text:
|PC 83/4 (a)
Eighty-third Session
Rome, 8-12 May 2000
Programme Evaluation of Food
and Agricultural Policy
Programme Objectives and Design
Implementation Results and Effectiveness
Main Issues and Recommendations
ES Department Management Response to the Evaluation
(i) The evaluation of Programme 2.2.4 was carried out by the Evaluation Service from September l998 through February 1999, covering its performance during 1992-98. It was originally scheduled to be published in the Programme Evaluation Report (PER) 1998-99, but in the event it was not included due to the need to keep the PER's volume within its allocated wordings. In accordance with the decision of the Programme Committee at its session in September 1999, the evaluation is now presented to the Committee for its review in line with the revised procedures approved by the Committee for reporting to the Governing Bodies on programme evaluations. This note provides a summary (with update) on the evaluation.
(ii) Programme 2.2.4 consists of the following functions: (a) monitoring and assessing major global problems and issues on food and agriculture; (b) serving as a window to the outside world in disseminating main FAO policy work in these areas; and (c) providing substantive support to the related statutory bodies: the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP) and the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) as well as other international fora. The programme was divided into three sub-programmes addressing related but different areas (22.214.171.124 - Global Perspective Studies; 22.214.171.124 - Commodity Market Development, Commodity and Trade Policy Advice and Intergovernmental Action; 18.104.22.168 - World Food Security Analysis). Each of the sub-programmes were executed by separate units, making it a complex task to ensure the cohesion of the Programme as a single entity.
(iii) The evaluation concluded that:
(iv) In the process of reviewing an earlier draft with the programme staff concerned, several observations and recommendations were immediately acted upon by FAO management, notably the one related to the structure of Programme 2.2.4 and another concerning staffing of the Global Perspective Studies Unit (Sub-programme 126.96.36.199). Regarding the latter issue, the post of Unit's Chief was filled without delay with a well-qualified staff member, following the retirement of the previous incumbent.
(v) The issue of programme structure was addressed through the then ongoing Strategic Framework and programme planning exercise and the results may be seen in the restructured Programmes 2.2.3 and 2.2.4 presented in the Programme of Work and Budget 2000-01. In particular, the Global Perspective Studies work has been moved to Programme 2.2.3 which is thus firmly focused on food and agricultural information (monitoring, assessments and outlooks), while Programme 2.2.4 (now retitled as Agriculture, Food Security and Trade Policy) has been substantially expanded by incorporating some of the policy-oriented work under other programmes within the Major Programme 2.2. Thus, the new programme has a broader and more coherent focus on agricultural policy issues, aimed at the reduction of poverty and food insecurity, while addressing main policy issues arising from international trade and globalization process. The new structure also has a better potential to facilitate more effective inter-governmental policy cooperation through CFS (including monitoring and follow-up of the WFS Plan of Action) and CCP.
(vi) Further noteworthy achievements have been made since the evaluation was carried out, in particular:
(vii) Nevertheless, many of the conclusions and recommendations made in the programme evaluation remain valid today. These include:
a. Regarding the Programme as a whole: there is a continuing need to develop a more integrated approach and collaboration between the sub-programmes targeted at the achievement of the Organization's strategic objectives. Another concern is the weakening trend in FAO core staff resources, as available expertise continues to shrink in some areas.
b. Regarding Sub-programme 184.108.40.206: Issues relating to:
c. Regarding Sub-programme 18.104.22.168: Issues with regard to:
d. Regarding Sub-programme 126.96.36.199: Issues with regard to:
1. As the lead technical agency for food and agriculture in the UN system, FAO monitors agricultural development, analyzes in depth major global and regional problems with direct implications for food and agriculture, and makes available its policy advisory services to Member Nations and other partners. These functions, as affirmed repeatedly by FAO Conferences, are implicit in Article I of the Constitution and may be carried out independently or in partnership with other organizations. A major aim of FAO's policy work is to promote and facilitate agreement among Member Nations on norms, standards and strategies, and to support their application by individual countries or groups of countries in their policies and programmes. FAO, with its in-depth knowledge of food and agriculture, its world-wide field experience and networks, its multidisciplinary staff and its international status as an honest broker, is expected to have the required comparative advantage for this work.
2. A number of significant international developments affecting Member Nations' policies and strategies for the food and agriculture sector have marked the period covered (1992-98) by this review, including macro-economic reforms introduced by many developing countries and economies in transition as well as trade liberalization promoted under the Uruguay Round and more generally the process of globalization. At the same time, FAO has taken several initiatives for concerted international action in its priority areas, in particular the International Conference on Nutrition and the World Food Summit, which together with the UNCED, have substantially expanded FAO's work in this area.
3. There are broadly three dimensions to FAO's policy work. One is analytical, covering problem identification and assessment, leading to recommended courses of actions. The second is direct assistance including policy advice to individual Member Nations, especially the LIFDCs. The third relates to FAO's role in providing an international forum for policy and strategy examinations with a view to building consensus among the membership and external partners.
4. Programme 2.2.4 (Food and Agricultural Policy) is concerned with all three of the above-mentioned dimensions of FAO policy work. It covers some of the main policy-related work under Major Programme 2.2 (Food and Agriculture Policy and Development) but policy analysis is also carried out under a large number of other technical programmes, and direct policy advisory assistance is increasingly channelled through Major Programme 3.1 (Policy Assistance), using the Policy Assistance Branches in Regional Offices. The programme in its present form was re-constituted in the 1996-97 biennium from previous Programme 2.1.8 with the same title, mainly by transferring its other two main components dealing with "agricultural policy analysis" (Sub-programme 22.214.171.124) and the operational aspects of "agricultural policy assistance" (126.96.36.199) to Programme 2.2.3 (Agriculture and Economic Development Analysis) and Major Programme 3.1 (Policy Assistance), respectively.
5. The Programme of Work and Budget 1998-99 states that the aim is "monitoring developments and assessing the short-medium and long-term prospects of agricultural production, trade and food security, and providing and servicing inter-governmental fora in which global food and agricultural policy issues can be debated." Thus, the programme is intended to monitor and assess major global problems and issues on food and agriculture, to serve as a window to the outside world in disseminating main FAO policy work in these areas, and to provide substantive support to the related statutory bodies: the Committee on Commodity Problems (CCP) and the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) as well as other international fora.
6. The programme comprises three sub-programmes:
7. The three sub-programmes under the programme are executed by separate units in ES Department: the Global Perspectives Studies Unit (ESDG) for Sub-programme 18.104.22.168; the Commodities and Trade Division (ESC) for Sub-programme 220.127.116.11; and the Food Security and Agricultural Projects Analysis Service (ESAF) for Sub-programme 188.8.131.52.
