Genetically Modified Foods and the Labeling Debate Essay Example for Free

Genetically Modified Foods and the Labeling Debate Essay There has been an ongoing debate between consumers and the government regarding the use of Genetically Modified Foods in the market today. â€Å"Since the introduction of the Flavr Savr tomato, biotechnology companies continue to introduce genetically engineered agricultural products to consumers† (Whittaker). The â€Å"Flavr Savor† tomato was the first food available to consumers that was produced using technology involving the recombinant DNA techniques in 1993. This was the dawn of a new generation in food production, and thus a whole new world of genetically engineered foods. At the present time the government, more specifically, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not regulated labeling products that contain genetically engineered foods. Currently the policy for labeling all consumer products must meet the standards of the safety and nutritional assessment. The evaluations of genetically engineered foods by legal authority require that bioengineered foods must meet the same standards set forth for all imported and exported foods marked for human and animal consumption and according to the US FDA genetically modified (GM) foods meet these guidelines. Since the early 1990’s scientists has been researching new and improved techniques to bring plumper, juicer and insecticide resistant agricultural products to all consumers. But research such as this is nothing new to the scientific community and for over 50 years techniques have been used to create strains of wheat, rice, pears and many more crop species to create high yielding products that are capable of growing anywhere and anytime of the year. Currently, only one tenth of the world actually uses GM plants with the countries of Canada, US, Brazil and Argentina growing 90 percent of the GM crops (Freedman). With the majority of these crops being produced in North America, the US is seeing GM foods everywhere and this is drawing attention to different agencies and groups pushing to educate the public by labeling any products that contain genetically engineered foods. The US Food and Drug Administration has been dealing with the battle against labeling products with genetically modified organisms (GMO) for years, but regardless of the consistent scrutiny the FDA sticks firmly to the current regulations that govern the labeling of all foods for human and animal consumption. Under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic (FDC) Act, which drives the FDA’s safety regulations for food and food ingredients, â€Å"unless a significant safety risk exists or there is a sincere need for consumers to distinguish between food products before purchase, the FDA hesitates to mandate labeling of food products† (Leggio). Joseph A. Levitt, Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition with the US Food and Drug Administration states in his â€Å"Should the FDA Adopt a Stricter Policy on Genetically Engineered Foods? † testimony that â€Å"bioengineered foods and food ingredients must adhere to the same standards of safety under the FDC act that apply to their conventionally bred counterparts† (Levitt, 81). With the strict laws set forth, the FDA remains consistent with its decision to maintain their current labeling program as it adheres to all safety standards of any food for consumption. The US FDA also assures the public that they have done significant research for decades on biotechnology foods to ensure it is safe for consumers, and additional testing is conducted years prior to the release of a GM product to the shelves. Scientists address all of the potential concerns to include the potential to adding new allergy causing proteins, removing vital nutrients and the possibility of introducing toxins, in these studies to ensure that unexpected results do not occur, â€Å"this testing provides a way to detect such changes at the development stage† (Levitt, 79) and it will also delay any release of products until they are able to find a solution. The FDA takes such precautions and studying all aspects of this technology to be confident that the risks are non-existent. Although the government has provided the public with research, publications, testimonies and scientific proof that the current law governing the labeling of food and animal products is appropriate and doesn’t require change, there is still much concern of the risks that the technology poses to humans. Barbara Boxer, a US Senator from California, introduced the Genetically Engineered Food Right-To-Know Act in 2001 in her testimony in â€Å"Should the FDA Adopt a Stricter Policy on Genetically Engineered Foods? † which states â€Å"all foods containing or produced with genetically engineered material bear a neutral label† (Boxer, 76). This act was created based on the lack of data and concerns that GM products are introducing risks of exposure to many health issues to include food allergens, lack of nutrition and toxic ailments. These claims are legitimate, however, the US FDA does take precautions as stated by Joseph A. Levitt, specifically with these risks while conducting trials during the developing stages of the product. In 2011 there was a petition filed against the FDA which warranted the need for labeling of GM products. According to this petition â€Å"consumers are misled when food labels do not differentiate foods with known health properties from novel foods with unknown health consequences† (Burgaard). An example