Strategic Audit of Zara International †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Examine about the Strategic Audit of Zara International. Answer: Presentation Zara International is the greatest name in todays dress retail showcase. The organization was built up in the year 1974 by Amancio Ortega in Spain. Their home office is situated in Arteixo. At present, Zara has in excess of 2,200 stores in 93 nations under the lead of Inditex Group (Zara, 2017). The center results of the organization are isolated into three: mens, womens and childrens apparel. On to it, they have a wide scope of attire and frill, for example, purses, adornments and footwear. Zaras capacity to dispatch and item and make it accessible in the market inside about fourteen days made it eminent in the market, as different contenders took a base time of a half year for the activity (zara official web, 2017). A SWOT examination alongside four business vital investigation is done in the report for an away from of the organization and its condition. Three key issues have been called attention to in the report with proposals for tentative arrangement (Zara Official Website, 201 7). SWOT Analysis: Strength The organization has biggest chain far and wide. They are working in 93 nations with in excess of 2,200 stores. Their solid flexibly chain and conveyance channel assumes a crucial job in their activity and fills in as a quality. They utilize a vertically incorporated framework with capacity to reproduce style. Their broadened scope of items isolates them from other comparable organizations. Also, their remarks and assessment areas in each stores esteem their clients sentiment which makes them novel (zara Swot, 2017). Shortcoming Zara has a concentrated creation, which cause them an immense work cost. This is a major downside of the organization that should be taken care of. Another shortcoming of the organization is the low interest in the notice. Their online business area is feeble contrasted with the block and divider stores. The utilization of their euro-driven model additionally fills in as soft spot for their brands as they are working in a worldwide level. Ultimately, Zara International has been labeled as imitators which present danger to their picture. They have to improve their originator segment to defeat the reality (Bull et al., 2016). Opportunity There are various open doors lies before the organization that can be utilized for additional turn of events. Companys originators joint efforts could grow the organization into new markets like the BRIC nations. The expanding market request by the purchasers is an open door for the organization as they can give quick pattern apparel (Cortez et al., 2014). Dangers Then again, there are expected dangers in that should be considered in earlier. Right off the bat, their Spain based assembling is turning out to be increasingly costly, which they have to decentralize. Different organizations developing business sector coordinated efforts and more extensive objective market is conceivable danger for the organization. Moreover, their oversaturation in Europe showcase draws negative impression. Last yet not the least, the chance of replicating the companys system by the adversaries is the greatest conceivable danger Zara International is looking right now. This will leave them without any choices however to acquire change their business system (Anwar, 2017). Key Analysis So as to frame a vital arrangement for the eventual fate of the organization for guaranteeing the entrenched notoriety and the continuous achievement, a key examination of the organization is fundamental. With the end goal of the report, distinguishing proof and assessment of four business systems are introduced. Corporate Strategy Corporate methodology or otherwise called corporate level procedure is the blend of vital choices that a business takes for the general development of the organization. This procedure impacts the whole association. Zara has quality of acquiring any item advertise inside about fourteen days which is a one of a kind selling process that necessities further misuse. Individuals everywhere throughout the world have a propensity of getting items than other which is an essential point that will enhance this thought of bringing items before others. Another point Zara centers around which helped them making their progress is their proficient flexibly chain. Both the methodologies needs higher creation cost. Subsequently, Zara needs to hold their value position, which will empower them to draw clients for new style items which will guarantee the ceaseless income for the organization (Furrer, 2016). Business Level It is the procedure where the organization looks to see how an association ought to contend in every one of its vital specialty units. Cost authority, Differentiation and market center are the key ideas of the Business level system. Zara is a name that the clients look forward as the forefront style provider with ease. This is one of the prime reasons that caused organization to accomplish the position it is today. To keep up the position, it is essential for the organization to concentrate on the perspective and keep up a ceaseless up-degree in the items. They have to think about the expense of the creation while changing the plans. Then again, certain product offerings needs more concentration to increase new open doors for improving the flexibly chain and furthermore keep up the high chain showcase. Companys quick dynamic gracefully chain is the focal point of this which should be taken care of. As their procedures are notable to the rivals in the market, it is vital for Zara Inte rnational for building up the chain with more effectiveness. The innovation assumes an imperative job in keeping up a quick gracefully chain which is building up each second. To stay aware of the innovation and keep up the quick flexibly, Zara needs to concentrate on innovation and its efficiencies which require a legitimate business level system (Hill, Jones Schilling, 2014: Drnevich Croson, 2013). Future Strategies As a quick pattern style organization, Zara International should concentrate on the development. Consistent structure financial weight put Zara into the circumstance where they have to chop down the creation cost. The main way it is feasible for the organization is to underline in assembling zone where new creative plans can make light of the job for cutting the creation cost. Along these lines, the organization will have the option to accomplish the objective without trading off their morals (Caro, 2012). The executives Strategy This degree of methodology centers around the improvement of the adequacy of activity inside the organization. The reason for this is to consider its to be choices as explicit to a useful territory of the associations. The organization is acclaimed for quick style. The organization should concentrate on the redistributing. This may prompted question the quality administration and representative relationship the executives. It can likewise cause strategy making issues. It will require new thoughts and presentation on new plans in item. It will in the end produce new culture based items which can build the interest. In any case, it will assist the organization with managing their conveyance progressively proficient way. Something else which must be considered is the eco benevolent methodology. As the contenders are at the companys tail in the eco inviting crucial, needs to set another benchmark for the reason that can stay with the well ahead (Zara contextual analysis, 2017). Key Issues Faced by the Company One of the major key issues of Zara worldwide is the promoting as they dont publicize through conventional media. Just a chose scarcely any business embraces this procedure and Zara is one of them. However, it doesn't imply that the business has caught the most extreme market. The business needs commercial to get to more chances. Being an incorporated organization, Zara worldwide has a widespread financial system for all the nation. However, the evaluating system of the organization needs to fluctuate contingent upon the countrys economy and the obligations the organization needs to pay in that nation for working together. Subsequently, there is an obvious requirement for a superior estimating technique for each nation. On to it, they need proficient fashioners to deliver cost productive garments to manage the financial weight all around. The plans that are accessible at Zara are European based remembering the European condition which should be changed. For instance, Asian nations need increasingly various dress dependent on their climate. In any case, there are just ordinary fabrics accessible at Zara Stores the world over. Suggestions In the first place, the organization should begin thinking all around and consider the way of life of the nation they are managing in. The organization supplies the design pieces of clothing that are lauded by the western nations. The flexibly of culture based design will build the interest. The moral issues that are looked by the organization should be managed. At long last, the clients recommendations ought to be given most extreme need. The negative recommendations ought to be quickly managed to hold their likings toward their item as the clients fulfillment ought to be of prime enthusiasm to holdthe present client steadfastness. End The organization is a settled universal design retailer. They are well known for their quick design and acquiring the item stores inside about fourteen days of dispatch. This is simply the region where the organization recognizes from other comparable organizations that likewise requiring little to no effort. The SWOT investigation that has been introduced in the report distinguishes a few shortcomings and dangers that should be joined in. A few issues are recognized in business systems, for example, all inclusive valuing procedure that should be changed so as to proceed with their uprising in the business. One of the significant issues is the evaluating and the monetary weight that has been distinguished under key business gives needs a legitimate arrangement as notice in the report. Last however not the least, the suggestion that are made in the report ought to be completely checked and executed. References Anwar, S. T. (2017). Zara versus Uniqlo: Leadership systems in the serious material and attire industry.Global Business and Organizational Excellence,36(5),

Geography as a Defining Feature of the Caribbean free essay sample

The Caribbean district, situated in the tropics, stretches out in a wide bend of more than 4000 km from the Bahamas in the north to Guyana and Suriname in the south. The area likewise incorporates, in light of chronicled factors, Belize which is in Central America flanking Mexico and Guatemala. The nations are generally extraordinary in physical and populace size just as landforms and geography. Three marine geological highlights, frequently intermixed, are clear in the breadth of the Caribbean archipelago and in the terrain regions. There is initial an external ring of chiefly coral islands with white sand sea shores from The Bahamas, to the Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands and grasping pieces of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the eastern pieces of Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, the Grenadines, portions of Grenada, Tobago and Barbados. The second inward ring of progressively volcanic islands, with dark sands, incorporates the islands of the Greater Antilles Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. We will compose a custom article test on Topography as a Defining Feature of the Caribbean or on the other hand any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page The inward ring additionally incorporates St. Kitts, the western pieces of Guadeloupe, Dominica, portions of St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and parts of Grenada. The third particular element is the alluvial shore of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana (Cayenne) on the South American territory between the tremendous estuaries of the Orinoco and the Amazon. It is to be noticed that Dominica, St. Vincent and a large portion of St. Kitts have no white sand sea shores. The volcanic debris that describes these islands is very rich. Truly, St. Kitts has delivered sugar stick with yields practically identical to those of high return sugar-creating nations, similar to Australia and Cuba. The verdant green of the valleys in St. Vincent means that the fruitfulness of the dirt in that island. Guyana and Suriname have ceaselessly sloppy ocean coasts, with little possibilities for the conventional sun and sand-type the travel industry. The residue from the streams in South America that void into the territory between the estuaries of the Orinoco and the Amazon waterways has made that ocean coast a standout amongst other angling grounds on the planet. There can be discovered a wide assortment of fish and among the biggest types of prawns. These nations likewise have the potential for critical eco-the travel industry advancement. There are four unique kinds of scenes that describe the locale. The vast majority of Cuba, the Bahamas, Belize and the Turks and Caicos Islands, Barbados and parts of Guadeloupe comprise of limestone levels. At that point there are the precipitous nations, for example, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. There is the circular segment of volcanic precipitous islands from Saba to Grenada through the Windward and Leeward Islands. In the area, a few dynamic volcanoes exist. These are available in Montserrat, where as of late, because of volcanic movement, a great part of the populace has been cleared to close by islands and to Britain. Some volcanic action likewise as of now exists in St.Vincent, Martinique and Guadeloupe. At long last, there are the Guianas (Group of three nations on the South American territory) framed of old stone. The Caribbean nations differ in size (populace, land territory) and height. Among the most populated Caribbean nations are Cuba, Dominican Republic and Haiti, while those with the littlest populace incorporate Turks and Caicos, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands. As far as land territory, the terrain regions are among the biggest including Guyana, Suriname and Belize, while the bigger islands incorporate Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. The nations with the most elevated height incorporate Jamaica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guyana and Belize. A significant number of the Caribbean nations are dependent upon seismic tremors, volcanic and little scope geothermal movement. Seismic tremors are increasingly visit in the Northern Caribbean islands. A few seismic tremors have been very solid. The beach front territories the Caribbean nations are described by generally contrasting highlights. These incorporate coral reefs, enormous and little sand hindrances, mangroves, tidal ponds, waterway estuaries and high precipices. Coral reefs keep on being framed in numerous zones of the district. These are the characterizing highlights of the Caribbean.