8. Sub-programme 184.108.40.206 (Global Perspective Studies): Because of the highly inter-disciplinary nature of the work, ESDG maintains close working relationships with other ES divisions: ESA on economic policy and food security issues, ESC on trade policies and commodity projections, ESN on nutrition-related issues, and ESS on statistical information. Likewise with several units in other technical departments (AG, SD, FO, FI): for example, AGL on land evaluation and irrigation development, AGP on land use and yield projections, AGP on pesticides, AGL on fertilizer use, AGS on mechanization, AGA on livestock sector, SDR on sustainability and on technology issues, SDA on rural poverty and institutions issues and TCI on investment. FI and FO Departments make substantive contributions regarding their inputs to food projections as well as long-term perspectives.
9. Close cooperation has also been maintained with a wide network of outside organizations that also undertake long-term studies on food and agriculture or make projections on an ad hoc basis. Among these are: the World Bank, USDA, OECD, EU, FAPRI (Iowa State University), IFPRI , the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA in Vienna), and various other universities on specific aspects.
10. Sub-programme 184.108.40.206 (Commodity Market Development, Commodity and Trade Policy Advice and Intergovernmental Action): The ESC Division complements its own commodity database on production, consumption, trade and prices for current seasons with information obtained from ESS and WAICENT for historical statistics. On Uruguay Round matters related to agriculture, the Division collaborates with several other FAO units, including: ESN in the organization of workshops and seminars on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), AGA on animal health measures related to livestock trade, AGP on plant quarantine and phytosanitary measures and the trade-related work of IPPC, TCA in field projects related to the Uruguay Round and training for Multilateral Trade Negotiations and FI and FO departments primarily in the Inter-Departmental Task Force on the Uruguay Round. ESC also provides the Secretary for the Inter-Departmental Task Force on Follow-up to the Uruguay Round.
11. Work with external partners has focussed on Uruguay Round commodity development measures and the analysis of longer term market prospects and commodity-specific trade policy issues. Regarding the former, major partners include WTO, UNCTAD, ITC, World Bank, IFPRI, the CFC and various international commodity organisations and regional bodies. Regarding the latter, major partners include: OECD, the World Bank, the International Grains Council, the International Dairy Federation, the International Sugar Organisation, the International Coffee and Cocoa Organisations and the International Cotton Advisory Committee and the CGIAR system. In addition, there is frequent contact and exchange of information with the International Jute Organisation and the International Rubber Study Group. The Division collaborates with bilateral sources in assisting developing countries in Multilateral Trade negotiations. There is also active collaboration with NGOs on the Uruguay Round.
12. Sub-programme 22.214.171.124 (World Food Security Analysis): Work under this sub-programme, much like 22.214.171.124, is highly interdisciplinary and draws on many sources both inside the ES Department (ESA, ESC, ESS, ESN as well as ESDG) and outside. On the theme selected for discussion by the CFS at each session, technical contributions from other departments (AG, FI, FO, SD) are also required. Thus, the documentation prepared for consideration of the CFS is highly dependent on the quality of technical contributions outside of ESAF proper. Similarly, the quality of agricultural statistics made available to FAO by Member Nations inevitably affects the related analytical papers.
13. Collaboration with other organizations has been fairly limited but they are given the opportunity to present the results of relevant work on a case-by-case basis (recently a World Bank presentation on its strategy for rural development and a report of the UN Commission on Human Rights on actions taken to implement WFS recommendations).
14. The programme deals with functions relevant and useful to the priority concerns of the Organization, both in terms of the thematic subjects covered and services provided, especially regarding food security, including WFS follow-up, and trade in agriculture. Each of the component sub-programmes has a clear specific role, with fairly well-defined purpose and design. However, the programme as a whole lacks coherence in terms of its structure and objectives - its coverage is partial even within the policy-oriented work under Major Programme 2.2 and the stated aim is vague. Furthermore, as the programme's three main components are executed by three separate units, it has been difficult to manage the programme as a single entity, although informal and formal coordination exists to ensure a reasonable degree of practical cohesion.
15. In terms of its structure, the justification for placing these three particular sub-programmes together appears to be that they all contributed to FAO's policy work of global scope in selected priority areas, and particularly in facilitating discussion of policy-related issues by the Governing Bodies. However clear links across the three sub-programmes are difficult to discern and they all have strong links with programmes other than 2.2.4 (particularly 2.2.2) as befits their interdisciplinary nature. The global perspectives study work under Sub-programme 126.96.36.199 is highly multi-disciplinary and receives inputs from virtually all substantive programmes. Sub-programme 126.96.36.199 is focused on commodity market and trade policy issues, including policy work and direct advice/assistance to countries and has direct links with many activities under other programmes, especially 2.2.2 (Food and Agricultural Information). Likewise, Sub-programme 18.104.22.168, an equally highly multidisciplinary programme, has more direct links with some activities under Programmes 2.2.2 and 2.2.3. Being multidisciplinary programmes, therefore, makes them more difficult to appear as one integrated whole.
16. During the eight-year period 1992-98, the programme, as defined here (covering the present components in earlier biennia), absorbed Regular Programme resources totalling US$ 51.7 million (in expenditures): for the 1998-99 biennium, it has appropriations of US$ 12.5 million (see Table 1). The expenditures increased substantially during 1994-97, especially under Sub-programme 188.8.131.52, reflecting the priority on food security, including work related to the preparation and organization of the World Food Summit in 1996. The reduced level of appropriations in the 1998-99 biennium is explained, apart from overall FAO budget constraints, by the transfer of two activity components from Sub-programme 22.214.171.124 to Sub-programme 188.8.131.52 (Agriculture in Economic Development also handled by ESAF) as well as elimination of resources for the WFS. Thus, the programme's share in the Major Programme 2.2. declined from 22% in 1996-97 biennium to 14 % in 1998-99 biennium.
* the structure of the programme underwent changes in biennium 1996-97 from Programme 2.1.8 to this form. Data for Sub-programmes 126.96.36.199 and 22.214.171.124 represent estimates for the first two biennia.
** biennial PWB appropriations
*** expenditures - not yet available for 1998-99.
**** includes expenditures for the preparation and organization of the World Food Summit (some US$ 2.1 million)
17. Since the 1996-97 biennium, both Sub-programmes 18.104.22.168. and 22.214.171.124 experienced declines in allotted resources by about US$ 500,000, but proportionately with larger impact on the former, with appropriations for this biennium being nearly half of expenditures in 1992-93, in nominal terms. Sub-programme 18.104.22.168 is by far the largest, with 50-70 percent of the total programme resources, with over half the resources being used for research and policy analysis work on commodity and trade in support of the CCP/IGGs. For the programme as a whole, the declines in the RP resources have adversely impacted on staff and non-staff costs, including publications, meetings and consultancy support.