of such health concerns come from a study performed in Scotland at the Rowett Institute in 1998. A plant biochemist named Arpad Pusztai conducted an experiment on rats who consumed a genetically engineered potato and his experiment concluded that the rats that were fed the modified potato â€Å"suffered growth and immune system-related changes† (Freedman). Ironically, the genetically modified potato used in this study â€Å"was not intended for human consumption it was, in fact, designed to be toxic for research purposes,† (Freedman) discrediting the research altogether. Additionally, â€Å"American Medical Association, the National Academy of Sciences, the World Health Organization, and more than twenty-five Nobel Prize-winning scientists have concluded that there is no scientific evidence that GM food carries any risk to human health and that genetically engineered crops are safe,† (Burgaard) which ties into the overall nutrition and safety assessment that genetically engineered foods meet the same standards that imported and exported foods at held too. In the end, the US Food and Drug Administration stands by the current law governing the policy on labeling genetically modified foods. They maintain their standing on mandated labeling even under the microscope of doubters, but most importantly the â€Å"FDAs process for evaluating bioengineered foods is one in which the public can have confidence that food biotechnology products must meet the laws safety standards† (Maryanski). The FDA cares deeply of the health and wellbeing of the consumers in America and strive to meet the needs of the public in both food and nutrition education. Until the studies show significant risks or changes in the GM products warranting the need to readdress the process, the government and the US Food and Drug Administration believe their approach is relevant and remain firm to the present policies. Annotated Bibliography Whittaker, Michael A. Reevaluating The Food And Drug Administrations Stand On Labeling Genetically Engineered Foods. San Diego Law Review 35. 4 (1998): 1215. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Jan. 2014. This journal review argues that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must reconsider its position on the labeling of genetically engineered food as well as consumer perceptions of the threat posed by genetically engineered foods. Freedman, David H. Are Engineered Foods Evil?. Scientific American 309. 3 (2013): 80-85. Environment Complete. Web. 2 Jan. 2014. This article discusses the debate over the safety of genetically modified (GM) crops. It covers comments from agricultural and environmental economist at the University of California, Berkeley, David Zilberman, on the benefits of GM foods compared to their health risks, a ban on GM crops by the European Union (EU), and the difference between selective plant breeding and mutagenic techniques. Leggio, Kelly A. Limitations On The Consumers Right To Know: Settling The Debate Over Labeling Of Genetically Modified Foods In The United States. San Diego Law Review 38. 3 (2001): 893. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Jan. 2014. This journal review supports the decision of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reject mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods as a solution to accommodate consumer fears. There is a description of an approach designed to evaluate whether mandatory initiatives are appropriate to protect consumers right to know and the importance for states to follow guidelines established by the FDA. Should The FDA Adopt A Stricter Policy On Genetically Engineered Foods? PRO/CON. Congressional Digest 80. 3 (2001): Pages 76-95. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 Jan. 2014. This is a two part article that discusses genetically engineered foods and the potential need to adopt a more strict policy. The articles provided information from the perspective of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Joseph A. Levitt, the director of the Center of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and US Senator, Barbara Boxer who speaks on behalf of the Genetically Engineered Food Right-to-Know Act and additional interviews that were conducted to give the audience an overall understanding of both sides of the debate. Burgaard, Sudhir. The Labeling Of Genetically Modified Foods Debate. Natural Resources Environment 28. 1 (2013): 55-57. Environment Complete. Web. 2 Jan. 2014. This article focuses on the debate on labeling of genetically modified (GM) food which reflects food safety concerns in the U. S. It highlights various legal issues related to use of GM foods which includes increased risk of antibiotic resistant bacteria, increased use of pesticides, and environmental effects. It briefs the audience about the Center for Food Safety filing a legal petition with the U. S. Food and Drug Administration regarding labeling of genetically engineered food. Maryanski, . James H. , Ph D. News Events. Genetically Engineered Foods. US Food and Drug Administration, 19 Oct. 1999. Web. 2 Jan. 2014. This testimony is from the perspective of the Biotechnology Coordinator with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that discusses the current regulations governing genetically engineered foods and the process that dictates what and how determines what a DNA derived food is labeled. It includes a variety of examples that justifies the current labeling regulations and why GM Foods may not require additional information for the consumers.