A Spacious Yet Cozy Home Designed For Book Lovers And Cats Critical Linking, November 12, 2017

A Spacious Yet Cozy Home Designed For Book Lovers And Cats Critical Linking, November 12, 2017 Sponsored by Renegades by Marissa Meyer. Designed by  the  Barker Freeman Design Office  (BFDO), it reflects the personalities of its inhabitants, and it is easy to see that the people living in it are huge book loversâ€"there are shelves of books in almost every room, including the kitchen. The space  has also been designed to accommodate the needs of its feline residents, two “shy but inquisitive cats.” The continuous ledge above the bookshelf in the living area is the perfect place from which they can people-watch, while specially created trapdoors allow them to move up to the second floor. The search is over. Ive found my dream book-and-cat space.   ____________________ Last month, the Turkish Statistical Institute announced that the number of public library memberships in Turkey increased by 24.1 percent in 2016, compared to the previous year. In a time of terror, political uncertainty, and a coup attempt, Turks took refuge in libraries. Some Istanbul libraries owe their existence to taxes; others to banks; one to an English monarch. SALT is located in the previous headquarters of the Ottoman Bank, which was founded in 1856 on the orders of Queen Victoria, a friend of the westernizing Sultan Abdulmecid.  The building opened at a time when Turkish-British commercial ties were at their peak. Today, its library houses 110,000 books. Last year, it served more than 47,000  readers. This piece on Istanbuls libraries is totally fascinating, especially the part about the role of banks in keeping them going.   ____________________ The futuristic five-story library occupies an area of 33,700 square meters and is filled with 1.2 million books in a space straight out of a sci-fi novel, which even includes a gigantic eye. A feast for the eyes of hungry readers.   ____________________ Both are quick to acknowledge that PAL is not the first or only library of its kind. Catedral points to friends whose work she is inspired by, such as the  Feminist Library on Wheels  and the  Free Black Women’s Library. PAL is currently showing alongside both as part of the 25 libraries invited by  Wendy’s Subway Reading Room’s exhibit at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. When they’re not showing at exhibitions, PAL has a “home on the Internet.” Policarpio noted that while this initially sparked some confusion from people who wanted to visit the library, PAL’s  social media accounts  allow them to interact with interested readers. “People are like, ‘Oh there are Filipino writers? There’s Filipino literature?’ People can go their entire lives without reading Filipino literature that we were so fortunate to have,” Policarpio said. A pop-up library meant to showcase Filipino-American literature? Sounds brilliant.   Sign up to Today In Books to receive  daily news and miscellany from the world of books. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

Types of Evidence You Might Use for the History of Ancient Iran or Persia

The Barriers Of Entrepreneur s Face - 2386 Words

Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, once said, â€Å"All you need is a laptop or a PC and an Internet connection and you can pretty much do almost anything and create almost any type of company.† While it is true that technology has made it easier for people to start their own companies, there are many barriers that people face in becoming entrepreneurs. While there are many barriers that entrepreneur’s face, I will focus on the psychological, financial, legal, market entry, and human barriers to starting a business. The reason I choose these is because they cover a majority of the larger issues that owners face starting a business. While some entrepreneurs may have it in them to over come all of these barriers, a good amount of them will struggle turning their small business into a larger more successful business. The second part of this paper we will analyze the probably of an entrepreneur taking his or her small his and transforming it into a l arger. Ultimately, the question I want to answer in this research paper is: What are the barriers people face starting their own business, and once they start it what are the chances of it developing into a successful full time operation? While people think of great ideas everyday, not everyone has the ability take that idea and execute it. A lot of the time the reason is psychological. People have this mental blocks inside their head. According to an article from entreprnuer.com, there are seven pivotal mentalShow MoreRelatedFactors That Affect The Health Of Small Business And Entrepreneurship982 Words   |  4 Pagesstronger than ever, but they also face newer and more challenges or inhibitors to their growth than their older counter parts. This research will attempt to find the answer to the following hypothetical question: What are the barriers to entry, inhibitors to growth, and detriments to the health of small business and entrepreneurship today? 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He raised funds for the Endurance expeditions during their exploration of the Antarctic, interviewed and hired his crew members and showed great leadership spirit in the face of various problems faced. The review of the case study attempts to answer the following questions in relation to the Epic Voyage and its similarities to leadership and entrepreneurial activities today. 1. In what context should the EnduranceRead MoreComparison Between E-Business and Traditional Business1559 Words   |  7 Pagesrespect to the macro-environments. The macro-environment components can influence the way entrepreneurs use the internet to coordinate export businesses. Analysis of the macro-environment comprises of cultural, economic, competition, political and legal factors that affect the way business transactions are made today. CULTURAL CHALLENGES In the cultural dimension, traditional business entrepreneurs will face a major challenge. 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Entrepreneurs turn their dreams and imagination into reality throughRead MoreHow Skilled Immigrant Entrepreneurs Are Beneficial?1510 Words   |  7 Pagespart, this particular group is becoming more prominent due to the fact that many are becoming entrepreneurs, especially in the Silicon Valley. Thus, I am interested in finding out how skilled immigrant entrepreneurs are beneficial in numerous aspects such as economic growth, innovation, public policy and societal changes. Moreover, I want to explore what challenges and opportunities these immigrants face and how their involvemen t within Silicon Valley provide a beneficial influence for growth. OneRead MoreThe Impact Of Tourism On Tourism And Hospitality Business Essay1215 Words   |  5 Pagesvery different from that in other economic sectors. Specifically, the vast majority of entrepreneurs in tourism is lifestylers, meaning that they are not motivated by economic factors (Morrison et al., 1999). The significance of lifestyle motives within tourism entrepreneurship presents a particular feature that sets this sector apart from the rest within the UK economy, and brings certain challenges to entrepreneurs in this sector. 2. ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES IN THE INDUSTRY Studies have shownRead MoreMarketing Project : Future Startup Essay1004 Words   |  5 Pages Event Partnership, Content Partnership and Content Sponsorship etc. Content Development support: SD Asia creates content about startups, entrepreneurs and business in Bangladesh by connecting with its audience here in the country and tapping into a larger audience overseas. sdasia.co intends to inspire action through creating market access for entrepreneurs through capacity development, mentorship, funding linkage alongside startup job network etc. Brand Promotion toolkit: Horin Branding serves

Brush Yo Teeth Free Essays

Brush your teeth added 8-7-97 Original Author Unknown Sung to: â€Å"Row, Row Row your Boat† Brush, brush, brush your teeth. At least two times a day. Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, Fighting tooth decay. We will write a custom essay sample on Brush Yo Teeth or any similar topic only for you Order Now Floss, floss,floss your teeth. Every single day. Gently, gently, gently,gently, Whisking Plaque away. Rinse, rinse, rinse your teeth Every single day. Swishing, swishing, swishing, swishing, Fighting tooth decay. * Brush twice a day with an ADA — accepted fluoride toothpaste to remove plaque-the sticky film on teeth that’s the main cause of tooth decay. Floss daily to remove plaque from between your teeth and under the gumline, before it can harden into tartar. Once tartar has formed, it can only be removed by a professional cleaning. * Eat a well-balanced diet that limits starchy or sugary foods, which produce plaque acids that cause tooth decay. When you do eat these foods, try to eat them with your meal instead of as a snack-the extra saliva produced during a meal helps rinse food from the mouth. * Use dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste. * Make sure that your children’s drinking water is fluoridated. If your water supply; municipal, well or bottled does not contain fluoride, your dentist or pediatrician may prescribe daily fluoride supplements. * Take your child to the dentist for regular checkups. What Brushing Techniques Can I Show My Child? You may want to supervise your children until they get the hang of these simple steps: * Use a pea-sized dab of an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste. Take care that your child does not swallow the toothpaste. * Using a soft-bristled toothbrush, brush the inside surface of each tooth first, where plaque may accumulate most. Brush gently back and forth. * Clean the outer surfaces of each tooth. Angle the brush along the outer gumline. Gently brush back and forth. * Brush the chewing surface of each tooth. Gently brush back and forth. * Use the tip of the brush to clean behind each front tooth, both top and bottom. * It’s always fun to brush the tongue! When Should My Child Begin Flossing? Because flossing removes food particles and plaque between teeth that brushing misses, you should floss for your children beginning at age 4. By the time they reach age 8, most kids can begin flossing for themselves. What are Dental Sealants and How Do I Know if My Child Needs Them? A dental sealant creates a highly-effective barrier against decay. Sealants are thin plastic coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of a child’s permanent back teeth, where most cavities form. Applying a sealant is not painful and can be performed in one dental visit. Your dentist can tell you whether your child might benefit from a dental sealant. What is Fluoride and How Do I Know if My Child is Getting the Right Amount? Fluoride is one of the best ways to help prevent against tooth decay. A naturally occurring mineral, fluoride combines with the tooth’s enamel to strengthen it. In many municipal water supplies, the right amount of fluoride is added for proper tooth development. To find out whether your water contains fluoride, and how much, call your local water district. If your water supply does not contain any (or enough) fluoride, your child’s pediatrician or dentist may suggest using fluoride drops or a mouthrinse in addition to a fluoride toothpaste. How Important is Diet to My Child’s Oral Health? A balanced diet is necessary for your child to develop strong, decay-resistant teeth. In addition to a full range of vitamins and minerals, a child’s diet should include plenty of calcium, phosphorous, and proper levels of fluoride. If fluoride is your child’s greatest protection against tooth decay, then frequent snacking may be the biggest enemy. The sugars and starches found in many foods and snacks like cookies, candies, dried fruit, soft drinks, pretzels and potato chips combine with plaque on teeth to create acids. These acids attack the tooth enamel and may lead to cavities. Each â€Å"plaque attack† can last up to 20 minutes after a meal or snack has been finished. Even a little nibble can create plaque acids. So it’s best to limit snacking between meals. What Should I Do if My Child Chips, Breaks or Knocks Out a Tooth? With any injury to your child’s mouth, you should contact your dentist immediately. The dentist will want to examine the affected area and determine appropriate treatment. If your child is in pain from a broken, cracked or chipped tooth, you should visit the dentist immediately. You may want to give an over-the-counter pain reliever to your child until his/her appointment. If possible, keep any part of the tooth that has broken off and take this with you to the dentist. If a tooth is completely knocked out of the mouth by an injury, take the tooth to your dentist as soon as possible. Handle the tooth as little as possible — do not wipe or otherwise clean the tooth. Store the tooth in water or milk until you get to a dentist. It may be possible for the tooth to be placed back into your child’s mouth, a procedure called reimplantation. Fine motor and measuring Toothpaste Putty In bowl, mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon white glue, and ? teaspoon toothpaste (not gel). Add ? teaspoon water. Stir until mixture is soft like putty. Putty may begin to harden in 20 minutes; to soften add a drop of water. Projects will dry hard in 24 hours. The more you pull and stretch this like taffy the better it gets. I also keep a small container like a tuna can on the table with a little water in it. This putty dries fast and if the children just dip their fingers periodically in the water and then handle the putty the few drops of water restores the texture. You can make a picture recipe of this and each child can follow the recipe to make their own personal amount of this dough How to cite Brush Yo Teeth, Papers