18. The professional staffing post structure has been largely stable during the period covered. In the current biennium, there are 4 posts for ESDG, 31 for ESC and 4 for ESAF, but not all devoted to Programme 2.2.4: for example, ESC staff also devote a significant part of their time to work under Programme 2.2.2 ( Food and Agricultural Information). However, due to the decline in resources, ESDG lost one professional post and ESC two over the period, and experienced prolonged staff vacancies. However, professional staffing at the regional level has been strengthened, and the number of officers working primarily on food security matters (and to a limited extent ESC activities) has doubled (from 3 to 6 and now covering SAFR, RAP, RNE and RLA). Similarly, there have been sizeable reductions in the number of GS posts under the programme as well as downgrading.
19. In the ongoing strategic planning process (1998/99), the ES Department has been reviewing the existing structure of Major Programme 2.2 and proposed a reformulation, partly as a result of this programme review.
20. During the period under review, the main activities have been the preparation of AT:2010, work related to the World Food Summit and meeting ad hoc requests from other organizations for FAO's contribution on specific developmental topics. The most important output, Agriculture:Towards 2010 (AT:2010), was submitted to the Twenty-seventh Session of the FAO Conference and subsequently revised and published commercially in 1995.
21. AT:2010, like its predecessor AT:2000, has distinct qualities. Firstly, the scope of the study is global as regards country coverage and comprehensive as regards commodity coverage and topics. Secondly, it is the end product of an integrative analysis, involving the interplay of several dynamic factors (economic development, population growth, natural resources, etc.) and their aggregate effect on the long-term prospects of food and agriculture in developed and developing regions. This analysis is based on inter-disciplinary work within FAO and dialogue with outside peers, allowing a uniquely comprehensive global approach to perspective studies. In this respect FAO's comparative advantage cannot be disputed, particularly as the cost of the study has been modest.
22. AT:2010 was well-received by the Twenty-seventh Session of the FAO Conference, which found it unbiased and of great interest to member countries and non-governmental organizations. The subsequent debate on the findings of AT:2010 set the stage for the preparation of the World Food Summit, for which much of the AT:2010 material was used. The AT:2010 data and projections were also used by the TC Department in the preparation of country strategy papers as part of follow-up to the WFS.
23. The revision of AT:2010, extending the time horizon to 2015 (to address the issue of what progress in food security can be expected in relation to WFS target of halving under-nutrition by 2015) and to 2030 (to address wider issues of long-term sustainability and climate change), is currently in progress. This involves a number of methodological improvements, such as the extension of the agro-ecological evaluation to include China, the use of more recent data, the taking on board of more recent information on technology development, the use of new demographic data and projections, and the assessment of future trade flows in food taking into account the latest developments in trade policy.
24. Up to 1995, periodic progress reports to the Conference on the implementation of the International Agricultural Adjustment (IAA) Guidelines was a major activity. However, as the topics were also dealt with in other reports to the Governing Bodies, since 1987, following a Conference decision, the reporting period has been reduced to once every four years. Consequently, the sub-programme has spent less time on this activity, and in the current biennium, it no longer has resources for it: reporting was shifted to 22.214.171.124 (Comparative Agricultural Development). Similarly, other traditional work, such as substantive contributions to the United Nations International Development Strategy, has declined due to reduced demand : for contributions to UNCED and UNCED-related events, the lead is taken by the SD department.
25. The effects of the sub-programme can be gauged from the use made of AT:2010. It is a major work of reference for FAO, providing the background for other analytical studies, for policy papers submitted to major international fora as well as providing a framework for articulating the Medium-Term Plan and the Strategic Framework, and particularly in the run up to the WFS. Outside of FAO, the study has constituted a main source of data and assessment for debates on long-term prospects in food and agriculture, food security, natural resources and sustainability.
26. The impact of the sub-programme is more complex and difficult to assess with any precision. However, AT:2010 study has undoubtedly enhanced the image of FAO as a world authority on agriculture, as evidenced by the following quotations in reviews of the book in major professional journals:
"The presentation is analytical and judicious in discussing the major demand, supply and policy forces....Full weight is given to natural resources and environmental degradation...". 2
"... a treasure of information that will usefully inform debate... In spite of its price, it should be held at least by every decent agricultural library in the world...". 3
"Its broad approach combines (i) a quantitative base which systematically focuses attention on the key factors... ; with (ii) a series of sectoral and cross-cutting analyses".4
"It belongs on every reference list...Any effort that attempts to confront the issue of future food and population balance that ignores[this work] cannot be regarded as serious".5
27. The sub-programme has continued to support the promotion and expansion of trade through four areas of work: (i) commodity and trade policy research and analysis in support of the CCP and the Inter-governmental Groups (IGGs), including the Consultative Sub-committee on Surplus Disposal (CSSD); (ii) collaboration with the World Trade Organization (WTO); (iii) the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) and other organizations; (iv) support to ECDC and Commodity Policy at National level, which involves assisting regional economic organizations in expanding agricultural commodity trade and providing advice and assistance to the developing countries on national policies related to agricultural commodities (excluding forestry and fisheries).
Serving the CCP and the IGGs, including the CSSD
28. As one of the Standing Committees of the Council, the constitutional mandate of the CCP is to: (i) monitor and review the developments of agricultural commodities which have an international character ; and (ii) make recommendations to the Council on policy issues concerning trade in major agricultural commodities. In carrying out its mandate, the CCP works through its subsidiary bodies for specific commodities, presently comprising a number of Inter-governmental Groups (IGGs) and the Consultative Sub-committee on Surplus Disposal.
29. Over a period of 30 years (1955-85), eleven IGGs and one Sub-Group on Hides and Skins were established - these complemented a number of specialist agricultural commodity organizations that had been created outside FAO by 1985 covering cotton, sugar, coffee, cocoa, grains, jute, wine, tropical timber, natural rubber, olive oil, meat and dairy. In 1997, another Sub-Group on Tropical Fruits was established by the 1997 FAO Conference. With respect to agricultural commodity groups, FAO is unique as such formal arrangements do not exist in the United Nations system. The IGGs provide a fora for the exchange of basic information to improve market transparency and to provide an analytical framework by which economic issues relevant to the trade of specific commodities can be debated and appropriate decisions taken. Thus IGGs are set up with the purpose of promoting mutual cooperation between producing and consuming countries on commodity and trade, and seeking venues of assistance for solving specific technical and marketing problems of commodities, to clarify the impact of trade policy developments and to facilitate trade expansion.
30. In the period under review, the IGGs have focused their attention on in-depth market analysis and outlook,6 medium term projections, analysis of the impact of the Uruguay Round on their commodities, qualitative product improvements, stimulation of consumption in producing and importing countries, solution to key problems related to environment, biotechnology, sanitary and phytosanitary issues with potential impact on trade, and the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) project-related work. Regarding the CFC, nine of the IGGs and sub-groups have been particularly active in their role as CFC-designated International Commodity Bodies (ICBs), especially in developing strategies and sponsoring projects.