Short Speech on Singapore Universities Essay Example for Free

Short Speech on Singapore Universities Essay Good morning teacher and fellow classmates. My name is ______and today, I will be talking about the increasing amount of diversity in higher education in terms of student admissions and the different university experiences in Singapore. With 7 different local universities to choose from, A-level and polytechnic graduates nowadays have a variety of courses to choose from that suit their needs. But is diversity in schools a problem? Singapore Management University (SMU) partnered up with the American Wharton Business School in 1999 and accepted their first batch of students in 2000. To set itself apart from the more established National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), students are not only accepted based on grades, but also through panel interviews, reflective essays and their other qualities and achievements. The American-style of teaching students in small seminar groups and giving marks to students for class participation that SMU has adopted has taught their graduates to think on their feet and to speak up in a more confident, articulate and mature manner. With SMU’s increasing popularity amongst students and employers posing a challenge, both NUS and NTU are stepping up to try and draw the best students. NUS has made use of its high worldwide ranking to form partnerships with different universities around the world to offer overseas exchange programmes to its students. The NUS-town was also opened at the former Warren Golf Club site in Clementi to give students a residential college experience. Meanwhile, NTU started to focus on sciences and technology, setting up several labs  including the Future Mobility Research Lab with BMW to study the future of transportation. With 2000 graduates a year, NTU pioneered in engineering education, and is the world’s largest single-campus engineering facility. NTU students also get to spend a year with a partner university before taking up internships at start-up companies and companies abroad. In the eyes of the government, it would make sense to encourage diversity among the higher education sector to offer an education with a difference and in the process, preparing  graduates for the job market. However, this should be done carefully so as to avoid labelling the institution as purely â€Å"research-intensive† or â€Å"teaching† universities. The friendly competitions and rivalry between the schools has also encouraged the universities to build on their unique strengths. Thus, diversity in the higher education is not a problem. The different institutions provide a platform for their students to be as prepared as they can be to enter the job market according to their strengths. Thank you.

High Divorce Rates in the Military

High Divorce Rates in the Military The research paper will briefly introduce the topic of research paper work specifically defining the key words. In the discussion part, the research paper will examine the reasons for high divorce rates in the military. The research will set out reasons for high divorce rate in the military especially those of marriage age, and the previous existence marriages. It will focus also on the race impacts upon marriage, which are the largest influences behind high divorce rate in the military. The paper will explain the sociological research findings, and sociological theoretical perspectives of high divorce rates in the military. The conclusion will finally summarize the causes of high divorce rates in the military basing them on sociological theoretical perspectives. Introduction Military people are those brave individuals employed by a government in the armed forces in order to take care of national security. Divorce is a final marital union termination, and cancelling a legal marriage duties and responsibilities, and dissolving matrimonial bonds between two partners. Research indicates that military men and women have high divorce rates in the military. Discussion There are wide ranges of cases in the last few decades that have risen within the marriage institution among the military populace. Early marriages leads to a short lasting period of familial stability than those enacted later on, in adulthood. An estimate of divorce rates shows that 48 percent of all initiated first marriages ends before a wife attains the age of 18 years. The first marriages of about 25 percent begin when female spouses attains at least 25 years old. Amongst divorce predictors, establishment of age at marriage is the most consistently indicative regardless of starting period of marriage (Hack, 2008). The issue of high divorce rates is a big question for the sociologists. Sociologists have studied vigorously in order to find direction and solid reasons that lead to high divorce rates in the military. There are more informed reasons and sociological theories attempting to explain the high divorce rates in the military (Crown and Karney, 2007). The highest rate of divorce in the military branches continues to be a worsening statistic compared to other careers. Many causes contribute to it. Inadequate time spent with the family is the leading cause. This is because most military personnel spend little time with their families. Military men and women also undergo divorce problem because of a lot time spent out in a war thus lack adequate time for their loved ones. This makes their partners to move away from such marriage in search of the partners who are ready to stay with them every moment. This contributes to another cause; poor communication. Families with poor or lack of communication, and those spending many hours in the work place have high chances of divorce. The spouses of military men and women have a tendency to become unfaithful when the former are far away from their families. When their partners discover this, they end up separating. More often than not, they finally end up filing divorce cases in the courts. With vital communication, military people can build solid block or lay well foundation basing on trust, loyalty, and love (Chall, 2001). The work involved in military is hard and needs full dedication as well as devotion. Because of this, most military people get to deal with