The Hoverboard Craze Essay Example

The Hoverboard Craze Paper Despite all of the complications with both the law and regarding safety, hoverboards were likely the number one gift on Christmas lists in 2015. Less than a month before Christmas, on Black Friday alone, over 5,000 hoverboards were sold on eBay (Booth). Some may ask, â€Å"What exactly is a hoverboard? Well, they do not allow a person to hover, but a rider can effortlessly glide on two wheels; hoverboards are a fun and portable version of a Segway, without the pole and handlebars. The real name of these new electric transporters is the self-balancing scooter, but many owners have adopted the term hoverboard as an easier way to refer to them. The technology is rather recent, contributing to 2015 being considered by some, â€Å"the year of the hoverboard† (Murphy). Malcolm Gladwell is the author of a book called The Tipping Point. In his bestselling book, Gladwell describes some previously unknown concepts that take place in our society. One of the concepts he explains is the t ipping point. Gladwell describes in his book that â€Å"The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire† (Gladwell). So 2015 was likely labeled the year of the hoverboard because the boards â€Å"tipped.† Due in part to a number of various famous figures including Justin Bieber, the exciting and newly developed technology of self-balancing scooters, or hoverboards, has tipped into popularity during the year of 2015. One might ask how the craze over hoverboards has started around the globe. Well, if you’re making money over this craze, you can thank celebrities who have been riding hoverboards. Justin Bieber and Wiz Khalifa are both avid hoverboard riders, and they have posted about it on social media on more than one occasion, with an audience of millions. Other important figures seen riding hoverboards include Jamie Foxx, Usain Bolt, Skrillex, and Chris Brown (Best Electric Ho We will write a custom essay sample on The Hoverboard Craze specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Hoverboard Craze specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Hoverboard Craze specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

20 Topics Contemporary Issues in U.S. Education for an Informative Speech

20 Topics Contemporary Issues in U.S. Education for an Informative Speech Despite being one of world’s foremost literate country, contemporary issues still plague the U.S. education system. If you are currently studying these or informative speeches as part of your curriculum, your instructor will get you to write an assignment on one of the issues at hand. If you do not have the time to begin in-depth research, you can take your pick from the 20 topics listed below. The Loopholes and Inconsistencies in the Common Core State Standards The Positive Impact of the Common Core State Standards in 42 States How the No Child Left Behind Act Failed Students, Educators and Schools Transparency and Accountability of Teacher Assessment Under the NCLB act Systematic Budget Cuts of The US Educational System. The Inefficiency in Educational System Resource Management Over the Last Decade The Economical and Educational Risk Factors of School Violence How to Reduce, Prevent and Control Violence in School The Realities English as a Secondary Language Students Face in the Current Education System How to Integrate ESL Learners in the School Environment Effectively Understanding the Needs of Gifted Students Defining the Factors Necessary for Creating an Effective Educational Program for Gifted Students The Realities of Gender Bias in Today’s American Schools An Objective Look at the Current Gender Based Policies Made for Schools An Assessment of the Efficiency of the High Stakes Test for Evaluating Teachers The Effects of Politics and Elections on the US Educational System Incentivizing School Teachers to Motivate Them Towards Better Education and Classroom Environments How to Attract Fresh Graduates to Take Up Teaching as a Long-Term Profession The Effects of Students’ Environments at Home and School on their Learning Patterns The Feasibility of Designing Education Systems per State Based on Their Demographics If you need more help with any of these topics, you can check out our 10 facts on contemporary issues in U.S. education for an informative speech for guidance and inspiration. However, if you need help writing an informative speech, you should check out our how to write an informative speech about education guide for help and valuable tips. To give you an idea of how to write an informative speech on a contemporary issue in the U.S. Education system, here is a quick sample for your review. Sample Informative Speech: How to Reduce, Prevent and Control Violence in School School violence is one of the biggest contemporary issues within the U.S. Educational system. However, teachers, parents, community members and even students can work together to make sure that there is no violence altogether. It is important that they all collaborate as there is not only one factor that triggers violent tendencies. Violent actions should be stopped before they happen because controlling them afterwards can become messier. There have been instances where students have carried weapons in schools and went undetected by metal detectors and security measures. This proves that weapons can make their way to campus easily. Therefore, it is time to demotivate students from becoming violent while providing safety guarantees for others before they begin fearing coming to school. There are various alternate solutions provided by Public Health that have more effective results. For starters, students should be encouraged to join extracurricular activities that can assist them to solve their personal issues in a healthier way rather than becoming violent. School based violence prevention programs can help reduce the aggressive behavior amongst students. These prevention programs must teach students about controlling their emotions, self-awareness, self-esteem, teamwork, how to behave in a society, and conflict resolution. However, it is equally important to prepare and inform students about what to do when a violent altercation occurs between peers. Another reality schools need to face is that violent physical episodes cannot just happen between students. There have been instances where school administrations have winded up getting physically hurt as well. Therefore, school-based prevention programs should not just be subliminal. Students should be bluntly told how a small fight can lead to permanent injuries and even deaths. Teachers play an active role in the fulfillment of these awareness and prevention programs. By building healthy and friendly relationships with their students, teachers can listen to children’s struggles outside of the school and be their pillar of support. This way, violent attitude and behaviors have less room to grow. A responsible teacher who listens to his or her students cannot only make the student’s life easier, but also improve the classroom environment, reduce conflicts, and prevent fights from happening in the school premises. There should be an open channel relationship between the parent and the teacher. If both of them are in sync, they can align their strategies if the child has been showing aggressive tendencies. Both teachers and parents need to assume responsibility if the other is showing negligence. As some parents might find it offensive if they are told that they are not being responsible enough, having monthly workshops about the role of parents in reducing children’s stress for the parents generally can be a better solution. The school itself should be physically altered so that there is accountability at all times. This type of security should be obscured because the idea is to teach the children to be nonviolent, not force them to. The staff should also be told to keep a lookout for altercations, hidden cameras should be placed, and the hedges in the play area should be kept to waist height. You can definitely come up with a better speech if you put your heart into it, so get going and begin informative speech writing right away. References: Hankin A, Hertz M, Simon T. Impacts of metal detector use in schools: insights from 15 years of research. Journal of School Health 2011;81 100-106. Levine, M. D. (1994). Educational care: A system for understanding and helping children with learning problems at home and in school. Cambridge, MA: Educators Pub. Service. High Stakes Testing Pros and Cons. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2016, from education.com/magazine/article/high-stakes-testing-pros-cons/ Weishaar, M. K. (2007). Case studies in special education law: No Child Left Behind Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall. Berger, E. H., Riojas-Cortez, M. (n.d.). Parents as partners in education: Families and schools working together. Khalsa, S. S. (2007). Break the bully cycle: Intervention techniques activities to create a respectful school community. Tucson, AZ: Good Year Books. Schneider, M. (n.d.). Introduction to public health.

