meaning for the slaves in there West African culture, because for many African peoples, masking is widely used in their rituals for the dead and also connected them with secret gender-specific societies (Lewis:180). Obviously banned from the masked balls of the French, the slaves would hold their own little Carnival in their backyards using their own rituals and folklore, but also imitating their masters’ behavior at the masked balls (Regis:231). For African people, Carnival became a way to express their power as individuals, as well as heir rich cultural traditions. After 1838 when slavery was abolished, the freed Africans began to host their own Carnival celebrations in the streets that grew more and more elaborate, and soon became more popular than the balls (Liverpool). Today, traditional Trinidad Carnival has been a product of both African and European masking legacies. For me personally, Carnival in Trinidad is like a mirror that reflects the faces the many immigrants who have come to this island nation and is the uniqueness of their cultural re/creations all over the Caribbean Diaspora (Lewis:184). Ever since I was a young girl my Grandfather would tell me of stories on how he would make costumes for Carnival and how he was very popular in Trinidad. In order to put a carnival band together, it takes many weeks of welding, sewing, gluing, applying feathers, sequins, foil papers, glitter and lots of creativity, energy, and patience. With individual experience, it takes a lot of time and effort in order to make what you envisioned comes to life. Costumes are sewn, decorated, and fitted to each individual dancer. All this creative activity takes place in what are referred to in the Caribbean as â€Å"mas camps,† where teamwork and organization are crucial to creating an award-winning production. For my Grandfather being a â€Å"Band Leader†, costume designer and leader of the people that wear his costumes, means the world to him. It was and still is a form of expressing his cultural tradition in ways that you can only see in his drawings. My Grandfather is a homegrown Trinidadian mas’ man from Woodbrook, Port-Of- Spain in Trinidad and Tobago. His love for the artistry involved in making costumes derives itself from his days as a young child coming home from school and stopping in the Silver Stars mas’ camp. While all his friends listened to pan, he would watch his cousin create and construct costumes. As he began to get older, he began to draw and create costumes of his own. When asking him about his younger days he said, â€Å"I just couldn’t help myself†¦ growing up in a third world country forces you to do whatever you had to do in order to make money and put food on the table. Even though, I had many jobs at the young age of eleven, I made my first costume and was given permission to play with Silver Stars. From that day forward, I began to teach myself the history and craftsmanship of Carnival and decided to give it a try! † Listening to this story not only inspired me but also taught me a valuable lesson in cherishing what I have in life because there are those out there that have much less. In addition, I also learned that not only did my Grandfather make his first costume at the age of eleven; through hard work and dedication he then brought his first band in 1978 called â€Å"Planet of the Apes†. This band shocked spectators, masqueraders, and judges. I asked him what inspired him to create such a thing and he said, â€Å"Franklin J. Schaffner’s Science fiction film based on the novel La planete des singes†¦. it is like the recent movie Planet of the Apes, however instead of taking over the world, the masqueraders assumed the dominant role and flooded the streets of Trinidad. † I laughed at this creation because I found it to be so â€Å"Halloween like†. However, when thinking about it, to individuals back then this was a spectacular sight, a fantastic portrayal of this fiction film and a great first impression in the world of mas’ creativity during that Carnival season. Although my Grandfather enjoyed seeing his first creation come to life this was just the beginning in his success. Some of his other presentations include; â€Å"This Land is Ours†, â€Å"Travels of Marco Polo†, â€Å"Bush Medicine†, â€Å"Touch of Class†, â€Å"Somewhere Over the Rainbow†, â€Å"Harim†, â€Å"Island Fun†, â€Å"War Cry†, â€Å"Paint Box† and â€Å"Tie a Yellow Ribbon† to name a few. With his name increasing in fame throughout the years, he also met some lifelong friends and teachers, one being Peter Minshall. Peter Minshall is one of the most incredible artists working today in Trinidad. He is acclaimed internationally as the foremost artist working in the field of â€Å"dancing mobiles,† a form of performance art that combines the three-dimensional quality of large-scale sculpture with the dramatic and choreographic expressiveness of a live human performer. My Grandfather told me that the reason that Minshall started to work in that field was because, â€Å"The dancing mobile was one of many forms to grow out of the masquerade tradition of Trinidad Carnival and if he is the only one taking it on then there is no competition and with no competition means more awards. † However, even when my Grandfather did not receive awards for his masterpieces, they are still remembered today as the pieces of art that influenced Carnival today. After listening to him recall past memories of his glory days I asked him why he retired in 1991. He then replied, â€Å"I had a family and wanted them to have a better life than living here in Trinidad. So I decided to move to the United States and started to create a life here, where I still live today. † Hearing that reply almost brought me to tears, with the love of his family and the determination to provide a better life for them he made the biggest jump of his life. He first moved to New York where he had three jobs which were a taxi driver, a police man and a photographer. It was a difficult task having all of these jobs and taking care of your family however as he would say it, â€Å"Nothing is too much, you just have organize your time. Being an immigrant in the United States was a tough challenge for him however, with the experience of the Carnival business on his shoulders he was ready to accomplish anything. Not only did he buy a house, he sent all five of his daughters to a private catholic school where they received the best education that his money could buy. Now, forty six years later my family still owns the house that he bought when he first moved to the United States and he just came out of retirement in the Carnival business. I remember entering his room and wondering why his old Carnival drawings were are all over the bed. In confusion I asked him what he was doing and he replied, â€Å"I’m coming out of retirement, I am on a crusade to bring back the traditional culture of mas’ making techniques in Trinidad Carnival with a modern touch. With a little hard work I believe that I can reclaim my position and also win the people of Trinidad with my new costume designs. † This taught me that even though you might give up your passion, you can always pick it up and start it again. As of today, my Grandfather has created three bands called â€Å"Aloha†, â€Å"Valleys of the Nile† and â€Å"D’ Mayan empire† which will be reveled in Carnival 2013. Each year as I travel to Trinidad to experience this cultural festival I am always reminded by the history in which it originated from and the many that did not see the light of freedom. To visitors it seems to be five days of partying however, to my family it is a time to appreciate our Catholic faith and also a time to celebrate our cultural independence with the other decedents of different African heritages.