31. The CCP has increased over time, reaching (as of January 1999) 107 members (including EU). Meetings, held every two years in Rome, are well attended (with 70-85 percent of the members present), and CCP documentation is generally appreciated. The up-to-date commodity market information and analysis is particularly valued as many developing countries do not have the resources to undertake such work on their own. In the period under review, the CCP has been called to appraise the impact of the Multilateral Trade Negotiations on the prospects of major traded agricultural commodities with special regard to the exports of the developing countries and other matters (Conference Resolution 2/79) as well as to assess the linkages between trade, environment and sustainable agricultural development and other technical subjects.
32. Major CCP achievements during the period covered include:
33. FAO's Principles of Surplus Disposal seek to protect commercial trade and domestic agricultural production from the negative effects of surplus disposal through the mechanism of Usual Market Requirements. This is a mechanism which requires of countries receiving agricultural commodities on concessional terms as defined by the Catalogue of Transactions, that they undertake to import a "usual" amount of the commodity so that the volume received on concessional terms is additional to "usual" market requirements. The possibility exists for countries which face balance of payments problems to be exempted from this requirement. Likewise, emergency food aid is excluded from the Usual Market Requirements. The forum to review these matters is the CSSD, which since 1954 monitors international shipments of surplus agricultural commodities used as food aid with the view to minimizing their harmful impact on commercial trade and agricultural production. The CSSD revised the Catalogue of Transactions in line with the new disciplines on export subsidies under the Uruguay Round, and the revised Register of Transactions was adopted by the FAO Council in 1997 (Resolution 1/113).This is expected to be helpful in avoiding circumvention of WTO disciplines on export subsidies on agricultural products.
34. Regarding reform of the IGGs, the CCP, at its Sixtieth Session (April 1995), decided on: (a) holding of IGG meetings every two years and not to exceed 2-3 days; (b) improved criteria for documentation and conduct of the meetings, including trial testing of back-to-back meetings within one week; and (c) possibility of hosting meetings outside Rome and further exploration of other sponsoring arrangements. The proposed measures were implemented for the 10 IGG meetings held between April 1995 and February 1997. The CCP at its Sixty-first Session (February 1997) welcomed the reported overall halving of the session costs, encouraging further implementation of these measures. The subject was again reviewed by the CCP at its Sixty-second Session (January 1999), and it was satisfied that further declines in average session costs were reported. The abolition of the IGG on Wine and Vine Products (the IGG on Cocoa had already been abolished)) and ten commodity sub-groups was approved, and the convening of joint meetings of related IGGs to deal with thematic issues of common concern was endorsed. Similarly, several additional reforms were adopted, including arrangements for decision-making on urgent matters by IGGs in their inter-session period, more task-oriented methods of work and more expeditious procedures for finalization of the meeting reports. As a result, the total costs of IGG sessions have dropped drastically: in the 1998-99 biennium, the total cost of 11 sessions amounted to US$ 266,000 compared to a total cost for 10 sessions in the 1992-93 biennium of US$ 836,000.
Uruguay Round
35. FAO has established a close and growing working relationship with WTO, particularly within the framework of the various Uruguay Round agreements (on Agriculture, the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Technical Barriers to Trade and in connection with Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights - TRIPS). Apart from providing WTO with information and assessments on major agricultural commodities, FAO has also been assisting the developing member countries in becoming better informed on the Uruguay Round related issues. Many units of FAO are directly or indirectly involved with the various aspects related to the Uruguay Round, and this work is coordinated by a Task Force chaired by the ADG/ESD.
36. Main achievements include:
- 50 publications on the Uruguay Round completed and distributed (up to September 1998) in addition to a large number of special papers on commodity market analysis and outlook which are also of value to WTO members;
- eleven regional and sub-regional expert consultations to familiarize developing countries with the provisions of the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture and their implications, covering a total of over 90 countries (between March 1993 and December 1998);
- seven workshops or expert consultations held on the application of WTO's Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (between 1995-97); and
- a training programme for officials from developing countries on issues related to the Uruguay Round agreements with a view to assisting developing countries in the forthcoming Multilateral Trade Negotiations.
Collaboration with the CFC
37. As mentioned above, FAO's relation to the CFC, an inter-governmental financial institution operational since 1989, is a function of the nine IGGs (as well as the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade and Sub-group on Tropical Fruits) designated as International Commodity Bodies (ICBs). Whether prepared by FAO or any other technically competent organization, only projects sponsored by ICBs are eligible for funding by the CFC. Funded projects may be executed by FAO or any other technically competent organization. In the latter case, the ICB (in effect, FAO) assumes the responsibility for supervision; in the few cases executed by FAO, the responsibility for supervision is assigned to another body.
38. As of December 1998, the number of agricultural and fisheries projects sponsored by ICBs at FAO and approved by the CFC reached 23 with a total allocation of US$ 57.1 million, of which US$ 27.6 million came from CFC's own resources (mainly in the form of grants), US$ 11.6 from co-financing and US$ 17.9 million as counterpart contributions from countries associated with the projects: another 27 projects are in the pipeline with an estimated total cost of over US$ 40 million. While focussed primarily on applied research for improving product quality, enhancement of productivity, upgrading technical and economic efficiency, promoting vertical diversification and enhancing consumer demand, priority is given to projects which assist the LDCs. Out of the 23 projects approved, 3 have been completed, 1 fishery project is suspended because of the change in location, 11 are currently under implementation and the remaining projects have yet to commence. FAO has been executing only 3 projects (palm oil, coir and meat), and the remainder are executed by other organizations. Box 1 presents the profile of a CFC project executed by national teams in the beneficiary countries with technical assistance provided by FAO.
39. However, in recent years, CFC project funding to agriculture and fisheries has declined, particularly co-financing. The portion of CFC projects under grant is not keeping pace with the demand and recipient countries, mostly LDCs, find it difficult to make use of the CFC loan facilities. The CFC has also been unwilling to compensate FAO for project identification and formulation work and in the absence of any other source, such costs are currently absorbed by the institutions expected to implement the projects. For project supervision, however, the CFC makes available to FAO a fixed sum (US$ 15000 per project per year) regardless of project size or complexity. As a result it may fall short of the cost of supervisory services actually delivered. In cases of heavy workload associated with project supervision, some IGGs have delegated the task to a small Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) which normally includes one FAO staff member. This mechanism, if proved successful, may be an appropriate way to reduce the cost of project supervision for FAO.
|Box 1: Profile of a CFC Project executed with FAO
collaboration: the Coir Processing Technologies Project 1995-1998 - India and Sri Lanka
With an investment of close to US$ 1 million, half of which provided by the beneficiary countries, this project aimed at upgrading coir processing technologies. Traditional coir extraction industries have always been important to the people living on the rim of the Indian and Pacific Oceans - in the tropical and moist coastal lands where the coconut tree is found in abundance. In India and Sri Lanka, an estimated 600,000 artisans are involved. The survival of the coir fibre traditional industry is challenged by a declining market for coir products, including competition from petro-chemicals and a need for greater environmental sensitivity on the part of manufacturers.
