1992, the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed the food pyramid as a tool of assessing the healthiness of a diet and as a proposal towards healthy living. While many of the issues that were relevant in the 1992 USDA food pyramid, such as "eating a variety of foods," balancing foods with physical activity" or moderate consumption of alcohol -- general indications for a healthy lifestyle -- the actual reference to food and to what can actually be called a healthy diet has been a point of controversy ever since. We will be proposing three modifications to key points in the food pyramid, according to the reasoning presented here below.
The first issue is the failure of the USDA pyramid to "recognize important health differences between red meat"

and other foods in the group. The risk of consuming red meat is clearly related with increased risk of developing coronary disease, colon cancer…...

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Bibliography

1. Rebuilding the Food Pyramid. Scientific American. January 2003

2. The Food Pyramid. Release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. August 1992, revised octover 1996. On the Internet at  http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/pyrabklt.pdf 

The Food Pyramid. Release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. August 1992, revised octover 1996. On the Internet at

Part II: Identify several possible solutions based upon the factual resources (NOT opinion) and discuss them in greater detail.

It was deemed that increased competition was necessary in the rail industry, either mandated by Congress, or the (Surface Transportation Board) STB could exert a more forceful regulatory role, to expand access to smaller producers, to reduce consolidation, and mandate competition.

Part III: Conclusion - Pick one of the solutions and tell why it was chosen, also tell why the others were not chosen.

However, while initiatives by the STB were phrased in pro-competitive language, and it insisted to Congress in December of 1998 that it already had done all it could to solve the problem, regional transportation and development organizations were, on the whole, disappointed in its efforts ("Achieving Rail Competition Requires your Support," 1998, ARC presentation). Ultimately, the STB's policy to address the issue offered no specific standards to determine if mergers…...

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Works Cited

Achieving Rail Competition Requires your Support." (1998). ARC (Appalachian Regional Commission) presentation. Retrieved 20 Jan 2007 at  http://www.ams.usda.gov/tmd/LATS/ARCpresentation/ARC%20Pres.pdf 

Brennan, William. (1998, Jul). "Long-term Capacity Constraints in the U.S. Rail System." The U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Marketing Service. Retrieved 20 Jan 2007 at  http://www.ams.usda.gov/tmd/summit/ch4c.pdf

The management of large organizations is a very crucial issue, whether they are government-related or not (Argyris, 1993; Argyris & Schon, 1978; Broom, Jackson, Harris, & Vogelsang-Coombs, n.d.; Brown & Brudney, 2003; Hatry, 1999; Haynes, 1999). Often, however, the government does not seem to realize that it must manage itself in the same way that a business would in certain aspects if it is to succeed and therefore it does not market itself to the public.
The spending that has been involved with the Department of Homeland Security is also crucial, because it has changed over time to reflect the needs and the realization of what it takes to make the Department work (Eggen & Mintz, 2003). This spending is important to discuss, because it indicates how much of the government's money - and by extension how much of the tax dollars of Americans - is going toward funding this…...

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Works Cited

Argyris, C., (1993). Knowledge for action: A guide to overcoming barriers to organizational change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Argyris, C. & Schon, D.A. (1978). Organizational learning, a theory of action perspective. Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Broom, C., Jackson, M., Harris, J., & Vogelsang-Coombs, V. (n.d.). Performance measurement: Concepts and techniques (3rd ed.), workbook. Washington, DC: American Society for Public administration.

Brown, M.M., & Brudney, J.L. (2003). Learning organizations in the public sector? A study of police agencies employing information and technology to advance knowledge. Public Administration Review. 63(1), 30-43.

Corrections
Principal Directorates of Department of Homeland Security

Border and Transportation Security

The largest component of the Department of Homeland Security is the Directorate of Border and Transportation Security (BTS). This division is responsible for maintaining the security of the nation's borders and transportation systems. BTS employees about 58% of DHS's total employees, has nearly half of its operating budget, and includes what was formerly TSA, Customs, the border security functions of INS, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and FLETC. Just like the other directorates of DHS, it is managed by an undersecretary of homeland security (United States Department of Homeland Security, 2012).