Before Exams 7 Helpful Memory Improvement Tecniques

Before Exams 7 Helpful Memory Improvement Tecniques Exams often cause a lot of anxiety to students because of the amount of information theyre expected to master in a short time. If youre afraid your memory will fail you during your tests, dont worry. There are several ways you can boost your memory and retention before test day. Here are some great practices that will improve your memory: Get Your Zs While pulling an all-nighter to cram the night before an exam may seem like a good idea, allowing you extra hours of studying, it can actually have a negative effect on your exam outcome. Thats because sleep is an important part of brain function. Your brain actually synthesizes the information it learned during sleep. Sleep also aids in memory formation, allowing you to recall information later. Without these hours of rest and rejuvenation, the brains cognitive abilities are inhibited. Its much more effective for you to get a good nights sleep than to push through until dawn looking over information you may not be able to remember anyway. If you have no choice and need to study at night, at least find out how to study for a test the night before without harming your he Diet Give yourself some healthy brain food before an exam. Dont skip any meals. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and omega 3 fatty acids. Some high-power brain foods are: Broccoli and cauliflower Walnuts Chickpeas Red meat Blueberries Olive oil Salmon Avocado Eggs Exercise Getting a bit of exercise before a test is a great way to increase the blood and oxygen flow to the brain. A quick run or bicycle ride in the morning or some jumping jacks, yoga or calisthenics should be enough to get your heart rate up and your blood pumping. Physical exercise is also a great way to boost your mood and overall sense of well-being an ideal state of mind and body to be in before you take your exam. Association A lot of exam studying is memorization, but, unfortunately, memorization is short term, meaning youll likely forget the information soon after you take the test. Learning how to make associations can help you to retain the information for longer. For example, you could make up Acronyms or letter associations for certain concepts such as Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally which stands for the order of operations for mathematical problems (Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, Subtraction). Creating a rhyme could also help you remember important names or dates (In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue). More tips on memorizing you can find in our post on how to develop photographic memory. Visualization Visualization is a powerful technique that can be used for all subjects. If youre studying for a History exam, try to imagine the events as they take place. If youve watched a documentary or film about the events, try to incorporate those images into your memory. For a Biology exam, recall the slides of the different specimen you studied. Visualize their movements and behaviors and apply that to the concepts you learned in class. For a math exam, you can visualize equations in their most simple forms and use that to apply to more complicated equations on the exam. Also, you should try the technique of building mind palace (like Sherlock, you know?). Divide and conquer Dont study for all of your exams all at once. Instead, focus on one at a time. By taking one subject and reviewing your notes and using some of the techniques mentioned above, youre creating a specific compartment in your brain for you to recall that information. Mixing all of the information up will cause some confusing cross-referencing when its time to take the exams. See your studying through from start to finish on one subject, allowing some time to review your notes before the big test. Relaxation Probably the worst thing you can do to your exam performance is stress out. A little adrenaline is natural, but going into a downward spiral of negative thinking, anxiety and even hyperventilation will only make things worse. Stress causes your blood vessels to constrict, inhibiting the flow of blood and oxygen throughout the body, including to the brain. Without these necessary elements, the brains function also gets reduced. If you have a tendency to stress out before a big test or exam, try taking some time right before the test to relax. Find a quiet spot, or put on some headphones and listen to some soothing music. Take several long, deep breaths. Search for any tension in your body and see if youre able to relax those tense areas. When the time comes to start the exam, maintain that relaxed state of mind and if you feel yourself tensing up, take deep breaths and remember to relax.

The Passion Food Catering Parties Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Passion Food Catering Parties - Lab Report Example In the events and parties that will be organized by this business, the serving of items will be carried out under strict supervision to ensure that the clients get the best services from the service provider. Passion Food will rent space for the office and kitchen in the same region where it will be located. Renting the kitchen and the offices will be done in the industrial areas of the town. This is done to ensure that the cost of the rent is kept as low as possible. Due to the fact that space will be used to prepare and store food, there is no need of having a store that is aesthetically pleasing or stores that are in a classy or nice neighborhood. Passion Food d projected to generate annual revenue of about $ 100000.This revenue is expected to rise after the first three years of operation after the business is able to cut a niche for itself in the catering industry. For every business that wants to get into the markets and succeed, it is very important that a market research is carried outlaw market research entails studying and evaluating the current market in order to fully understand the dynamics of the market. Market research provides the business with the much need information that it will require in order to be able to operate efficiently and to be able to match and even outdoor the competitors in the market. It is due to this reason that a market research is required before the Food Passion business is rolled out. The market research, in this case, is done for three major goals and reasons. First of all, the market research is will be carried out in order to understand the dynamics of the catering industry. With this understanding, the business will be able to determine the best-operating ways that will enhance its efficiency and profitability.  

Marxist and Funtionalist Perspectives on Inequality of Educational Essay

Marxist and Funtionalist Perspectives on Inequality of Educational Achievement Due to Social Class - Essay Example At the least, the democratic socialist countries would be expected to have achieved greater educational equality among citizens of distinct class backgrounds. It was found that the Soviet Union has not achieved educational equality to a noticeable extent, based on its characterization as a state capitalist country, deeply divided by class distinctions, and with the state bureaucracy at its core (Liston, 1988). Ramirez (2006) argues that cross-nationally, family background is clearly related to academic achievement; however, there is extensive cross-national variation in the correlation between achievement and aspirations. According to Ream and Palardy (2008), ‘social capital’ forms one of the components of social class which includes material and human capital. The researchers examined how parental social networks divided by class increase educational inequality among school children. Further, the authors used survey data to determine whether â€Å"certain forms of pare ntal social capital create educational advantages for socioeconomically privileged students vis-a-vis their less economically fortunate peers† (Ream and Palardy, 2008, p.238). Distinguishing between the availability of social capital and its convertibility, while greater extents of parental social capital was found to be concurrent with higher rungs in the social class ladder; the utility value of social capital for education was not clearly related to class status. A possible exception to this tendency could be the collective influence of middle-class parents’ ideas on beneficially changing school policies and practices. It is important to investigate whether the economic and sociological reasons for inequality can promote â€Å"educationally useful... As the paper stresses distinguishing between the availability of social capital and its convertibility, while greater extents of parental social capital was found to be concurrent with higher rungs in the social class ladder; the utility value of social capital for education was not clearly related to class status. A possible exception to this tendency could be the collective influence of middle-class parents’ ideas on beneficially changing school policies and practices. It is important to investigate whether the economic and sociological reasons for inequality can promote â€Å"educationally useful social exchange among parents across social boundaries†. This discussion explores that social justice and equity in connection with higher education is an important area of research towards policy formulation. These concepts help to create a more impartial, courteous, and just society for everyone. This conceptualization focuses on society as a whole; however â€Å"higher education research literature looks inward towards higher education itself†. In the social composition of higher education’s staff and student populations, it is found that equity and social justice agendas are imported from the wider society. This approach considers the rules of the competition as unfair if particular social groups are excluded or placed in a disadvantageous position in the competition for higher education. Functionalism is characterised as a set of three interrelatedd theses about the social world.