To address this challenge, the IGG on Hard Fibres proposed a market development strategy based on using national expertise in host countries and on small technological investment programmes. In partnership with FAO as the Project Executing Agency, national teams have been assembled in both countries, in India to work with the wet chemistry of processing coir fibres, and in Sri Lanka to explore methods of drying coir fibres. Work was carried out from 1993-1998 with technical assistance provided by the Post-Harvest and Agro-Industries Service (AGSI) of the FAO and in collaboration with a network of more than 50 scientists, engineers, administrators, managers, technicians spanning the globe from Thailand to Scotland.
Results included in Sri Lanka: development, testing and demonstration of a prototype drying rig; in India: improvement in bleaching techniques, in colour fastness and shade range, in dyeing - with some of this work percolating into industrial use in India. However, mainly due to budgetary constraints, much of this work remains unfinished and there is a need for one or more follow-up projects, preferably in partnership with a research and development institution in an advanced industrial country. One such follow-on project was under preparation.
Support to ECDC and Commodity Policy at National level
40. In view of rising trends in agricultural trade among member countries of various economic groups, assistance on Economic Cooperation among the Developing Countries (ECDC) has been given higher priority in the period under review. A number of workshops were organized for various regional groupings, including the SADC countries, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), the Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM) and the Consejo Agropecuario Centroamericano (CAC), and contributions were made to international conferences on specific commodities, e.g. the Asia Pacific Sugar Conference.
41. Commodity policy at the country level (CPCL), a continuing feature of the sub-programme focussed on assistance to the development of specific commodities, has expanded in recent years to broader questions related to the Uruguay Round and food security within the context of the Multilateral Trade Negotiations. The bulk of the work is conducted through field projects mostly funded by TCP7, implemented by TCA and ESN, with technical backstopping by ESC, although ESC has also implemented a few of these projects itself. Another area of support has been training in market analysis involving participants from several countries - for example, a workshop on the "Restructuring of the Agricultural Sector with an Emphasis on the Role of the Private Enterprise in Food Security, Agricultural Economics and technology Innovation" held in Prague in 1997, attended by 45 participants from Belarus, Estonia, Moldova and the Russian Federation.
42. The sub-programme's effectiveness can be assessed by FAO's capacity in meeting the needs of Member Nations on commodity and trade policy issues, particularly in the context of the Uruguay Round trade negotiations. Through the sub-programme's work, FAO stands as a major, often the only, source of up-to-date and comprehensive information on major traded agricultural commodities and the world authority for analysing the specific features of individual commodities within the broader context of world trade. The sub-programme has also facilitated FAO's considerable contribution to some mechanisms implemented by WTO, especially regarding SPS and TBT measures.
43. The work of the CCP/IGGs structure plays a key role in this. In many cases, the CCP and IGGs represent the only global specialized forum dealing with specific commodities, facilitating the process of building international consensus on key commodity and trade issues from food and agriculture perspective. Thus, for example, the IGG on Wine and Vine Products was the first international body to launch the warning of an impending "wine lake", which resulted in international and national responses to adjust production capacities. In recent years, both the IGGs on Citrus Fruit and on Tea have been in the forefront in developing a consensus on how to address the potential market difficulties likely to arise as a result of structural surpluses. This has led to the development of practical market-oriented programmes which have received strong government and private sector support (see Box 2). Recent examples of action initiated by the IGGs include an amendment to the EC Packaging Directive which avoided an unfavourable impact on the use of jute bags, and current action to change the international trade classification for hides, skins and leather. Also worthy of note is the readiness of member countries to host IGG sessions, a pattern indicating commitment on their part: since 1993, this has been the case for six IGGs, involving 12 sessions in eight countries (Indonesia, Italy, Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand and South Africa).
44. FAO's capacity to assist in Uruguay Round follow-up activities is built on its accumulated knowledge about major traded agricultural commodities. It is well recognized, in particular, with respect to technical subjects such as the measurement of protection and the problems of the food-importing developing countries. There has been a large and growing demand by Member Nations and sub-regional trading groups for technical assistance and advocacy on; follow-up to the Uruguay Round, regarding the implementation of the Agreement on Agriculture, obligations as WTO members, and preparation for entry negotiations for non-WTO members. Developing countries in particular look to FAO for guidance and assistance in preparing for multilateral trade negotiations as well as for ways and means of strengthening their competitive position. Response, through a range of research, analysis and training activities, is made in collaboration with organizations such as WTO, UNCTAD, World Bank, OECD and with the support of some bilateral aid agencies.
Box 2: Examples of Successful Market Development Programmes Sponsored by IGGs:
1. Health benefits of black tea consumption: Under the auspices of the IGG on Tea, a programme to enhance demand through research and the promotion of health benefits of black tea consumption, attracted funds from a variety of sources: US$ 1.95 million in funds from the tea association of the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, US$727,000 from the Tea Boards of India, Indonesia, Kenya and Sri Lanka and US$1.93 million from the CFC. This led to an international seminar on tea and health held in September 1998 at USDA in Washington DC and the development of a "Tea Mark" protected by international registration as the property of FAO on behalf of IGG members.
2. Diversified Product Development from Jute and other Fibres: the IGG on Jute, Kenaf and Allied Fibres spearheaded the move to build awareness of potential market opportunities, which culminated with the organization of an International Consultation on Diversified Products funded by the Government of the Netherlands and the Rockefeller Foundation. The guidance provided by this work was taken up at national level, for example, in the US$ 20 million programme funded by the Government of India and UNDP to develop diversified products from jute and cotton blends.
3. Problem solving, including shortcomings in quality, default on contracts, disorderly production growth, market access difficulties and trade policy. For example, under the auspices of the IGG on Bananas, intensive consultations on the impact of recent trade policy developments contributed to a better understanding of the positions of the various groups of importing and exporting countries and helped improve transparency in the overall negotiating process.
45. During the period under review, the CFS, serviced by this sub-programme, held eight sessions8 - generally lasting four or five days each, with the exception of the WFS preparatory meetings which required considerable more time and effort . A standard item on the agenda of CFS sessions has always been the "assessment of the current world food security situation and recent policy developments". The original purpose was to assess the short-term food security situation at global level, inform Member Nations about food security policy developments and as needed, assist them with appropriate recommendations. Over time, the interest of the Committee has shifted to an assessment of factors affecting chronic as well as short-term food insecurity. This has necessitated a broadening of the commodity coverage of the assessments, and incorporation of indicators that would shed greater light on access as well as availability issues. This work has been considered a very useful and integral part of the role of the CFS. Methodological work to further improve the assessment in light of WFS recommendations, in particular for the development of a coordinated food insecurity and vulnerability information and mapping system at global level, is continuing also under Programme 2.2.2.