This department brought together several agencies from such departments as the Treasury Department, the Department of Justice, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Agriculture. The mission of this directorate is to secure the borders and transportation systems of the United States and to enforce immigration laws. This…...

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References

About the Directorate for Management. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/structure/editorial_0096.shtm

About the Science and Technology Directorate. (2011). Retrieved from States Department of Border and Transportation Security. (2010). Retrieved from  http://homelandsecurity.uslegal.com/department-of-homeland-security/components -http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/structure/editorial_0530.shtmUnited

of-the-department-of-homeland-security/border-and-transportation-security/

Department of Homeland Security. (2012). Retrieved from  http://www.gov.com/agency/dhs/

military tactic, the United States Department of Defense authorized the use of chemical warfare during the Vietnam ar. It was a radical strategy: to eradicate all foliage and ground cover in the war zones in order to prevent guerillas from hiding and therefore sabotaging American troops. The Department of Defense called its chemical warfare program Operation Ranch Hand. Companies like Monsanto and Dow Chemicals designed compounds and named them after the colored drums they were shipped in, and the most famous of these compounds was Agent Orange. Agent Orange left a devastating impact not only in Vietnam but also in the American troops exposed to its deadly chemical compounds like dioxin. Because of the extreme health and environmental ramifications of exposure to Agent Orange, the United States government needs to take responsibility for its actions and offer financial and structural support for the victims at home and in Southeast…...

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Works Cited

Department of Veterans Affairs. "VA History." Retrieved:  http://www.va.gov/ 

Farberov, Snejana. "Generation Orange." Daily Mail. 24 Aug 2013. Retrieved online:  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2401378/Agent-Orange-Vietnamese-children-suffering-effects-herbicide-sprayed-U.S.-Army-40-years-ago.html 

Fuller, Thomas. "4 Decades On, U.S. Starts Cleanup of Agent Orange in Vietnam." The New York Times. 9 Aug, 2012. Retrieved online:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/10/world/asia/us-moves-to-address-agent-orange-contamination-in-vietnam.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 

Lefler, Dion. "Vietnam veterans speak on effects of Agent Orange." The Witchita Eagle. Aug 13, 2014. http://www.kansas.com/news/article1169345.html

Conclusion

As all these studies show, ethanol is not exactly the environmental darling that many seem to think it is. It is actually helping to raise food prices, it is adding to world hunger, and producing it may be actually adding to global pollution rather than easing it. Much more study needs to be done on all the aspects of biofuels, including ethanol, and Congress needs to take action and stop subsidizing ethanol and other biofuels until they have been much more heavily studied. Biofuels could be the answer to our transportation problems in the future, but for now, they have far too many problems associated with them to be so heavily subsidized and promoted in America.

eferences

Brown, L.. (2008, January 24). Why ethanol production will drive world food prices even higher in 2008. etrieved December 1, 2010, from Earth Policy Institute: http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/plan_b_updates/2008/update69.

Decesaro, J. (2006, June). Farming bio fuels: Growing crops that…...

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References

Brown, L.R. (2008, January 24). Why ethanol production will drive world food prices even higher in 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from Earth Policy Institute:  http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/plan_b_updates/2008/update69 .

Decesaro, J. (2006, June). Farming bio fuels: Growing crops that can be converted into liquid fuels has come a new focus of America's farmers. State Legislatures, 32, 14+.

Gasoline and corn prices are linked. (2008, August). USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), 137, 14.

Goodell, J. (2007, August 9). The ethanol scam. Retrieved December 1, 2010, from One of America's biggest political boondoggles:  http://www.rollingstone.com .

Tesco UK food department
a.) Legislative risks: The decision to provide healthier food by labeling the ingredients on the packages to include the calories, sugar, fat, sodium, and saturated fat content needs to also comply with the U.K. food and labeling law. According to the Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, The University of eading, "In most cases, ingredients have to be listed in weight descending order determined as at the time of their use in the preparation of the food. This is commonly referred to as the 'mixing bowl stage'. The following exemptions are however permitted" (A Guide to UK egulations, 2011)

Water and volatile products used as ingredients have to be listed in order of their weight in the finished product. The weight of water is calculated by subtracting from the weight of the finished product the total weight of the other ingredients used.