the stress in fighting, and defending their countries. They encounter problems in handling divorces especially when the spouses are not even within the same country they are serving. Most military people try to handle divorce related stress through counseling available from couples who have encountered problems of separation for long periods (Hack, 2008). Another thing that can help them to reduce divorces rate is by ensuring that before they engage and marry, they should be ready for commitment. Strenuous jobs contribute to the increased rate of divorce. It is not only in the military divorce that the rates are rising up, but also in 50% of the couples doing strenuous jobs end up divorcing. The statistical research shows that the bigger percentages of married people working in the military have high divorce rates than other ordinary couples (Crown and Karney, 2007). In military, there is little time to rest and almost no time to socialize with family and friends. Therefore, military people should try to talk about their feelings with their families if they want to secure their marriages, and avoid chances of separation and divorce. Place of women in the society theory attempt to define and explain the role of the female gender in the society. It details how they have violated their roles. The place of women in the society is nowadays changing and is leading to high divorce rates. The military is neither spared. The role of woman has undergone modification and has become manly. Women are no longer watchers of the house, cooks, or cleaners, but they do the same roles that men play. Men dominance is now fading because they compete with women in places of work, and in almost all fields in the economies (Chafetz, 2006). The marriage question in the institution theory has it that social dynamics keeps on changing making marriage less meaningful than it was before. People no longer have respect to moral ideals. Mothers who are working nowadays are common in the military, and the marriage expectations are very different than they were, previously. It is no longer the responsibility of men to use their own income to support an entire family. This is because women can comfortably support them in household chores. Most communities have accepted this kind of changed arrangement. Therefore, divorce rates keeps on rising due to changes in the roles of women, especially those in the military (Sowers, 2006). Conflict theory better explains various phenomena that occur in the military. The conflict perspectives focus on a wide range of things for instance drug abuse, and extra-affairs. Abuse and affairs are justifiable in some extents, and is the most obvious reason for high divorce rates in the military. It is understandable that couples would not like to live with someone who causes violence in the family. Many couples consider divorce especially when they do not want to stay in a miserable marriage. This have an even bigger impact on children especially when their parents fight in front of them and it worsens when parents divorce. Children may feel unsafe, or lack parental love when of the parents walks out of marriage. Some military men abuse substances such as marijuana, cocaine, and laudanum thinking that they will make their minds function properly. These drugs finally end up causing addiction and the result is violence, or conflict in the family. The conflict theory attempts to refute the perspective of the functionalist explaining social problems in the military. This theory considers that a society function in order to ensure each group of persons play a certain role just like body organs (Sowers, 2006). Stress factor can be an enormous cause of marital difficulties in the military. Research indicates that money factor especially limited financial income leads to divorce. This is quite evident among junior enlisted personnel with children, and those on long-term deployment. Many marriage counselors are of the notion that money is the root cause divorce in military marriages (Crown and Karney, 2007). Some say society itself contributes to divorce cases, but more value placed on individualism, self-expression, self-realization, and choice of personnel are the main causes of increasing military divorce. In financial cases especially among enlisted junior personnel, divorces often occur because of separation of couples for a long time on multiple occasions. These problems can reduce incase there is allowance of shorter deployment periods to limit marriage issues and to better family life (Karen, 2008). Cultural theory traces back where early marriages were discouraged in the society. Research further indicates that, each year, cases of early marriages made between the ages of 15 to 19 are on the increase. Many young married couples often do not keep their original relationship together. High divorce in the military is increasing because of changes in the law. Over the decades, marriage institution earned respect, and there were rare divorce cases because it was illegal to divorce. Nowadays this has changed, and military people keep walking in and out of marriages because of non-restriction in marriage. Anybody can file cases of divorce if there are minor disagreements in a marriage. The sociological context in cultural theory places divorce in traditional society as something that deteriorated the society thus divorce rarely occurred. The present society has high divorce that result even from sexual problems in the family. Several couples in military are sexually frustrated. They are not having enough sex when their partners keep on spending long working time outside (Anderson and Taylor, 2007). Conclusion The high divorce rates in the military are explained well by sociological perspectives. These sociological theories have their premises on the behavior of human beings. They blame contrasting and dynamic features of social life in expounding on high divorce rates in the military. Cases of divorce in the military are increasing every time, and the research shows that the military, as an occupation, is leading in divorce. These perspectives put several reasons forth, and all seem to justify. Therefore, the causes of high divorce rates are multifaceted and are dependent on the nature of a given case.