Gherkin and Pomegranate Cultivation

Gherkin and Pomegranate Cultivation Abstract Horticulture is an important component of agriculture accounting for a very significant share in the Indian economy. Rising consumer income and changing lifestyles are creating bigger markets for high-value horticultural products in India as well as throughout the world. Among these, the most important high-value export products are fruits and vegetables. This study was conducted to analyze the comparative advantage and competitiveness of pomegranate and gherkin which are the important foreign exchange earner among fruit and vegetable crops exported from India. The primary data was collected from Tumkur and Bijapur district of Karnataka, India and secondary data was collected from concerned government institutions, APEDA and also from exporters of fruits and vegetables. The Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) was selected as the analytical tool to analyse the export competitiveness, comparative advantage, and the degree of government interventions in the production and export of gherkin and pomegranate. The policy distortions were measured through indicators of PAM. Garret ranking technique was used to analyse the constraints in the production and export of the selected crops. EPC of Gherkin (0.5) and pomegranate (0.45) values which found to be less than one indicates that producers are not protected through policy interventions. Whereas DRC (0.27 0.28) and PCR (0.43 0.59) values of Gherkin and Pomegranate respectively shows positive, social as well as private profit which indicates that, India has a competitive and comparative advantage in their production. The result for Garret ranking in case of gherkin shows that skilled labour and lack of superior quality are the major constraints in production and export of gherkin respectively. In case of pomegranate non availability of skilled labour, high incidence of pest and diseases, lack of transportation facilities, high residual effect of pesticide are the major constrain in production and export. The overall result shows that the cultivation as well as export of gherkin and pomegranate is economically profitable and efficient. Key Words: Gherkin, Pomegranate, PAM, EPC and DRC List of Acronyms Variable Definition APEDA Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority CIF Cost Insurance and Freight Crores 10 million DRC Domestic Resource Cost EPC Effective Protection Coefficient EU European Union FAOSTAT Food and Agriculture Organization Statistics FOB Free On Border FYM Farm Yard Manure ha Hectares HEIA Horticulture Export Improvement Association kg Kilogram MHA Million Hectare MT Million Tons NHB National Horticulture Board NPCI Nominal Protection Coefficient on Inputs NPCO Nominal Protection Coefficient on Outputs NPV Net Present Value PAM Policy Analysis Matrix PCR Private Cost Ratio INR Indian Rupees UAE United Arab Emirates UK United Kingdom UNCOMTRADE United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics UNFAO United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization USA United States of America 1. Introduction 1.1 Background Indian agriculture is vested with the herculean responsibility of feeding over more than one billion people. Out of total, 72% of Indias population live in rural areas, further three-fourth of the rural populations depend on agriculture and allied activities for their livelihoods. The present growth in agriculture in India is hassle with problems most importantly, agricultural growth slowed down to 2.1% between 1998-99 and 2004-05. It is largely due to a decline in the food grain sector that grew at merely 0.6%. Given the high dependence of the poor on agriculture, the stagnation in this sector is currently threatening to stall poverty reduction in India (Reddy, 2007). Given the present scenario, the immediate question to be addressed is how agricultural growth can be accelerated. The question can be answered through by diversifying the consumption pattern towards high value agricultural commodities in general and high value horticultural products in particular such as fruits and vegetables. In recent years there has been a great deal of interest among policymakers and trade analysts in the role of horticultural products as a principle means of agricultural diversification and foreign exchange earnings in developing countries. Horticultural products have high income elasticity of demand as income goes up the demand raises rapidly. It grows especially in middle and high income developing countries. As people are more cautious on health and nutrition, there is a paradigm shift from high fat, high cholesterol foods such as meat and live stock products to low fat and low cholesterol foods such as fruits and vegetables. As a result, the world has change d its attention towards high value agricultural products. Hence, it is crucial to be competitive in the world market to reap the potential gains of increased and growing world demand for horticultural products such as fruits and vegetables. Thus, the purpose of the present study attempts to evaluate the consequences of international trade and competitiveness of Indian horticulture with special reference to pomegranate and gherkin crops. In the recent past, these two crops got high export potential and earned good foreign exchange. 1.2 Studies on export of fruits and vegetables There are many studies related to export of horticultural crops especially fruits and vegetables from India. Chiniwar (2009) explained the numerous opportunities and challenges of the horticulture sector and observed that there is a tremendous potential for Indian pomegranates in the global market. He examined the growth of pomegranate exports from India. The study revealed that the growth of pomegranate exports from India is moderate in comparision to the potential for its exports. Tamanna et al. (1999) examined the export potential of selected fruits from India by using Nominal Protection Coefficient (NPC). The results indicate that the exports of Indian fruits are highly competitive in the world market. Nalini et al. (2008) observed that India has made tremendous progress in the export of cucumber and gherkin products during the past 15 years (1990-2005). The export has increased by about 129 times with an impressive annual compound growth rate of 37.46 percent, as against only 4. 38 percent in the world market. An increasing and high value of Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) and a positive and increasing value for Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) have indicated high potential for their export. One percent increase in volume of international trade in cucumber and gherkin may increase the demand from India by 5.96 percent. This indicates that India is highly competitive in the export of cucumber and gherkin. It has ample scope to further increase its export. Gulati et al. (1994) analyzed the export competitiveness of selected agricultural commodities and identified the constraints in the export of fresh fruits, vegetables, processed fruits and vegetables. The above studies are related to export performance, growth, and constraints of fruits and vegetables. Most of these studies focused on aspects pertaining to export of fruits and vegetables. There are no studies on export policy especially related to efficiency and comparative advantage in world market. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to analyze the export competitiveness of pomegranate and gherkin by using Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM). The study has a high scope because competitiveness has become a key issue in the international market for export development of fruits and vegetables. 1.3 Research objectives In the present study, the export competitiveness of high value horticultural crops of India is analyzed. To be very precise, the study analyzes the competitiveness of gherkin and pomegranate in the world market. It also compares the advantages and constraints in the export of these crops with the following objectives and proposed hypothesis, which will be tested based on the results and conclusion. Specific objectives To assess the export competitiveness of Gherkin and Pomegranate To examine the production and export constraints of Gherkin and Pomegranate Hypothesis Export of gherkin and pomegranate are competitive in international markets 1.4 Structure of the thesis The study contains the results of the analysis of export competitiveness of horticultural crops in India. In the present study, opportunities are analyzed, constraints in production and export of gherkins and pomegranates from India. We further analyze the competitiveness and comparative advantage of these two crops in international market. The detailed information of this analysis is discussed in the following sections of the study. The first section of the thesis gives us an introduction and background on the nature of the problem, facts on the dynamics and underlying causes diversifying the consumption pattern of high value horticultural commodities. Further, a brief overview of existing studies on Indian agricultural and horticultural growth, export performance, and constraints will be discussed. The research question is broken down into specific objectives and a possible hypothesis has been put forth. The second section of the thesis will give a general overview of fruit and vegetable scenario in the world as well as in India. The section also explains the importance of selected fruit and vegetable by considering production, export and foreign exchange earnings which will help us to understand the export competitiveness of these crops from India. The third section deals with methodological framework which deals with the concepts and competitiveness of high value horticultural crops from India focusing on the application of PAM model for the study. In the same chapter, the current literature and outline of the major definitions for competitiveness and comparative advantage are studied. The above proposed model will be used as a tool to address the research objectives followed by data description. Fourth section highlights the findings of the research from the proposed model using collected information on pomegranate and gherkin cultivation, and their export. Finally, the proposed hypothesis is tested and the results inferred. The final section summarizes the whole research findings and provides meaningful policy implications. 2. Scenario of fruits and vegetables in India and the world 2.1 World scenario of fruits and vegetables 2.1.1 High value agricultural production Rising consumer income and changing lifestyles are creating bigger markets for high value agricultural products throughout the world. Among these, the most important high value export sector is horticulture, especially fruits and vegetables. The growing markets for these products present an opportunity for the farmers of developing countries to diversify their production out of staple grains and raise their income. Annual growth rates on the order of 8 to 10 percent in high value agricultural products is promising development (Fig.1), as the production, processing and marketing of these products create a lot of needed employment in rural areas. The rapid growth in high value exports has been part of fundamental and broad reaching trend towards globalization of the agro food system. Dietary changes, trade reform and technical changes in the food industry have contributed to the growth of high value agriculture and trade (World Bank, 2008). 2.1.2 World production of fruit and vegetables The production of fruit and vegetables all over the world grew by 30 percent between 1980 to 1990 and by 56 percent between 1990 to 2003. Much of this growth occurred in China where production grew up by 134 percent in 1980 and climbed to 200 percent by 1990 (UNFAO 2003). At present the world production of fruits and vegetables reached to 512 MT and 946.7MT respectively (Table 1 5). Vegetables: China is currently the worlds largest producer of vegetables, with the production 448.9 MT with an area of 23.9 MHA (47%) (Table 1), whereas India is in the 2nd position with the production of 125.8 MT with an area of 7.8 MHA (13%) followed by USA (4%), Turkey (3%) etc (Indian Horticulture Database, 2008) (Fig.2). Among the vegetable crops gherkin is considered for the study as it is one of the most important vegetable all over the world. Table 2 shows the international production of cucumber and gherkin from different parts of the world during 2007-08. China, Turkey, Iran, Russia and USA are the world largest producers of cucumber and gherkin (Table 3), whereas India position in the production is 34th but it reached 1st (Table 3) and 55th (Table 4) position in export of provisionally preserved and fresh cucumber gherkin respectively. Table 1 Major vegetables producing countries in the world (2007-08) Country Area(000 ha) Production(000 MT) Productivity(MT/ha) China 23936 448983 19 India 7803 125887 16 USA 1333 38075 29 Turkey 996 24454 25 Russia 970 16516 17 Egypt 598 16041 27 Iran 641 15993 25 Italy 528 13587 26 Spain 379 12676 33 Japan 433 11938 28 Others 16957 222625 13 Total 54573 946774 Source: Indian Horticulture Database (2008) Table 2 International production of cucumber and gherkin (2007-08) Country Production (MT) Share (%) China 28062000 62.9 Turkey 1875919 4.21 Iran, Islamic republic 1720000 3.86 Russian federation 1410000 3.16 USA 920000 2.06 Ukraine 775000 1.74 Japan 634000 1.42 Egypt 615000 1.38 Indonesia 600000 1.34 Spain 510000 1.14 Mexico 500000 1.12 Poland 492000 1.10 Iraq 480000 1.08 Netherland 445000 1.00 India 120000 0.27 Others 5452024 12.22 World 44610943 100 Source: Author, FAO (2008) Table 3 Major exporting countries of fresh cucumber and gherkin (2007) Country Value (USD) Share (%) Spain 557088 30.13 Mexico 437369 23.65 Netherland 419824 22.70 Canada 81707 4.42 Germany 44437 2.40 Turkey 40300 2.18 Greece 38920 2.10 Iran 27768 1.50 Belgium 25361 1.37 USA 16313 0.88 India 235 0.01 Others 159815 8.64 World 1849137 Source: Data from Agricultural and Processed food products Export development Authority (APEDA), India. Table 4 Major exporting countries of preserved cucumber and gherkin Country Value (USD) Share (%) India 33476 49.39 China 16754 24.72 Turkey 4193 6.19 Netherlands 3397 5.01 Belgium 