If an ingredient is reconstituted from concentrated…...

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References

CSPI Reports International (1998) Functional Foods: Public Health Boon or 21st Century Quackery?  http://www.cspinet.org/reports/functional_foods/uk_regltry.html 

Feindt, P.H. & Flynn, A. 2009, Policy stretching and institutional layering: British food policy between security, safety, quality, health and climate change, Palgrave Macmillan.

Food Labels: A Guide to the UK Regulations. Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, The University of Reading.  http://www.reading.ac.uk/foodlaw/label/index2.htm 

Lacey, R. 1992, Scares and the British Food System: Problems and Policies in Relation to Food-Related Health Issues, Emerald Group Publishing, Limited.

Divisions of This Department
Quality, Metrics and Statistics Division

INOSHA

Wage and Hour Division

List three things from each of the three divisions you learned from exploring the website

Quality, Metrics and Statistics Division

The Quality, Metrics and Statistics division reports on performance management within the state. They report of occupational illness, injury and fatalities within the state. They utilize six sigma related projects which reduces the amount of injury or illness dramatically within the workplace.

Workplace fatalities have steadily declined from 1992 which was the first year that statistics were collected. Fatalities have fallen from a high of 195 per year in 1994 to 127 fatalities per year in 2014.

Over the past three years, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting related deaths has increased by nearly 40% from 16 in 2011 to 27 in 2014.

b. INOSHA

The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration's primary responsibility is to help improve workplace safety and practices. They conduct periodic inspections…...

Organics trip to the local grocery store will reveal that organic vegetables and fruits not only look better than their non-organic counterparts: they are in many cases also not that much more expensive. As a result, many mainstream supermarkets are starting to carry organic lines of produce, offering more choice to consumers. The Albertson's chain in ashington State recently started stocking shelves with organic coffee; UK food retail giant Safeway added organic meats to its shelves, all of which is locally produced. Increasing numbers of packaged foods are being made with organic ingredients and many of them don't cost more than non-organic counterparts. However, the organic food industry still has a long uphill battle to fight. Organic agriculture is a system of production that eliminates "the use of synthetic inputs, such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, veterinary drugs, genetically modified seeds and breeds, preservatives, additives and irradiation," replacing them with…...

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Works Cited

Albertsons and Equal Exchange Coffee Team Up To Please Consumers and Small Farmers." Equal Exchange. 29 Jan 2003. Online at  http://www.equalexchange.com/news_info/pr1.03.htm .

Cowley, Geoffrey. "Certified Organic." Newsweek. 30 Sept 2002.

Frequently Asked Questions About Organic Agriculture." FAO. Online at http://www.fao.org/organicag/fram11-e.htm.

Safeway Organic Meat is 100% Sourced." Eurofood. 15 Aug 2002. On FindArticles.com.  http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DQA/is_2002_August_15/ai_90623214 .

Organic Agriculture, Gardening and Retail
Organic Gardening

Global Emerging Industry

The purpose of this work is to explore the feasibility of entering into the industry of either retail of organic food or perhaps the possible agricultural realm of the organic food industry. This work will examine all aspects of the organic food industry in brief as well as exploring the marketing possibilities as well as the financial report of a sampling of those doing business within this industry.

Organic food products are growing in terms of customer demand and that is good news for those in the business and indeed for those who desire to see this industry expand which will offer more choices in health wise consumption to consumers as well as providing employment for those who may be otherwise considered non-employable due to educational limitations and finally this industry may very well provide at least some of the answers as to sustainability…...

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Bibliography:

10 Reasons to Buy Local Food (2004) [Online] available at:  http://www.mariquita.com/articles/10reasons.local.htm 

Whole Food Market Investor Relations [Online] located at:  http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/investor/fiscal04highlights.html 

United States Department of Agriculture (2004) (USDA) News Release No. 0423.04[Online] available at:   contentid=http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/p/s.70a/7010B?contentidonly=true& ;

Whole Foods Market: Our History [Online] available at:  http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company/history.html

Macroeconomics -- Inflation
Domestic and national news are constantly talking about the rapid changes and increases in prices of basic commodities today. Prime commodities for a specific economy or country are discussed with the same intensity as changes in the global market prices for important, universal necessities such as oil. Prices of basic commodities are not the only ones susceptible to increasing in value. Services, too, particularly wages, are subjected to increases ultimately driven by union power or collective bargaining agreements between manufacturing companies and corporations and its workforce. Changes in the supply of raw materials used to produce products and commodities and services required to mass produce these products or to provide services on a large scale are the drivers that serve as catalysts to price increases. This increase in prices and costs of products and services over time, respectively, is called inflation (Maunder et al., 2000, p. 147).

elated to…...