Essay --

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC) The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children is designed by Alan Kaufman and Nadeen Kaufman in 1983 for assessing mental processing and cognitive development in children. It was revised in 2004 as the KABC -II. First edition is used for children between the ages of 2,5 and 12,5 whereas the revised edition is used for children and adolescents between 3 and 18 years of age. There are two theoratical models in KABC-II. They are the Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) psychometric model of broad and narrow abilities and Luria’s neuropsychological theory of processing. KABC-II consists of 18 subtests of two types: core and supplemantary. These subtests are grouped into 4 or 5 scales according to age and model. Luria’s model has Sequential Processing Scale, Simultaneous Processing Scale, Learning Ability and Planning Ability. CHC model has same scales but it renames them. They are Short Term Memory (Gsm), Visual Processing (Gv), Long Term Storage and Retrieval (Glr) and Fluid Reasoning (Gf) respectively. Also it has one more scale which name is Know...

From Nihilism to Kingdom Come :: Philosophy Theology Religion Papers

The Final Stage of Mankind’s Education — From Nihilism to Kingdom Come ABSTRACT: I give reasons to believe that our present situation is not as bleak as some would have it. I show how the historical process can be understood in terms of a Premodernity (Aquinas), Modernity (Hegel), and Postmodernity (Nietzsche) division of human history. I argue that both Hegel and Nietzsche were fully aware that Modernity was over and that a negative Postmodern condition was to necessarily precede a consummatory positive one. Also since history may be taken to have reached its goal at the end of Modernity (with Reasons grasp of Christianity’s principle), Postmodernity can best be understood in terms of its central task of elevating all humanity into absolute knowing (the knowing of the God within)—an elevation via Reason and Faith achievable only by the abolition of the God outside, i.e., by a negative followed by a positive period of history, which Schelling refers to as the Church of John, a synthesis of Catholicism and Protestantism, the perfected Churc h. Introduction My thesis, in brief, is that the painful "God is dead" period of history we are presently going through can best be understood as a necessary "transitional period"— the immediate consequence of mankind’s intellectual advance, in the preceding period, viz., the Modern or Age of Reason, beyond the Middle Ages, the Age of Belief. With the apotheosis of the development of the principle of subjectivity in Modern philosophy, i.e., with the attainmeUnprioritized— SDO meetingnt of "absolute knowing," or Reason’s "knowing of the absolute," humanity had outgrown its former manner of relating to substance, the divine: — its eyes opened, it could not go backwards but only forward. From the highest standpoint, it can be said that the movement of history is from the God "outside" to the God "inside"— an inversion process involving three distinct and necessary phases: Premodernity, Modernity, and Postmodernity, to be correlated with Thomas Aquinas, Hegel, a nd Nietzsche, respectively. It appears that as a result of Modernity’s, i.e. Hegel’s, intellectual achievement— in which religion was superseded by philosophy, i.e., Wissenschaft or Science— religion had of necessity to undergo a major crisis. That is, a "God is dead" period of (post-) history had to supervene. However this "negative" period is in no way to be regarded as final or terminal, but instead as the necessary precondition for a "positive," consummatory period of human history, its finale, a period in which, in Schelling’s words, the unification of philosophy, science, and religion will be realized.