46. A major achievement has been the preparation work for the WFS and the drafting of the WFS Plan of Action at its 22nd Session (1996). Furthermore, the WFS itself entrusted the CFS with the task of following up on the progress made in the implementation of the WFS Plan of Action on a continuing basis. Hence, these issues have dominated the CFS agenda since 1995, and the Committee's rules and procedures have been amended to reflect its new responsibilities. In 1997 and 1998, substantial efforts and resources were devoted to methodological work on future reporting formats and arrangements to enable the Committee to monitor the implementation of WFS Plan of Action and progress made towards achieving the WFS goals. This work entailed, as requested by the CFS, a wide-ranging series of consultations with members governments and representatives of civil society, in close consultation with the CFS Bureau.
47. Topical issues addressed by the Committee during the period include a series of studies on the opportunities for productivity improvement and enhanced food security in both high and low potential areas; on the Special Programme for Food Security (since 1995); on the effect of structural adjustment and market liberalisation on food security, and policy recommendations regarding management of food security reserves and food aid to reduce market instability. The results of this work have also been used as a basis for formulating guidelines for management of food security reserves at local, national and regional levels (Sub-programme 220.127.116.11). Since 1995, a standing item on Nutrition has been included in the Committee's agenda every two years, following transfer of this item from COAG to CFS. However, this item is prepared under Sub-programme 2.2.1.
48. The sub-programme's potential effectiveness depends critically on the importance the CFS has in the eyes of the FAO membership. One indicator of the level of interest in CFS work is the number of FAO and UN members that request membership in CFS each biennium, and the proportion of the membership that actually attends the Committee's annual sessions. Over the period under review, requests have varied from around 110 to 140, and generally around 90 percent of these attended the sessions - indicating a satisfactorily high attendance level . These sessions were also attended by several observers from those countries that are not members and about 20 to 40 representatives from UN agencies and observers from intergovernmental and international non-governmental organizations.
49. In terms of the effectiveness of the CFS itself on the WFS Plan of Action follow-up, it is too early to form judgement, although progress has been maintained on this priority work. It is noteworthy, however, that both in preparation for and during as well as following the WFS, the CFS has set some important precedents as an FAO committee: first, the effectiveness of the CFS in Summit preparations was generally recognized; second, a more proactive role has been assigned to the Bureau to work with the secretariat in carrying forward the Committee's work programme between sessions; and third, there are ongoing efforts to define a more collaborative role for representatives of civil society in preparing and conducting the Committee's sessions, within the existing statutes and rules of the Organization.
50. To learn more about the level of satisfaction of CFS members with the services provided by the secretariat, the FAO Evaluation Service contacted past and present CFS members of the Bureau who were available in Rome (Representatives from Australia, Iran, Senegal, Tanzania, Japan, Canada and Malaysia). On the main aspects of CFS servicing, it was learned that:
51. The overall assessments are summarized in the table below.
(a) Criteria
(b) Assessment
|a. Programme Relevance
(i) FAO's basic mandate
(ii) Food security and nutrition
(iii) Sustainable agriculture and rural development
|b. Coherence of Programme Design
(i) Clear definition of objectives
(ii) Usefulness of outputs planned
(iii) Realism and feasibility
(iv) Adequacy of strategic perspective
|Overall Programme Design: poor
Sub-programme Design: Satisfactory
|c. Implementation Efficiency
(i) Degree of achieving targeted outputs
(ii) Quality of programme management
|(i) Good: outputs on time, and some of high technical quality (for
the 1996-97 biennium 92% of planned outputs were delivered with high rates in meetings and
(ii) Good management quality at sub-programme level, but overall programme management less satisfactory because of programme design weakness.
|d. Effects/Impact Achievements
(i) Overall effectiveness
(ii) Likely sustainability
(iii) Contribution to FAO's priority areas
|Generally Satisfactory:
However, difficult to assess overall impact.
|e. Overall Cost-effectiveness
|Difficult to assess: evidence suggests it has generally been improving with past efforts to overcome budgetary constraints being successful, but the limit is probably now reached with further reduction likely to reduce cost-effectiveness.
52. The programme as a whole faces two major constraints: (a) a weak programme structure, as Programme 2.2.4 has not successfully developed as a cohesive whole, and (b) the weakening trend in FAO core staff resources, as available expertise continues to shrink in some areas. The first constraint is being addressed through the current Strategic Framework and revised programme planning exercise and therefore no specific recommendation in this regard is formulated here. The second constraint is long-term and goes beyond this programme, and in some respects even beyond the ES Department itself. Its resolution is linked to the strategy that needs to be put in place to solve one of the Cross-organizational Issues identified in the proposed new Strategic Framework (see Version 2.0, Strategy on Continuing to Improve the Management Process).
53. Sub-programme 18.104.22.168 (Global Perspective Studies) The main output of the sub-programme, AT:2010, needs to be periodically updated to continue to meet expectations and needs of the FAO membership and other users in development agencies and research-oriented institutions. Issues include:
54. Based on the above, it is recommended that:
55. Sub-programme 126.96.36.199 (Commodity Market Development, Commodity and Trade Policy Advice and Intergovernmental Action): In view of the relevance of the sub-programme in serving one of FAO's priority areas, of its generally satisfactory performance in delivering substantive outputs and the improved cost-efficiency of the CCP/IGGs operations, as well as the importance of maintaining satisfactory partnership with outside organizations, especially WTO and CFC, the following issues arise:
56. The following are recommended:
57. Sub-programme 22.214.171.124 (World Food Security Analysis): Issues facing the sub-programme include:
58. While specific recommendations are difficult to make, the following points merit attention:
The limitations on the overall composition of Programme 2.2.4, as noted in the review, led to a restructuring of programmes within Major Programme 2.2 in PWB 2000-01. Departmental and divisional management welcomed this.
The evaluation was found clear and balanced and management, in general, agrees with the findings of the review and its main issues and recommendations.
Global Perspective Studies
Regarding the first issue mentioned in paragraph 53, namely how to adapt and fine- tune future versions of the study to capture new developments; experience has shown that it is difficult to obtain contributions of technical Divisions and Departments of the quality required. This is due, in part, to the gradual reduction in the number of professional staff with suitable skills but also to the fact that, in spite of repeated requests to do so, very few Divisions made, in the past, an explicit provision in their budgets for such contributions. The underlying problem may be that Divisions often do not perceive contributions to global perspective studies as an integral part of their normal work.
It would have been useful if the report had made an additional recommendation to this effect, namely, that technical Divisions establish and/or maintain a permanent capacity to undertake analyses and to make statements of a global perspective nature in their field of competence. For this purpose, Divisions need to make the appropriate provisions in their PWB. It should be noted that some improvement in this respect has been achieved in the preparation of the PWB 2000-01, in which all technical Divisions concerned now acknowledge a contribution to Agriculture: Towards 2015/30.
Commodity Market Development, Commodity and Trade Policy Advice and Intergovernmental Actions
There is one major point of substance that could be misinterpreted, namely, the apparent identification of this sub-programme, almost in its entirety, with the servicing of the CCP and its IGGs. For example, under paragraph 6 (b), sub-programme 188.8.131.52 is described as the largest of the three sub-programmes and covers support to the CCP and its IGGs, ECDC, collaboration with WTO and national commodity policy advice. Also in paragraph 17, it is mentioned that over one-half the resources of sub-programme 126.96.36.199 are used for support of the CCP/IGGs.