2670 3.94 Vietnam 40300 2.11 Sri Lanka 1003 1.48 Germany 925 1.37 Spain 596 0.88 USA 992 0.87 World 65040 Source: U.N COMTRADE (2007) Fruits: World fruit production has steadily risen for the past four years (see Appendix 3 ). Table 5 shows the largest fresh fruit producers from different countries during 2007-08. China is the worlds largest fruit producer, producing 19 percent of the world fruits. India ranks second in the list of world producer accounting 12 percent of the worlds production followed by Brazil, where 7 percent of the worlds fruit was grown. (Figure 3) As production is increasing in China at alarming rate compare to other top producing countries. Production growth almost averaged 6 percent per year in China, while production growth in India averaged 2.73 percent per year. The EU experienced the lower annual growth rate of 0.89 percent. Whereas, the production in USA and Brazil has been relatively constant over the period, with average annual growth rates of 0.61 percent for the former and 0.34 percent for the later. Other countries Mexico, South Africa and Chile have experienced slightly higher av erage annual production growth rates of 2.12, 2.56 and 1.3 percent respectively over the same period (FAOSTAT 2008). Among all fruits pomegranate is considered for the present study. Figure 4 shows India is the world largest producer of pomegranate with 900 MT (36%) followed by Iran (31%), Iraq (3%), USA (4%) etc. Over the years Indias export rate for pomegranate has grown steadily to worth of INR0.61 million (US$13741) in 2007-08 with the share of 1.2 percent (Table 6). Table 5 Major fruit producing countries in the world (2007-08) Country Area(000 ha) Production(000 MT) Productivity(MT/ha) China 9587 94418 10 India 5775 63503 11 Brazil 1777 36818 21 USA 1168 24962 21 Italy 1246 17891 14 Spain 1835 15293 8 Mexico 1100 15041 14 Turkey 1049 12390 12 Iran 1256 12102 10 Indonesia 846 11615 14 Others 22841 208036 9 Total 48481 512070 Source: FAO Indian Horticulture Database (2008) Table 6 Pomegranate export from different parts of the world (2007) Country Value (USD) Share (%) Thailand 172781 15.06 Spain 138911 12.11 Vietnam 84532 7.37 Mexico 67739 5.91 Netherlands 63858 5.57 Madagascar 53822 4.69 Israel 45219 3.94 Uzbekistan 44128 3.85 Colombia 40459 3.53 Azerbaijan 37977 3.31 France 36975 3.22 Germany 17750 1.55 India 13741 1.20 Others 309565 27.45 World 1127457 100 Source: Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), India 2.2 Scenario of fruits and vegetables in India. Horticulture is an important component of agriculture accounting for a very significant share in the Indian economy. It is identified as one of the potential sector for harnessing Indias competitive advantage in international trade. Further it prepares India to achieve an overall trade target of 1% or more in the share of world trade. Meanwhile, making the country self-sufficient in the last few decades, horticulture has played a very significant role in earning foreign exchange through export. Horticultural crops cover approximately 8.5 percent of total cropped area (20 MHA) (Table 7) with annual production of 207 MT, and productivity of 10.3 MT per hectare during the year 2007-08 (FAO Indian Horticulture Database 2008). Among the horticultural crops fruits and vegetables play an important role, whereas exports of fruits and vegetables have increased over the years (Table 8). During 2004-05 export of fruits and vegetables was INR 13637.13 million as against INR 24116.57 million during 2006-07 (APEDA, 2008) Table 7 Area, production and productivity of horticultural crops in India Year Area (MHA) Production (MT) Productivity (MT/ha) ) 2001-02 16.6 145.8 8.8 2002-03 16.3 144.4 8.9 2003-04 19.2 153.3 21 2004-05 21.1 170.8 8.1 2005-06 18.7 182.8 9.8 2006-07 19.4 191.8 9.9 2007-08 20.1 207.0 10.3 Source: FAO Indian Horticulture Database (2008) Table 8 Export of horticultural produce in India Products 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Floriculture seeds 34496 2871 42659 3922 50048 7713 Fresh Fruits vegetables 1296530 13637 1465040 16587 1983873 24117 Processed fruits vegetables 325293 9614 501826 13595 549949 17316 Total 1656319 261227 2009525 341051 258387 491459 Source: APEDA, India Note: Qty: MT, value : Million INR Vegetables: In vegetable production, India is next to China with a production of 125.8 million tonnes from 7.8 million hectares with a share of 13 percent in relation to world production (Table 9). The per capital consumption of vegetables is 120 grams per day (APEDA 2009). In case of Fresh vegetable Indias export has been increased from INR 433.14 Crore in 2006-07 to Rs 489.49 Crore in 2007-08. Major Export Destinations of these vegetables are UAE, UK, Nepal, and Saudi Arabia. (APEDA, 2009) Table 9 Area, production and productivity of vegetable crops in India Year Area (MHA) Production (MT) Productivity (MT/ha) ) 2001-02 6156 88622 14.4 2002-03 6092 84815 13.9 2003-04 6082 88334 14.5 2004-05 6744 101246 15.0 2005-06 7213 111399 15.4 2006-07 7584 115011 15.2 2007-08 7803 125887 16.1 Source: FAO Indian Horticulture Database (2008) Among all vegetables gherkin is considered for the present study due to following reasons. Indias export of gherkin has been steadily increased since 1997-98. It accounts for 24,490 tonnes of gherkins having an export potential of INR 50.27 crore as against 35,242 tonnes worth of INR 69.86 crore in 1999-2000 (Venkatesh, 2003). In recent year gherkin export has been increased to 61.5 million tonnes with a trade value of INR1465.5 million during 2007-08 (UNFAO Export Data, 2009). 2.2.1 Production and export importance of gherkin in India Gherkin crop is being selected for the present study. It is regarded as HEIA crop especially a hybrid crop. Gherkin cultivation and processing started in India in the early 90s and presently cultivated over 19,500 acres in the three southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Although gherkin can grow virtually in any part of the country, the ideal conditions required for growth prevail in these three states where the growing season extends throughout the year. It requires adequate water and temperature between 15-36 degree centigrade and the right type of soil. The crop takes 85 days to reach the required maturity level. Productivity is approximately four to five tonnes per acre and the best months are from February to March followed by June to August. India is a major exporter of provisionally preserved gherkin. Table 10 11 shows the cucumber and gherkin export from India. In India, Karnataka stands first in export, where cultivation is steadily growing since 2001 -02 accounting for a worth of INR 1200 million. During 2006-07 gherkins accounts to INR 3133 million which has been exported (Table 12). Table 10 Cucumber and gherkin exports from India (2007-08) Country Value( Million INR) Quantity (Tonnes) Share (%) ) UAE 1.96 142.75 17.55 Bangladesh 1.92 290.00 17.17 Netherland 1.78 93.10 15.92 Russia 1.66 83.50 14.91 Estonia 0.80 43.94 7.17 Nepal 0.75 74.42 6.75 Oman 0.75 70.00 6.74 Spain 0.55 31.82 4.95 France 0.47 20.21 4.27 Others 0.51 26.42 4.56 Total 11.20 876.18 100 Source: Gherkin and Pomegranate Cultivation Gherkin and Pomegranate Cultivation Abstract Horticulture is an important component of agriculture accounting for a very significant share in the Indian economy. Rising consumer income and changing lifestyles are creating bigger markets for high-value horticultural products in India as well as throughout the world. Among these, the most important high-value export products are fruits and vegetables. This study was conducted to analyze the comparative advantage and competitiveness of pomegranate and gherkin which are the important foreign exchange earner among fruit and vegetable crops exported from India. The primary data was collected from Tumkur and Bijapur district of Karnataka, India and secondary data was collected from concerned government institutions, APEDA and also from exporters of fruits and vegetables. The Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM) was selected as the analytical tool to analyse the export competitiveness, comparative advantage, and the degree of government interventions in the production and export of gherkin and pomegranate. The policy distortions were measured through indicators of PAM. Garret ranking technique was used to analyse the constraints in the production and export of the selected crops. EPC of Gherkin (0.5) and pomegranate (0.45) values which found to be less than one indicates that producers are not protected through policy interventions. Whereas DRC (0.27 0.28) and PCR (0.43 0.59) values of Gherkin and Pomegranate respectively shows positive, social as well as private profit which indicates that, India has a competitive and comparative advantage in their production. The result for Garret ranking in case of gherkin shows that skilled labour and lack of superior quality are the major constraints in production and export of gherkin respectively. In case of pomegranate non availability of skilled labour, high incidence of pest and diseases, lack of transportation facilities, high residual effect of pesticide are the major constrain in production and export. The overall result shows that the cultivation as well as export of gherkin and pomegranate is economically profitable and efficient. Key Words: Gherkin, Pomegranate, PAM, EPC and DRC List of Acronyms Variable Definition APEDA Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority CIF Cost Insurance and Freight Crores 10 million DRC Domestic Resource Cost EPC Effective Protection Coefficient EU European Union FAOSTAT Food and Agriculture Organization Statistics FOB Free On Border FYM Farm Yard Manure ha Hectares HEIA Horticulture Export Improvement Association kg Kilogram MHA Million Hectare MT Million Tons NHB National Horticulture Board NPCI Nominal Protection Coefficient on Inputs NPCO Nominal Protection Coefficient on Outputs NPV Net Present Value PAM Policy Analysis Matrix PCR Private Cost Ratio INR Indian Rupees UAE United Arab Emirates UK United Kingdom UNCOMTRADE United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics UNFAO United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization USA United States of America 1. Introduction 1.1 Background Indian agriculture is vested with the herculean responsibility of feeding over more than one billion people. Out of total, 72% of Indias population live in rural areas, further three-fourth of the rural populations depend on agriculture and allied activities for their livelihoods. The present growth in agriculture in India is hassle with problems most importantly, agricultural growth slowed down to 2.1% between 1998-99 and 2004-05. It is largely due to a decline in the food grain sector that grew at merely 0.6%. Given the high dependence of the poor on agriculture, the stagnation in this sector is currently threatening to stall poverty reduction in India (Reddy, 2007). Given the present scenario, the immediate question to be addressed is how agricultural growth can be accelerated. The question can be answered through by diversifying the consumption pattern towards high value agricultural commodities in general and high value horticultural products in particular such as fruits and vegetables. In recent years there has been a great deal of interest among policymakers and trade analysts in the role of horticultural products as a principle means of agricultural diversification and foreign exchange earnings in developing countries. Horticultural products have high income elasticity of demand as income goes up the demand raises rapidly. It grows especially in middle and high income developing countries. As people are more cautious on health and nutrition, there is a paradigm shift from high fat, high cholesterol foods such as meat and live stock products to low fat and low cholesterol foods such as fruits and vegetables. As a result, the world has change d its attention towards high value agricultural products. Hence, it is crucial to be competitive in the world market to reap the potential gains of increased and growing world demand for horticultural products such as fruits and vegetables. Thus, the purpose of the present study attempts to evaluate the consequences of international trade and competitiveness of Indian horticulture with special reference to pomegranate and gherkin crops. In the recent past, these two crops got high export potential and earned good foreign exchange. 1.2 Studies on export of fruits and vegetables There are many studies related to export of horticultural crops especially fruits and vegetables from India. Chiniwar (2009) explained the numerous opportunities and challenges of the horticulture sector and observed that there is a tremendous potential for Indian pomegranates in the global market. He examined the growth of pomegranate exports from India. The study revealed that the growth of pomegranate exports from India is moderate in comparision to the potential for its exports. Tamanna et al. (1999) examined the export potential of selected fruits from India by using Nominal Protection Coefficient (NPC). The results indicate that the exports of Indian fruits are highly competitive in the world market. Nalini et al. (2008) observed that India has made tremendous progress in the export of cucumber and gherkin products during the past 15 years (1990-2005). The export has increased by about 129 times with an impressive annual compound growth rate of 37.46 percent, as against only 4. 38 percent in the world market. An increasing and high value of Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) and a positive and increasing value for Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) have indicated high potential for their export. One percent increase in volume of international trade in cucumber and gherkin may increase the demand from India by 5.96 percent. This indicates that India is highly competitive in the export of cucumber and gherkin. It has ample scope to further increase its export. Gulati et al. (1994) analyzed the export competitiveness of selected agricultural commodities and identified the constraints in the export of fresh fruits, vegetables, processed fruits and vegetables. The above studies are related to export performance, growth, and constraints of fruits and vegetables. Most of these studies focused on aspects pertaining to export of fruits and vegetables. There are no studies on export policy especially related to efficiency and comparative advantage in world market. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to analyze the export competitiveness of pomegranate and gherkin by using Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM). The study has a high scope because competitiveness has become a key issue in the international market for export development of fruits and vegetables. 1.3 Research objectives In the present study, the export competitiveness of high value horticultural crops of India is analyzed. To be very precise, the study analyzes the competitiveness of gherkin and pomegranate in the world market. It also compares the advantages and constraints in the export of these crops with the following objectives and proposed hypothesis, which will be tested based on the results and conclusion. Specific objectives To assess the export competitiveness of Gherkin and Pomegranate To examine the production and export constraints of Gherkin and Pomegranate Hypothesis Export of gherkin and pomegranate are competitive in international markets 1.4 Structure of the thesis The study contains the results of the analysis of export competitiveness of horticultural crops in India. In the present study, opportunities are analyzed, constraints in production and export of gherkins and pomegranates from India. We further analyze the competitiveness and comparative advantage of these two crops in international market. The detailed information of this analysis is discussed in the following sections of the study. The first section of the thesis gives us an introduction and background on the nature of the problem, facts on the dynamics and underlying causes diversifying the consumption pattern of high value horticultural commodities. Further, a brief overview of existing studies on Indian agricultural and horticultural growth, export performance, and constraints will be discussed. The research question is broken down into specific objectives and a possible hypothesis has been put forth. The second section of the thesis will give a general overview of fruit and vegetable scenario in the world as well as in India. The section also explains the importance of selected fruit and vegetable by considering production, export and foreign exchange earnings which will help us to understand the export competitiveness of these crops from India. The third section deals with methodological framework which deals with the concepts and competitiveness of high value horticultural crops from India focusing on the application of PAM model for the study. In the same chapter, the current literature and outline of the major definitions for competitiveness and comparative advantage are studied. The above proposed model will be used as a tool to address the research objectives followed by data description. Fourth section highlights the findings of the research from the proposed model using collected information on pomegranate and gherkin cultivation, and their export. Finally, the proposed hypothesis is tested and the results inferred. The final section summarizes the whole research findings and provides meaningful policy implications. 2. Scenario of fruits and vegetables in India and the world 2.1 World scenario of fruits and vegetables 2.1.1 High value agricultural production Rising consumer income and changing lifestyles are creating bigger markets for high value agricultural products throughout the world. Among these, the most important high value export sector is horticulture, especially fruits and vegetables. The growing markets for these products present an opportunity for the farmers of developing countries to diversify their production out of staple grains and raise their income. Annual growth rates on the order of 8 to 10 percent in high value agricultural products is promising development (Fig.1), as the production, processing and marketing of these products create a lot of needed employment in rural areas. The rapid growth in high value exports has been part of fundamental and broad reaching trend towards globalization of the agro food system. Dietary changes, trade reform and technical changes in the food industry have contributed to the growth of high value agriculture and trade (World Bank, 2008). 2.1.2 World production of fruit and vegetables The production of fruit and vegetables all over the world grew by 30 percent between 1980 to 1990 and by 56 percent between 1990 to 2003. Much of this growth occurred in China where production grew up by 134 percent in 1980 and climbed to 200 percent by 1990 (UNFAO 2003). At present the world production of fruits and vegetables reached to 512 MT and 946.7MT respectively (Table 1 5). Vegetables: China is currently the worlds largest producer of vegetables, with the production 448.9 MT with an area of 23.9 MHA (47%) (Table 1), whereas India is in the 2nd position with the production of 125.8 MT with an area of 7.8 MHA (13%) followed by USA (4%), Turkey (3%) etc (Indian Horticulture Database, 2008) (Fig.2). Among the vegetable crops gherkin is considered for the study as it is one of the most important vegetable all over the world. Table 2 shows the international production of cucumber and gherkin from different parts of the world during 2007-08. China, Turkey, Iran, Russia and USA are the world largest producers of cucumber and gherkin (Table 3), whereas India position in the production is 34th but it reached 1st (Table 3) and 55th (Table 4) position in export of provisionally preserved and fresh cucumber gherkin respectively. Table 1 Major vegetables producing countries in the world (2007-08) Country Area(000 ha) Production(000 MT) Productivity(MT/ha) China 23936 448983 19 India 7803 125887 16 USA 1333 38075 29 Turkey 996 24454 25 Russia 970 16516 17 Egypt 598 16041 27 Iran 641 15993 25 Italy 528 13587 26 Spain 379 12676 33 Japan 433 11938 28 Others 16957 222625 13 Total 54573 946774 Source: Indian Horticulture Database (2008) Table 2 International production of cucumber and gherkin (2007-08) Country Production (MT) Share (%) China 28062000 62.9 Turkey 1875919 4.21 Iran, Islamic republic 1720000 3.86 Russian federation 1410000 3.16 USA 920000 2.06 Ukraine 775000 1.74 Japan 634000 1.42 Egypt 615000 1.38 Indonesia 600000 1.34 Spain 510000 1.14 Mexico 500000 1.12 Poland 492000 1.10 Iraq 480000 1.08 Netherland 445000 1.00 India 120000 0.27 Others 5452024 12.22 World 44610943 100 Source: Author, FAO (2008) Table 3 Major exporting countries of fresh cucumber and gherkin (2007) Country Value (USD) Share (%) Spain 557088 30.13 Mexico 437369 23.65 Netherland 419824 22.70 Canada 81707 4.42 Germany 44437 2.40 Turkey 40300 2.18 Greece 38920 2.10 Iran 27768 1.50 Belgium 25361 1.37 USA 16313 0.88 India 235 0.01 Others 159815 8.64 World 1849137 Source: Data from Agricultural and Processed food products Export development Authority (APEDA), India. Table 4 Major exporting countries of preserved cucumber and gherkin Country Value (USD) Share (%) India 33476 49.39 China 16754 24.72 Turkey 4193 6.19 Netherlands 3397 5.01 Belgium 2670 3.94 Vietnam 40300 2.11 Sri Lanka 1003 1.48 Germany 925 1.37 Spain 596 0.88 USA 992 0.87 World 65040 Source: U.N COMTRADE (2007) Fruits: World fruit production has steadily risen for the past four years (see Appendix 3 ). Table 5 shows the largest fresh fruit producers from different countries during 2007-08. China is the worlds largest fruit producer, producing 19 percent of the world fruits. India ranks second in the list of world producer accounting 12 percent of the worlds production followed by Brazil, where 7 percent of the worlds fruit was grown. (Figure 3) As production is increasing in China at alarming rate compare to other top producing countries. Production growth almost averaged 6 percent per year in China, while production growth in India averaged 2.73 percent per year. The EU experienced the lower annual growth rate of 0.89 percent. Whereas, the production in USA and Brazil has been relatively constant over the period, with average annual growth rates of 0.61 percent for the former and 0.34 percent for the later. Other countries Mexico, South Africa and Chile have experienced slightly higher av erage annual production growth rates of 2.12, 2.56 and 1.3 percent respectively over the same period (FAOSTAT 2008). Among all fruits pomegranate is considered for the present study. Figure 4 shows India is the world largest producer of pomegranate with 900 MT (36%) followed by Iran (31%), Iraq (3%), USA (4%) etc. Over the years Indias export rate for pomegranate has grown steadily to worth of INR0.61 million (US$13741) in 2007-08 with the share of 1.2 percent (Table 6). Table 5 Major fruit producing countries in the world (2007-08) Country Area(000 ha) Production(000 MT) Productivity(MT/ha) China 9587 94418 10 India 5775 63503 11 Brazil 1777 36818 21 USA 1168 24962 21 Italy 1246 17891 14 Spain 1835 15293 8 Mexico 1100 15041 14 Turkey 1049 12390 12 Iran 1256 12102 10 Indonesia 846 11615 14 Others 22841 208036 9 Total 48481 512070 Source: FAO Indian Horticulture Database (2008) Table 6 Pomegranate export from different parts of the world (2007) Country Value (USD) Share (%) Thailand 172781 15.06 Spain 138911 12.11 Vietnam 84532 7.37 Mexico 67739 5.91 Netherlands 63858 5.57 Madagascar 53822 4.69 Israel 45219 3.94 Uzbekistan 44128 3.85 Colombia 40459 3.53 Azerbaijan 37977 3.31 France 36975 3.22 Germany 17750 1.55 India 13741 1.20 Others 309565 27.45 World 1127457 100 Source: Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), India 2.2 Scenario of fruits and vegetables in India. Horticulture is an important component of agriculture accounting for a very significant share in the Indian economy. It is identified as one of the potential sector for harnessing Indias competitive advantage in international trade. Further it prepares India to achieve an overall trade target of 1% or more in the share of world trade. Meanwhile, making the country self-sufficient in the last few decades, horticulture has played a very significant role in earning foreign exchange through export. Horticultural crops cover approximately 8.5 percent of total cropped area (20 MHA) (Table 7) with annual production of 207 MT, and productivity of 10.3 MT per hectare during the year 2007-08 (FAO Indian Horticulture Database 2008). Among the horticultural crops fruits and vegetables play an important role, whereas exports of fruits and vegetables have increased over the years (Table 8). During 2004-05 export of fruits and vegetables was INR 13637.13 million as against INR 24116.57 million during 2006-07 (APEDA, 2008) Table 7 Area, production and productivity of horticultural crops in India Year Area (MHA) Production (MT) Productivity (MT/ha) ) 2001-02 16.6 145.8 8.8 2002-03 16.3 144.4 8.9 2003-04 19.2 153.3 21 2004-05 21.1 170.8 8.1 2005-06 18.7 182.8 9.8 2006-07 19.4 191.8 9.9 2007-08 20.1 207.0 10.3 Source: FAO Indian Horticulture Database (2008) Table 8 Export of horticultural produce in India Products 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Quantity Value Quantity Value Quantity Value Floriculture seeds 34496 2871 42659 3922 50048 7713 Fresh Fruits vegetables 1296530 13637 1465040 16587 1983873 24117 Processed fruits vegetables 325293 9614 501826 13595 549949 17316 Total 1656319 261227 2009525 341051 258387 491459 Source: APEDA, India Note: Qty: MT, value : Million INR Vegetables: In vegetable production, India is next to China with a production of 125.8 million tonnes from 7.8 million hectares with a share of 13 percent in relation to world production (Table 9). The per capital consumption of vegetables is 120 grams per day (APEDA 2009). In case of Fresh vegetable Indias export has been increased from INR 433.14 Crore in 2006-07 to Rs 489.49 Crore in 2007-08. Major Export Destinations of these vegetables are UAE, UK, Nepal, and Saudi Arabia. (APEDA, 2009) Table 9 Area, production and productivity of vegetable crops in India Year Area (MHA) Production (MT) Productivity (MT/ha) ) 2001-02 6156 88622 14.4 2002-03 6092 84815 13.9 2003-04 6082 88334 14.5 2004-05 6744 101246 15.0 2005-06 7213 111399 15.4 2006-07 7584 115011 15.2 2007-08 7803 125887 16.1 Source: FAO Indian Horticulture Database (2008) Among all vegetables gherkin is considered for the present study due to following reasons. Indias export of gherkin has been steadily increased since 1997-98. It accounts for 24,490 tonnes of gherkins having an export potential of INR 50.27 crore as against 35,242 tonnes worth of INR 69.86 crore in 1999-2000 (Venkatesh, 2003). In recent year gherkin export has been increased to 61.5 million tonnes with a trade value of INR1465.5 million during 2007-08 (UNFAO Export Data, 2009). 2.2.1 Production and export importance of gherkin in India Gherkin crop is being selected for the present study. It is regarded as HEIA crop especially a hybrid crop. Gherkin cultivation and processing started in India in the early 90s and presently cultivated over 19,500 acres in the three southern states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Although gherkin can grow virtually in any part of the country, the ideal conditions required for growth prevail in these three states where the growing season extends throughout the year. It requires adequate water and temperature between 15-36 degree centigrade and the right type of soil. The crop takes 85 days to reach the required maturity level. Productivity is approximately four to five tonnes per acre and the best months are from February to March followed by June to August. India is a major exporter of provisionally preserved gherkin. Table 10 11 shows the cucumber and gherkin export from India. In India, Karnataka stands first in export, where cultivation is steadily growing since 2001 -02 accounting for a worth of INR 1200 million. During 2006-07 gherkins accounts to INR 3133 million which has been exported (Table 12). Table 10 Cucumber and gherkin exports from India (2007-08) Country Value( Million INR) Quantity (Tonnes) Share (%) ) UAE 1.96 142.75 17.55 Bangladesh 1.92 290.00 17.17 Netherland 1.78 93.10 15.92 Russia 1.66 83.50 14.91 Estonia 0.80 43.94 7.17 Nepal 0.75 74.42 6.75 Oman 0.75 70.00 6.74 Spain 0.55 31.82 4.95 France 0.47 20.21 4.27 Others 0.51 26.42 4.56 Total 11.20 876.18 100 Source:

Nano Chemistry Essay

1.1 Definition Nanochemistry is concerned with generating and altering chemical systems, which develop special and often new effects as a result of the laws of the nanoworld. The bases for these are chemically active nanometric units such as supramolecules or nanocrystals. Nanochemistry looks set to make a great deal of progress for a large number of industry sectors. Nanotechnology exists in the realm where many scientific disciplines meet. Achievements in physics are getting progressively smaller – from valves to electronics, down to microelectronics and quantum computing. It mirrors the downsizing in focus in the biological sciences, from cells to genomics. Conversely, achievements in chemistry have been converging into the nanometre range from below – from atoms and molecules to supramolecular chemistry. Nanochemisty focuses on the unique properties of materials in the 1–100 nm scale. The physical, chemical, electrical, optical and magnetic properties of these materialsare all significantly different from both the properties of the individual building blocks (individual atoms or molecules), and also from the bulk materials.Nanochemistry is a truly multidisciplinary field, forming a bridge between nanotechnology and biotechnology, spanning the physical and life sciences. The Nanochemistry Research Institute (NRI) at Curtin carries out world-class research to provide innovative solutions to – energy and resources – materials and manufacturing – electronics – agricultural – environmental management, and – health and medical industries Nanochemistry applications in the materials, resources and energy sectors range from the design of crystalline catalysts and the control of crystal size, morphology, phase and purity, to the design and use of additives to control crystallization and inhibit scale formation. In the biological field, control of chemistry at the supramolecular level can lead to the development of a wide variety of new and improved biomaterials, such as artificial bones and tissues, as well as new pharmaceuticals and improved methods of drug delivery.1 ENGINEERING, SCIENCE ‘‘We are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they.’’ Bernard of Chartres, 12th century with nanoscience being the discipline concerned with making, manipulating and imaging materials having at least one spatial dimension in the size range 1–1000 nm and nanotechnology being a device or machine, product or process, based upon individual or multiple integrated nanoscale components, then what is nanochemistry? In its broadest terms, the de.ning feature of nanochemistry is the utilization of synthetic chemistry to make nanoscale building blocks of different size and shape, composition and surface structure, charge and functionality. These building blocks may be useful in their own right. Or in a self-assembly construction process, spontaneous, directed by templates or guided by chemically or lithographically de.ned surface patterns, they may form architectures that perform an intelligent function and portend a particular use.2 1.2 Objective of nanochemistry – Creating nanoparticles – Allowing properties of nanosystems to evolve, manipulating and controlling them – Encapsulating and transporting materials (e.g. deodorant with nanodroplets)4 1.3 Nanochemistry used in: – – Cosmetics, e.g. sunscreen, toothpaste, skincare products – Sanitary ware – Built-in ovens and baking trays – Gas-tight packaging – Screens, photographic films – Separating technology for waste water treatment and food production – Catalysers for chemical reactions – Exhaust purification5 It is also used in formation of :- – Commercialization of nanochemicals – Nanooxides of precious, ferromagnetic, rare metals (Ti, Zr etc.) Nanopolymers and membranes – Nanomaterials (cement, fertilizers) – Nanopowders in chemical applications – Nanogreen chemistry – Nano energy applications – Environmental applications of nanotechnology When thinking about self-assembly of a targeted structure from the spontaneous organization of building blocks with dimensions that are beyond the sub-nanometer scale of most molecules or macromolecules, there are five prominent principles that need to be taken into consideration. These are: (i) building blocks, scale, shape, surface structure, (ii) attractive and repulsive interactions between building blocks, equilibrium separation, (iii) reversible association–dissociation and/or adaptable motion of building blocks in assembly, lowest energy structure, (iv) building block interactions with solvents, interfaces, templates, (v) building-blocks dynamics, mass transport and agitation. A challenge for perfecting structures made by this kind of self-assembly chemistry is to .nd ways of synthesizing (bottom-up) or fabricating (top-down) building blocks not only with the right composition but also having the same size and shape. No matter which way building blocks are made they are never truly monodisperse, nless they happen to be single atoms or molecules. There always exists a degree of polydispersity in their size and shape, which is manifest in the achievable degree of structural perfection of the assembly and the nature and population of defects in the assembled system. Equally demanding is to make building blocks with a particular surface structure, charge and functionality. Surface properties will control the interactions between building blocks as well as with their environment, which ultimately determines the geometry and distances at which building blocks come to equilibrium in a self-assembled system. Relative motion between building blocks facilitates collisions between them, whilst energetically allowed aggregation deaggregation processes and corrective movements of the self-assembled structure will allow it to attain the most stable form. 6 Providing the building blocks are not too strongly bound in the assembly it will be able to adjust to an orderly structure. If on the other hand the building blocks in the assembly are too strongly interacting, they will be unable to adjust their relative positions within the assembly and a less 1 ordered structure will result. Dynamic effects involving building blocks and assemblies can occur in the liquid phase, at an air/liquid or liquid/liquid interface, on the surface of a substrate or within a template co-assembly. As this text describes, building blocks can be made out of most known organic, inorganic, polymeric, and hybrid materials. Creative ways of making spheres and cubes, sheets and discs, wires and tubes, rings and spirals, with nm to cm dimensions, abound in the materials self-assembly literature. They provide the basic construction modules for materials self-assembly over all scales, a new way of synthesizing electronic, optical, photonic, magnetic materials with hierarchical structures and complex form, which is the central theme running throughout this chapter. A .owchart describing these main ideas is shown in igure 1. Nano-, a pre.x denoting a factor, its origin in the Greek nanos, meaning dwarf. The term is often associated with the time interval of a nanosecond, a billionth of a second, and the length scale of a nanometer, a billionth of a meter or 10 A  ° . In its broadest terms, nanoscience and nanotechnology congers up visions of making, imaging, manipulating and utilizing things really small. Feynman’s prescient nano world ‘‘on the head of a pin’’ inspires scientists and technologists to venture into this uncharted nano-terrain to do something big with something small.7 1.4 Large and Small Nanomaterials It was not so long ago in the world of molecules and materials that 1 nm (1 nm  ¼ 10 A  ° ) was considered large in chemistry while 1 m m (1 m m  ¼ 1000 nm  ¼ 10,000 A  ° ) was considered small in engineering physics. Matter residing in the ‘‘fuzzy interface’’ between these large and small extremes of length scales emerged as the science of nanoscale materials and has grown into one of the most exciting and vibrant fields of endeavor, showing all the signs of having a revolutionary impact on materials as we know them today. In our time, ‘‘nano’’ has left the science reservation and entered the industrial technology consciousness and public and political perception. Indeed, bulk materials can be remodeled through bottom-up synthetic chemistry and top-down engineering physics strategies as nanomaterials in two main ways, the first by reducing one or more of their physical dimensions to the nanoscale and the second by providing them with nanoscale porosity. When talking about finely divided and porous forms of nanostructured matter, it is found that ‘‘nanomaterials characteristically exhibits physical and chemical properties different from the bulk as a consequence of having at least one spatial dimension in the size range of 1–1000 nm’’.