The IMF and Emerging Markets Essay -- Investment Banking, Foreign Debt

In a staff paper published by the International Monetary Fund (Baig & Goldfajn, 1999), the vital question ‘was it [Asian Contagion] fundamentals driven, or was it a case of irrational, herd mentality displayed by panic-stricken investors?’ was posed. The answer to which concerned the correlation between the involved countries fundamental figures, such as its current deficit account, and investor’s reactions and how the relationship evolved over time after the initial causes of the crisis became apparent. Both the IMF report and Krugman indentified numerous cures and preventative measures highlighting exchange rate policy, financial regulation, hot money and investor expectations as key areas for consideration. (Baig & Goldfajn, 1999) Inter-temporal trade, current account deficit, original sin and exchange rate Krugman (2011) identifies developing countries as prime investment targets due to their high development potential. For Thailand and Brazil this presented the opportunity of inter-temporal trade advantages, where the developing countries offer high return on investment but lack the finance available to expand due to low national savings, and developed countries have the capital but lack the domestic opportunity, making it quite natural for such countries to run current account deficits and borrow from richer countries. A staff paper from the IMF stated this is what made Thailand & Brazil ‘victims of their own success’. (Aghevli, 1999) Unfortunately, due to the high risk of emerging countries currencies being devalued or inflated lenders stipulate repayment to be in their own currency shifting the risk onto the weaker economy. This presented them with the problem of original sin and made it difficult to honour repaymen... ...s: New York. Yagci, Fahettin. (2001) ‘choice of exchange rate regimes for developing countries’. [pdf] The World Bank: Working paper series No. 16. Available at: [Accessed 26/01/2012] BIBLIOGRAPHY Craig Burnside, Martin Eichenbaum, and Sergio Rebelo (2008), 'Currency crisis models', New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics, 2nd edition. Crocket, A. (1994) â€Å"Monetary Implications of Increased Capital Flows†. In Changing Capital Markets: Implications for Policy, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas Krugman, P. & Maurice O. (2004) ‘International Economics Theory and Policy’. 6th edition. Delhi, India: Pearson Education Stiglitz, J. (1996). ‘Some Lessons from the East Asian Miracle’. The World Bank Research Observer. Tiwari, R. (2003). ‘Post-crisis Exchange Rate Regimes in Southeast Asia’. Seminar Paper, University of Hamburg.

Price Policy

The purpose of this essay is threefold. First,to identify specific factors and the environment affecting an export price policy. Second, to analyse thisthese factors within our firm and to extract the best decisions given our starting point. Finally, to consider the above and to give guidelines governing thatwhat should be applied in the international marketing price. It should be noted that in some cases due to an information deficiency, assumptions should be madee. â€Å"Pricing is the moment of truth† (Stottinger,2001).Probably this affirmation is essentially valid in domestic marketing, even more in international marketing. Surprisingly, the literature in this area is characterized by a gapthere is a gap in the literature in this area. Given theirits importance, pricing havehas not attracted much academic research interest compared with other tools of marketing (Stottinger, 2001). Nevertheless, this should not be and cannot be a barrier for the quality of this essay. Albau m and Duerr (2008) no havehave not given a clear message regarding the level of difficulty about practice of establishing an international price.However, for a large influx of authors export price differs from domestic price, and due to thatthis the environment is sui generis in each country (Jain, 1989). It is the writer? s opinion that an overview of the challenge gives the impression that it is somewhat more difficult than in domestic marketing. Sometimes the pricing affair is too tangled to be pliant to a general sort of description (Diamantipoulous and Mathews, 1995). In summary, despite of finding similar market threats in the international â€Å"arena†, every market havehas non-identical consequences and a â€Å"constellation†of elements (Kublin,1900).All of this leads to talk of international factors affecting pricing. The goal is to analyze the factors and bring them in line with our product. Sometimes these factors are so-called such aslabelled â€Å"Interna l† and â€Å"External† factors (Tellis, 1986). The writer’s intention is not to follow the system of any author concretely and to blend the most important literature and match with the firm. To avoid excessive interminable details, these factors are exclusively factors that differ from domestic factors, or actorsthose such as competition, or buyer’s perception that are present in the domestic market but now are completely unknown in the new scenario. Cost has been and is being one of the most vital factors affecting price determination (Albaum & Duerr, 2008). It is useful because the system cost creates a limit where prices below are not permitted to stayit creates a system where prices are not permitted to stay below a certain limit. (Simon,1995). Historically, the quandary is somewhere between direct cost and full cost.The choice of the cost floor depends on the company's goal. In the futureLater the company'sthis goal will be explained, but so far, it i s enough to say that full costs fits better. The company objectives are to build a new market in the long-run, and using full cost enabling the company to recovered all the cost.. Apart from a â€Å"new† packaging, the new central cost is based on