This analysis does not adequately reflect the actual scope of sub-programme 126.96.36.199 and the use of its resources. In fact, the main thrust of the sub-programme is for commodity and trade research and policy analysis work, for which the CCP and its IGGs represent just one vehicle for dissemination of information, and deliberation and building of international consensus. For example, the sub-programme also supports other types of producer/consumer consultations as well as an intensive programme of policy analysis and advice to developing countries. It also includes training activities in preparation for multilateral trade negotiations and supports commodity development activities for which extra-budgetary funding has been secured. All these activities are particularly important for countries not having resources for national and international market analysis.
The actual costs of the CCP/IGGs have declined sharply over the review period from US$ 836 000 for 10 sessions in the 1992-93 biennium to only US$ 266 000 for 11 sessions in the 1998-99 biennium. This was achieved through a range of cost reduction measures and has allowed the shift of resources to innovative approaches such as commodity conferences organised by member countries in partnerships with FAO. Examples include the Asia-Pacific Sugar Conference, Fiji, 1997, the International Cotton Conference, China, 1999, the Advisory Consultation on ACP Sugar Policy and Trade, Swaziland, 1999, and the Latin American Sugar Conference, 1999.
The impact and relevance of the IGGs will be further strengthened in 2000-01 through a series of multi-commodity sessions, focussing on cross-cutting priority issues, held in conjunction with commodity conferences to broaden interaction with private sector stakeholders, academic institutions, etc. Following the successful joint session of the IGGs on Hard Fibres and on Jute, Kenaf and Allied Fibres, a second joint session will be held in late 2000 in conjunction with a Conference on Fibres, including cotton, flax and other fibres. In 2001, it is proposed to hold a conference on the feed-livestock complex encompassing the IGGs on Meat, Grains, Rice and Oils and Oilseeds. The IGG on Tea will be held in conjunction with a Conference on Health and Tea Consumption. In addition, sessions of various other IGGs will be hosted by member countries in order to strengthen exposure of national commodity sectors and enhance interaction/exchange among technical experts. All of the above "means of delivery" as well as the analytical publications and training materials under this programme will be better publicized and disseminated through electronic and other means.
In view of the above, it is felt that para 55, which gives a summary evaluation of 224.2, should also mention specifically some of the substantive areas of satisfactory performance, e.g., in the area of commodity and trade policy work designed to enhance trade performance of developing countries and to strengthen their participation in multilateral trade negotiations. Likewise, paragraph 56, is not sufficiently clear in differentiating further economy measures in relation to the CCP/IGGs from the need to maintain core functions in the areas of commodity and trade research and policy analysis and assistance, for which the bulk of the resources are used.
World Food Security Analysis
With respect to the Summary, (paragraph vii-a), management shares the view that cross-disciplinary collaboration is important. It also shares the concern regarding the trend towards diminishing resources for technical and normative programmes. In this context, it underlines that the resources allocated for servicing the CFS can only be effectively utilised if the other related programmes, which provide inputs to the CFS Secretariat, are themselves endowed with sufficient resources. The documentation required by the CFS can only be effectively and meaningfully elaborated if based on solid data, assessment and analysis to be performed by these contributing units.
With regard to the main issues and recommendations (paragraph 57 - third bullet), ESA management considers that greater influence of CFS deliberations on the policy stance at national and international levels could be obtained if, inter alia, the country (and other) reports to CFS would receive open dissemination. This would, however, also increase resource requirements at a time of declining resource availability.
With respect to recommendations in paragraph 58, and noting that the full definition of the workplan and methods for monitoring the implementation of the WFS Plan of Action have been elaborated by the CFS, action has been undertaken by the Secretariat to implement several of these recommendations, as follows:
Management considers that these changes have greatly benefited from the active collaboration that has been developed with the CFS Bureau. This distinctly enhances the ability of the CFS Secretariat to prepare for and follow-up to CFS sessions and, accordingly, to better meet the requirements of its membership.
1 These activities included an expert consultation on developing countries implementation experience with the WTO Agreement on Agriculture, a symposium held in Geneva on agriculture, trade and food security, a joint FAO/WHO/WTO conference, (held in Melborne, Australia) on food quality and safety issues as they affect trade and the development of FAO's agricultural trade web site (www.fao.org/ur).
2 Pierre Crosson (Resources for the Future) Agricultural Economics, No. 14 (1996), pp.61-66
3 Jock R. Anderson (World Bank), American Journal of Agricultural Economics, No. 78, February 1996, pp.246-247.
4 Alex Duncan (University of Oxford), Food Policy 22/1. February 1997, p.102.
5 Vernon W. Ruttan (University of Minnesota), Population and Development Review, Vol. 22, No.3, September 1996, pp. 566-569.
6 Between 1995-98, some 70 market analysis and outlook papers were issued: Grains (10); Rice (6); Meat and Livestock (7); Tropical Fruits (11); Bananas (6); Oilseeds, Oils and Fats (4);Citrus (2); Tea (6); Jute, Kenaf and Allied Fibres (5); Hard Fibres (4); Hides and Skins (3).
7 1995 2 projects ( Czech Republic,
1996 1 project ( Sudan)
1997 5 projects (Ethiopia, Moldova, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Turkey)
1998 8 projects (Bangladesh, Bolivia, Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, Slovenia, Syria, Yemen).
8 17th Session (23-27 March 1992); 18th Session (29 March-1 April 1993); 19th Session (22-25 March 1994); 20th Session (25-28 April 1995); 21st Session 29 January 2 February 1996 ; 22nd Session (23-30 September; 8-9 October; 28-31 October 1996); 23rd Session (14-18 April 1997); 24th Session (2-5 June 1998)


text:
Pets love it when you give them treats. It tells them that you love them. They also get that feeling that you'll go to the ends of the earth for them. But there are other reasons why you should give treats to your furballs. Check out our infographics to learn more.
Training is a repetitive process that rewarding the trainee—in this case, your pets—needs to be positively reinforced…by treats. Pets tend to remember their training well if there are treats waiting for them.
2 For reward
When your pets do good in your eye, reward them with a treat instantly. Aside from reinforcing positive behavior, pets will file that rewarding experience and may repeat that behavior in the future. Reward them again if it happens.
3 For dental health
There are many treats available for your pets. But if you want them to have better dental health and fresh breath, there are treats formulated to improve their dental condition.
4 For establishing connection
More than being a pet parent to your furballs, you should connect to them on a deeper level. Giving them treats establishes and strengthens that bond with your pets.
5 For showing who's the boss
Pets need to be reminded who takes care of them. Making them rely on you when it comes to giving them treats will show them who's the boss.