Social Chaos Of The United States - 1192 Words

Rebekka Auer Professor Howard PHIL – 1304 - 71427 27 September 2015 Social Anarchy Today â€Å"No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.† This is the 14th Amendment of the United States of America stating every citizen is to be treated equally and protected by the law. The truth is, there is still a long way to go to achieve this goal. Social Anarchy is spread widely. Starting locally, but expanding to statewide, national and even international problems. From police brutality to†¦show more content†¦They state that Social Anarchy is primarily used by people in higher offices, but the need for big authorities gives them the chance to put their ideas into practice. Most times the use of violence goes hand-in-hand with those ideas. A big local issue with Social Anarchy is police brutality. Regularly covered on the news, we can see the increasing common reports of local police officers shooting unarmed civilians. In a report for CNN, Aaron Paxton Arnold, an entrepreneur and lifestyle expert, coach and media correspondent, expresses that â€Å"a segment of America wouldn t believe that false police testimonies and cover-ups even existed despite years of protests from the African-American community† (Arnold). One example of ongoing incidents is happening in Ferguson, a city in Missouri. In August 2014, Michael Brown, an 18-year old African American teenager, got shot by the officer Darren Wilson. After shoplifting with his friend Dorian Johnson, Wilson was sent to track them down. Brown was unarmed. Witness reports were very conflicted, but the question remains if it was necessary to kill the boy. Later in the year, a grand jury decided to not convict the officer. As a reaction to this decision, destructive riots followed. Nine journalists writing for the New York Times reported that â€Å"police officers used tear gas and smoke to disperse people who were hurling rocks and breaking the windows of parked police cruisers†

Negative Effects Of Marijuana - 1903 Words

Among teens and adults, marijuana is the number one drug used for medical and recreational use. Marijuana was not legalized by the states in the U.S. until recently, but it has been in use since the 1970’s. Although, marijuana has been legalized for only a couple of years, the issues of marijuana are becoming a larger epidemic. Many people have the misconceptions that marijuana will not have the same effects as other drugs or even, such as tobacco, but after an abundance of research, scientist discovered that marijuana does have similar effects as smoking cigarettes in which children are the most because their brains and bodies are still developing. Not only does it affect their children physically, but also socially. Teenage years are†¦show more content†¦There are many different factors that can influence children’s perspective on marijuana. Parental views and guidance are one of the factors that can impact these decisions greatly. Cannabis, also known as marijuana comes from the cannabis plant called the cannabis sativa. Cannabis in the wild grows in tropical and temperate areas, but it can be grown indoors which can be a little difficult. Marijuana plants need a great deal of attention because these plants need a specific amount of light, heat, humidity, and water. The cannabis sativa contains more than 60 cannabinoids, which is a general term for the chemicals released in your body that alters neurotransmitters in your brain. THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is considered a cannabinoid, responsible for a euphoric high when you use marijuana. Marijuana is the dried up leaves or stem of a cannabis plant which is then chopped up and smoked in a joint. There are many different ways to use marijuana, but most people either smoke it, or consume it by its natural oils in forms of edibles. Under the federal law, residents are allowed to grow no more than 6 marijuana plants only if they are 21 years and older, and must be grown in an area that is enclosed and cannot be seen by the public. In conclusion, there is more to know about marijuana than its reputation as an addictive drug. There are many different reasons why teens choose to start using marijuana. Teenagers fallShow MoreRelatedThe Negative Effects Of Marijuana861 Words   |  4 Pages Marijuana is sweeping the nation. How might this affect people’s everyday lives? Is the progression on legalization a good thing or a bad thing? In order to answer that, the people must first consider the health effects of the consumer and the economic effects of the nation. Marijuana could have both positive and negative effects on the health of the user and the economy. 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Now I’m fully aware that a portion of the world’s population truly believe that cannabis is nothing more than a harmless drug that is used for nothing more than recreational use and will not have any long-term effects on your health, but I want you to ponder on the thought of my statement and why I might believe that cannabis has a negative effect on your health. First what is cannabis? according to drugs.com cannabis also known as â€Å"CannabisRead MoreEthical Issues : Weed And Medical Marijuana1148 Words   |  5 PagesKevin Noh Professor Ericka Scott English 100 11 April 2016 Ethical Issues: Weed Marijuana has been consumed ever since the human civilization started. However, according to Zimmermann (2014), large amounts of research on medical marijuana started around the early 1970s. Through articles and videos on the Internet, social media, and even school, people are becoming more aware of the presence of medical marijuana. 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