transportation. It is important to take into account theat volume of the product when consideringis another important costs. (Albaum & Dueer).In some cases companies fail due to only takinge into account this factor (Backman, 1953). It given that should we mightis essential that we emphasize other factors. Market conditions: it is time to analyze demand. An important idea of our demand is the concept of elasticity. Should I give as done thatThe elasticity of our customer tends not to be inelasticgreat. A pPerson who owns a pedigree dog or an exotic animal, tends to give allwant the best for their animals, and consequently are less price-sensivitysensitive (or there is less price sensitivity).Broadly speaking, they buy regardless of price, but always in the limits of consumer? s price awareness. â€Å"The better differentiated the product, the more difficult it is to make a comparison between different products and the higher the quality and the prestige image of the product, the lower the price sensivity†. (Nagle, 1987). Theseis three characteristics should beare present in our product, therefore the customer should tend to be â€Å"inelastic† Competition is a pivotal factor and reflects supply in economic theory.Cost draws a minimum price, demand delineates a maximum price, and competitors will condition a final price between these limits. (Albaum & Duerr, 2008). Due to lack of information, it should be assumingassume some level of competition. The firm must expect some degree of competition, but owing to the kind of product (premium product for a pedigree animal) the market should be clearly delimited. Anyway, in this stage the advice for the firm should be to stay aware of our nearest competit ors and extract value information of the background of our competitorsfrom our competitors’ background.Legal or political: widely speaking, after the Treaty of Maastricht and the constitution of the European Community the legal or political issues between European countries have been removed. It Ccan be interesting to mention one aspect of the legislation related with our product, and in last instance it can affect price decision. The European Parliament has passed some regulation concerning to animal feeds, certifying that Community legislation on animal health is properly binding and fulfilling.The law of the EU is directly applicable in UK, therefore, it should be noticed that if our firm has passed the controls for selling in UK there is not going to be a problem achieveing a license to sell around Europe. It is not necessary to argue about economic themes since has been created a homogeneous economic area has been created. Company policies and marketing mix: It is inevit able to speak about the product of the company. Price should be related to product considerations (Albaum & Duer, 2008).The characteristics of the product – i. e type of demand, physical and psychological attributes, packaging, quality, degree to which competitors are considered acceptable substitutes differentiation, state of maturity and so on – influence the prizeprice. (Kaplan, Dirlam, Lanzillotti,). Assuming that Edzell Wood has a product range and product positioning similar to that sold for garden and aviary birds under the Charnwood brand some specifications should be made for relating price and product.If the product range is large and product positioning is premium, this makes it advisable to establish a rather high price. To what extent will depend more or less highon its weighting with other factors. Some studies, under some premises, have showned that â€Å"high price† is associated with â€Å"high quality†( ) It can be interesting to speak a bout the nature of the product that Edzell is selling and to connect this with the buyer’s perception, another relevant factor.Following Nelson (1970) (Darbi and Karni 1973) goods can be divided into two types: experience good and credence goods. † An experience good is one whose features can be ascertained only upon consumption. A second category might be that of credence goods, when quality cannot be determined even after consumption†. With all probability, our product may be among experience goods and credence goods. It is the writer's opinion that in this field the labels brand didn't succeed because it is a kindthe type of good where the brand plays a crucial role.Have you seen animal feeds branded by tesco? The consumers are in part blind and are using non – physical attributes to value the utility of the product and transform this utility in terms of money. It might be a compulsory stop to speak at length about terms such us value and utility but it is beyond the scope of this essay. Suffice it to say that if the consumer is not in a position to judge accurately the value of the product directly, consumers intending to reduce the risk will be willing to pay higher prices as safeto remain safe.Pet owners or Zoological centres want to give all the best for their animals. People don’t eat feeds animalsanimal feed and consequently cannot check the quality of the product. It is the total package including complementary features such as veterinarian advice, delivery, support with any problem related with the animal and food, analysis of components, demonstration about quality, certificates, as well as the symbolic features such as prestige and status that are perceived as delivering more value than our competitors in a pricing point (Hanna & Dodge, 1995).The company should take advantage of this. It is time put on the table matto analyse how the pricing philosophy and pricing objectives play a strong role in this process. In l ine with previous aspects it should be speak about price strategy. It is strongly adviceadvisable to the firm to follow a strategic pricing related to a product differentiation. The firm should stressed differentiation through   product characteristics and position in the industry