There are three Case Studies. Choose only ONE. Do not do more than one.
Please follow the criteria outlined below:
• complete your answer in report format and include a cover page with your name, title of the report and the date that you submitted your report.
• include appropriate headings throughout your report to provide structure and flow to your answer. Include a Table of Contents and page numbers.
• your answer should be typed , double-spaced and in 12 pt Times Roman font.
• your answer should be a maximum of 10 pages in length.
• include all sources of information/ideas that you used. Properly reference your sources when used within your report and include a complete list of references at the end of your report. This should include author, year, title of the information, publisher, date, website if used and date website was accessed. Place reference in alphabetical order.
• include an appendix if you wish with supporting documentation to your answer – documentation you have made reference to within your answer (this is in addition to your 10 page essay)
Title page: Include a cover page with the following information:
• Name
• NSID (i.e. abc123)
• E-mail address
• Assignment name
• Total number of pages in your assignment
Save as: The name of your file should be the number of the assignment and your initials. For example: assignment1KS.doc. Do NOT use spaces in your filenames.
Case Study # 1 BIOFUELS
In recent years governments around the world have been establishing renewable fuel standards (RFS) and offering incentives to promote the development of biofuels as an alternative energy source. It is being done for a number of reasons, including energy security, environmental impact and rural revitalization. As a result of the recent expansion of the biofuel industry in North America, public and scientific debate has arisen over the true benefits of biofuels and the impact they’re having on society.
Bearing this in mind, prepare a report that include the following:
• The current biofuels situation in America and globally
• The opportunities and challenges of a biofuel industry
• The demand for farm and food products by biofuels
• Socio-political and economic factors of biofuels
• Technological impact of biofuels
• Legal and regulatory factors surrounding the development of biofuels
• The ethical debate surrounding biofuels
• Food security in a growing world population
• The future of biofuels in Canada
Case Study # 2 FOOD SAFETY
Discuss on Food Safety in Canada and around the world is becoming an increasingly important topic in the field of agriculture and agricultural commodities. Stories such as tainted pet food from China, tainted milk in California, high levels of pesticides in strawberries from Mexico and mad cow disease in Canada have dominated the news headlines in recent years. Bearing this in mind, examine the issues of food safety both nationally and globally.
When discussing food safety consider the following:
• Regulations governing food safety in Canada
• Canada’s food safety regulations in comparison to the rest of the world, i.e.3rd world, Europe, USA, etc.
• Successes and challenges in Canadian food safety
• Biotechnology and food safety- ethics, advantages and disadvantages
• The balance between food safety and security and feeding a growing world population
• Your company’s mission statement regarding food safety and how it has changed or may need to evolve in the future.
• Actions by your company to ensure food safety in Canada and globally
• Canada’s role in promoting and ensuring food safety in other countries.
Case Study # 3 ENVIRONMENTAL FARM PLAN (EFP)
The issue of sustainable agricultural production has risen in prominence within the agricultural community as well as the greater society. In Canada both federal and provincial governments, as well as a host of other organizations have offered education, training and financial incentives with a focus on the promotion of environmentally sustainable agricultural production. As a result of this increased emphasis, the Environmental Farm Plan (EFP) model was developed in Ontario in 1993 and has spread across Canada over the past decade as a popular tool to aid farmers in assessing potential risks that may exist within their operations. A key component of the EFP has been financial incentives (portion of total expenses incurred) paid directly to farmers who undertake activities to reduce identified environmental risks.
With this situation in mind, prepare a report, which include the following:
• The current EFP programs and their components, requirements and compensation in your province.
• The effectiveness of the EFP as a tool in reducing the environmental risks on individual farms, agriculture as a whole and the general landscape.
• Compensation versus regulation as the way to implement EFP.
• The contribution of EFP at the individual farm level for long-term sustainability.
• The benefits and drawbacks of compensating farmers for undertaking environmental enhancements within their operations.
• The restrictions of EFP, if any on farmers responding to market signals, especially if commodity prices are high.
• The view of some farmers that incentives for EFP compliance and participation/implementation (mandatory versus voluntary) are restrictions on their future agricultural practices once they take part.
• The ability of the EFP implementations undertaken by farmers to change their behaviour or farming practices permanently.
• Changes necessary to current EFP to operate better, and secondly, to ensure the environment is protected and agriculture continues to contribute to the economy.