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References

Maunder, P. (2000). Economics Explained. UK: Collins Education.

Tymkiw, C. (2012). "Food prices on the rise as drought worsens." CNN Money Website. Retrieved 23 July 2012. Available at:  http://money.cnn.com/2012/07/25/investing/corn-food-prices/index.htm?iid=Popular

USDA ole in America
This report shall be a summary of the role of the United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA. The lens through which the analysis of the agency will be done is the Baldridge Criteria for Performance Excellence. To start with, there will be an organizational profile, a self-analysis and a narrative summary of recommendations that come from the profile and analysis. The seven categories that will be done as part of the Baldridge-assisted analysis are leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, measurement/analysis/knowledge management, workforce focus, operations focus and result. There will be important aspects and details that will be touched up on with each section. While some may dismiss the role of the United States Department of Agriculture as being mundane and unimportant, this could not be further from the truth.

USDA Analyzed

Organizational Profile

As explained on the United States Department of Agriculture website, the agency is one that "provides…...

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References

Hertz, T. (2016). USDA ERS - Farm Labor: Background. ers.usda.gov. Retrieved 28 February 2016, from  http://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-labor/background.aspx 

OPM. (2016). Federal Leadership Development Programs. U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved 28 February 2016, from  https://www.opm.gov/services-for-agencies/federal-leadership-development-programs/ 

USDA. (2011). Customer Service Plan. USDA.gov. Retrieved 28 February 2016, from  http://www.usda.gov/documents/usda-customer-service-plan-nov2011.pdf 

USDA. (2016). About USDA -- USDA. USDA.gov. Retrieved 28 February 2016, from  http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=ABOUT_USDA

ut neophytes should not attempt to do this. Halved coconuts can be dried in one of two ways. The first is by letting them dry by the heat of the sun, which takes a longer time. The other and faster way is by heating them. A bamboo house or shack without walls is built at about 3 feet above the ground. It has only a roof and a floor. The halved coconuts are piled on the floor. Some coconut husks are piled beneath the shack but not too close to burn the shack. A torch is used to set fire on these piled coconut husks but they are monitored carefully. More fire is set if it turns low. The halved coconuts turn brown and separate from the shells when ready for scooping. Just enough heat from medium to low is used to avoid burning. When the fruits at the…...

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Albert, Jose Ramon G. How Important is Agriculture in the Economy? National

Statistical Coordination Board: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2013. Retrieved on May 1, 2014 from  http://www.nscb.gov.ph/beyondthenumbers/2013/04122013_jrga_agri.asp 

Baas, Stephen and Ramasamy, Selvaraju. Coconut Leaf Pruning in Bicol Region,

Philippines. Technologies and Practices for Small Agricultural Producers, 2013.

Blueberries
A BIEF synopsis of the Australian Blueberry Industry

Introductory Production Information

Australian and World production

Average Yields

Plant Description

Botanical Classification

Important varieties

Morphological features

Seasonal growth cycle

Native to North America, the blueberry, is also known as bilberries, whortleberries and hurtle berries, (Filippone 2006). The blueberry is a member of the Ericaceae, or Heather family and its growth was regulated by the indigenous peoples of North America (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada 2005). Blueberries are of the genus Vaccinium, which originates from the Latin word vacca, which means cow. Captain James Cook, circa late 1700s, noted in his records that cows really liked to eat this tasty berry (Filippone 2006). The first European settlers recognized these berries to be analogous to kinds of berries found in their land of birth. For example, there's the blaeberry which is found in Scotland, whortleberries in Ireland, bilberries in Denmark, blabar in Sweden, or bickberren and blauberren in Germany (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada…...