that are conducive to putting the emphasis on the value of our brand name and enjoying some price premiumpremium prices in consequence.Pricing models can be mixed and matched. Probably there is no a strategy price (skimming,sliding down the demand curve, ando so on) that fsuits perfectly with our task. The price strategy should be a relatively high price related with a high premium product, putting the emphasis in the quality and the complementary features. It should try to implement some promotions to try to encourage the customer to know the product in the first stage. It can be dangerous to play upping or downing the price, becausedue to the quality image can be affected.The objective of our price str ategy should integrated goals such uas, obtaining the highest return on investment, maintaining or increaseing market share, meeting a specified sales goal, meeting a specified profit goal, profit maximisation, meeting competition and so on (Teacher). The objective of our price strategy should integrate goals such as, obtaining the highest return on investment, maintaining or increasing market share, meeting a specified sales goal, meeting a specified profit goal, profit maximisation, meeting competition and so on (Teacher)Firm and management: the international experience of the firm and commitment to the venture are important factors. Assuming that Edzell does not have international experience and it is a small enterprise it should be noticeded that it is important to advise the firm's members about the importance of pricing decisions. Furthermore, the firm should be completely conscious and to have a strong commitment withto go internationalexpanding internationally. This is commo nly forgotten in some companies, especially smaller ones. , Aall of thisthese factors influence setting the right price.It is usual to forget this in some companies, especially in small companies. A crucial place occupies the price decision controlPrice decision control occupies a crucial place – the step within the firm at which the decision is tooktaken. (Myers,Cavusgil, Diamantopoulous, 2002). To verifyied that the person who sets the prices has the skills to do it. It is important not to forget channel distribution as a factor affecting price. A product ishas much more than a physical value,value; it is also on how it is sold and after-sales service and so on.The customer’s willingness to pay is directly influenced by these features. The firm should teach the channel distribution how to give this high quality service. Remembering that animal feed is a very intangible product for the buyer and these details are the key point to give a message in consonance with our price. In our case, assuming that direct export has been choosedchosen the goal should be relatively factibleachievablee(? ). Also regarding channels and distribution our firm should avoid structures tending to result in export-price scalationthe escalation of export price (Cavusgil and Zou, 1994).It is necessary to highlight that a good relationship with the channels is very useful to control the final price. (Bowersox et al, 1992). It is the writer? s opinion that the choice ofto choose a direct mode of exportationing hasis have been influenced by theseis parameters. Our company should weight up the benefits of pricing the goods and services in euros or in sterling. Intuitively, most eurozone customers will prefer to see prices in euros. Using a sterling prices list may lose part of our business. The main disadvantage of making and accepting euro payments is that it exposes our firm to currency risks.One way to hedge against exchange rate movements can be to arrange a forward fore ign exchange contract – this is an agreement initiated by you to buy or sell a specific amount of foreign currency at a certain rate, on or before a certain date. In the field of price quotation, our exportations should use the system definition based on Incoterms (International Commercial Terms). Although the detail of which incoterms should be choosechosen is beyond the scope of this essay, exporters should consider some factors.Between others; shipment, insurance coverage, availability of information, currency convertibility problems, and son on (Albaum ; Duerr, 2008). Ultimately, price quotations should be in a form that customers and channels find suitable, and at least as convenient for the customer as those offered by competitors. Anyway, the price quotations should be reflected in the final price. All of these factors should be complemented with some basic guidelines. Pricing flexibility is a principle that should guide all the decisions. The right placeprice(? today, cannot be the right price tomorrow. The issue, more than to think if our price havehas to be higher, lower or the same level compared with our domestic prices or the competition prices it is to set the right price in the right moment. Probably, some factors hashave been omitted but not forgotten due to limited space. And always remember that setting a price â€Å"It is not a science, but it is an art. †Ã¢â‚¬  (John I. Leahy, Black ; Decker) Bibliography Stottinger, B. (2001) Strategic export pricing: a long and winding road. Journal of International Marketin, 9 (1). 40-55Jain, S. C (1989) â€Å"Standardization of international marketing strategy: some research hyphoteses† Journal of marketing, Vol 53, January, pp. 70-9 Kublin, M. (1990) â€Å"A guide to export pricing†, Industrial Management, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 29-32 Diamantopoulos, A. and Mathews, B. (1995), Making pricing decisions: A study of Managerial Practice, Chapman ; Hall, London. Mathews, B. Cavusgil , Diamantopoulos, A. (2002), Antecedents and actions of export pricing strategy: A conceptual framework and research propositions. European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 36, No ? , 2002, pp. 159-188.