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REFERENCES

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. 2005. 'Crop Profile for Wild Blueberry in Canada'. Prepared by: Pesticide Risk Reduction Program

Asoex, 2007. Fruit Export Statistics. Chilean Federal Association of Exporting.

AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS (ABS) 2008. Agricultural Commodities: Small Area Data, Australia, 2005-06 (Reissue), ABS No 7125.0.

Australian Blueberry Growers Association (ABGA). 2011. Retrieved from:  http://www.australianblueberries.com.au/the_blueberry_story.php

It stated that the future negotiations will "try to achieve substantial improvements in market access; reductions of, with a view to phasing out, all forms of export subsidies; and substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic support" (Beghin, oland-Holst and Van Der Mensbrugghe, 2002).
6. Possible future developments

All in all, the topic on the international trade of agricultural products remains opened for further discussions; and the most likely outcome is an increase in the efforts made by the World Trade Organization to resolve the disputes and complaints of the participants in the meaning of reducing and even eliminating export subsidies, while in the same time easing the access to the markets in the high income countries.

eferences

Ballenger, N., Blaylock, J., 2003, Consumer Driven Agriculture, Amber Waves, Volume 1 Issue

Beghin, J.C., Aksoy, a., 2003, Agricultural Trade and the Doha ound: Lessons from Commodity Studies, Center for Agricultural and ural Development, Iowa State University, etrieved…...

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References

Ballenger, N., Blaylock, J., 2003, Consumer Driven Agriculture, Amber Waves, Volume 1 Issue

Beghin, J.C., Aksoy, a., 2003, Agricultural Trade and the Doha Round: Lessons from Commodity Studies, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa State University, Retrieved at   March 9, 2008http://www.card.iastate.edu/publications/DBS/PDFFiles/03bp42.pdfon 

Beghin, J.C., Roland-Holst, D., Van Der Mensbrugghe, D., 2002, Global Agriculture and the Doha Round: What Are the Implications for the North and South?, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, Iowa State University, Retrieved at   March 9, 2008http://www.card.iastate.edu/publications/DBS/PDFFiles/02wp308.pdfon 

Schmitz, a., Koo, W., Moss, C., 2003, International Agricultural Trade Disputes: Case Studies in North America, Department of Food and Resource Economics, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

1. Agricultural emergency management plays a crucial role in ensuring sustainable farming practices by helping farmers mitigate risks and recover from disasters efficiently.

2. The unpredictability of natural disasters such as droughts, floods, and pests underscores the importance of proactive agricultural emergency management strategies in safeguarding crop yields and livelihoods.

3. Implementing well-designed emergency response plans and investing in disaster preparedness can significantly reduce the negative impact of emergencies on agricultural production and contribute to long-term sustainability.

4. Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, making it imperative for farmers to incorporate agricultural emergency management....

The intricate tapestry of agricultural systems serves as the backbone of global sustenance, nourishing populations and sustaining livelihoods worldwide. However, the ever-evolving landscape of natural and man-made hazards poses a constant threat to this vital sector. In the face of these challenges, the imperative for effective agricultural emergency management emerges as a critical imperative for ensuring food security, economic resilience, and societal well-being. This essay delves into the compelling need for agricultural emergency management, exploring its multifaceted dimensions through a qualitative analysis of diverse stakeholders' perspectives.

Natural calamities, such as hurricanes, floods, and droughts, inflict devastating impacts on agricultural systems. In....

Emergency managers play a crucial role in disaster management, coordinating response efforts and mitigating the impact of natural disasters and other emergencies. Their expertise is vital in ensuring the safety and well-being of communities during and after disasters.

In agricultural settings, emergency managers can provide valuable support and guidance to farmers and agricultural businesses in preparing for and responding to emergencies that threaten their operations and livelihoods.

Soil is often referred to as the foundation of life on Earth. It is a complex mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, air, and living organisms that provides a critical medium for plant growth. Without soil, plants would struggle to obtain the necessary nutrients, water, and support they need to survive and thrive. Soil is considered the essential medium for plant growth due to its role in providing a stable physical structure, serving as a reservoir for water and nutrients, and hosting a vast array of beneficial microorganisms that aid in plant health.

One of the key reasons why soil....