When you want your fur babies to do something and they won't budge, coax them with a treat. 9 out of 10 times, they'll do your bidding.
We know how cuddly and loveable our furry pals are. We give them treats just for the love. But remember that many pets tend to become obese so if we just give them treats just because, we might as well find treats that are low in fat and low in sodium.
Healthy treats for healthy pets
The best treats for pets are those which are specially formulated with the finest premium proteins like Meaty Bites. Soft and packed with a wonderfully delicious and nutritious meat, Meaty Bites is completely grain-free and made with natural goodness and wholesome nutritiousness your dogs will simple love! Treat your dog to the only healthy treats delicious enough to be called Addiction.
Buy Addiction Pet Foods in a store near you.
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram for more pet health and nutrition updates.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sunday, April 4, 2010
12 comments:
Happy Easter to you too!ReplyDelete
My Life in Style
Hi,dear Jen!-)*ReplyDelete
Lovely ,happy Easter to you,dear friend!!!
Much Love and hugs,
And the same to you!!!! :) TheresaReplyDelete
Blessings to you for Easter as well. Hope that you had a beautiful day.ReplyDelete
Best wishes,
Happy Easter to you!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousApril 4, 2010 at 9:55 PM
Happy Easter!ReplyDelete
Happy Easter, Jen! :) Hope you had a great day!ReplyDelete
love the pictures on your blog!ReplyDelete
Hi Jen!ReplyDelete
Blogger struck again over the weekend but this time deleted a number of my followers! I'm furious! I've complained and, as you'll notice, have reinstated your link. I apologize (though it should be Blogger doing this!) if you thought I'd done this intentionally. There's nothing I like more than following your great blog!
Have a good week!
XOXO Lola:)
Great to *see* you Jen! Blogger should be really ashamed of all the problems it causes us!ReplyDelete
Have a great week!
Those are gorgeous eggs! It reminds me of one of my favorite childhood books.ReplyDelete
these eggs are just GORGEOUS!ReplyDelete


text:
"You can't choose your relatives," they say in common parlance. That's right. But if the apple doesn't fall far from the tree this can only be an advantage - as long as the tree is called Rolex. The Rolex brand name has sound around the globe. It stands for the highest luxury in wristwatches, for elegance, privilege and preference among money nobility and celebrities, among business elites and social elites. However, the brand is also one of the most copied luxury watches, and this has earned it a small aftertaste of popularity with "wannabes". For which the brand bears no responsibility, which it is not capable of dampening. Quality has its own sovereignty. More sensitive personalities, however, who insist on an excellent product statement, have an excellent alternative: Tudor, the little sister, cheaper but no less top of the class than the big one, each in its market segment.
Tudor Black Bay "HARRODS", Full Set, 2020Referencenumber: 79230GFull Set, Box, PapersService: 2021Mint Condition
Tudor Black Bay GMTReferencenumber: M79830RB-0001Full Set, Box, Papers12 / 2021Mint condition


text:
Renault to quit F1 at the end of 1997
The company has been in Grand Prix racing since 1977 - although it pulled out briefly in 1987-88 while a V10 engine was being designed for the new F1 regulations. Since the arrival of that engine the company has won 60 races, three Drivers' titles and four Constructors' Championships. The engines have become so dominant that the company is now suffering from diminishing returns: victory is expected and Renault in only mentioned when it fails to win.
There are strong economic reasons as well for the pull-out. The strength of the French Franc against other currencies has made it very difficult for Renault to sell its goods abroad. The company has also been privatized recently and so the need to please shareholders also has to be taken into account. Renault Sport is to continue with plans to announce its future projects expected in the next few weeks. This is widely rumored to be an Indycar program, which will suit Renault's marketing aims in South America while being a lot cheaper than Grand Prix racing.
There may be an important knock-on effect of this for F1, because with a reduction of staff at Renault Sport and a less challenging program, some Renault engineers may decide that they wish to stay in F1 and join other companies.
Renault Sport boss Bernard Dudot (57) and his number two Jean-Francois Robin (59) are both only a few years short of retirement so they will probably stay on at Renault. But there are many younger men who would all be very useful to rival engine makers.
The company which stands to gain most is Peugeot as all the Renault men live around Paris and can easily relocate to Peugeot without needing to move their families. Renault Sport at Viry Chatillon is 12 miles from Peugeot Sport at Velizy.
With an influx of Renault knowledge, Peugeot will be able to improve what is already a very strong engine and so it will be a much more attractive partner for a big team. Peugeot is a free agent at the end of 1997 when its Jordan contract expires.
The availability of Williams and Benetton may convince other F1 engine-makers to split with their existing partners. Mercedes, for example, might consider a Williams deal to be a better bet than one with McLaren - and, as McLaren has proved in the past, contracts between teams and manufacturers can be dissolved.
One intriguing suggestion we hear is that Renault will stay out of F1 for a year and, once its Indycar program is up-and-running, will return to F1 with a French national racing team, which will be built around Ligier.


text:
Build a Crawling Course
To the uninitiated, rock crawling courses are just a series of gates. Unfortunately, more than a few course designers also don't seem see it as much more than that. A good course is far more complex than that, and while there is no real substitute for experience when it comes to designing a course, there are some fundamentals to keep in mind. Read on and you'll be soon building courses that will keep them coming back for more.
Just like racing, crawling draws in people of a wide variety of skill levels. To ensure everyone can have a good time, have your courses get progressively difficult. This includes the gates within a single course as well as the courses. An excessively difficult first gate will frustrate competitors. If you're running more than one course that are being run in order, have the courses increase in difficulty as well.
Good courses should test man and machine. They should not be a test of a driver's ability to avoid the intended challenge. The easiest way to prevent drivers from getting too creative is to use out-of-bounds markers. Powered chalk works extremely well for this and is generally inexpensive. The entire course doesn't need boundary markers, but used strategically, boundaries will not only force drivers to run the course as intended, but they will also help speed up the process as drivers won't going 20 feet off course to loop around just to avoid a reverse penalty.
Mix it up! Make your courses a true test by having a variety of challenges. Make sure you have plenty of climbs, some downhill sections, side hills and tight technical spots. Many course designers unknowingly favor and focus on one type of obstacle and that's usually uphill climbs. This doesn't do a good job of testing the drivers or the rigs.
The king of thinking-outside-of-the-box crawling courses is Brian Parker of Reno, NV. Brian–the man behind the RECON club and G6 competitions–makes it his personal mission to keep drivers guessing. Brian knows that if events get monotonous, turnouts will suffer. So, do what Brian does and throw in a few crazy obstacles. This includes bridges, ramps, high speed sections and even jumps. Brian also knows there is no rule that rock crawling events have to be held entirely on rock. Have your courses be true off-road courses and include dirt, sand, water, mud or whatever else may be at your disposal.
We call them scale rock crawlers, but they are really scale off-roaders. That means that, even more so than their comp-specific counterparts, scalers should be run on a much wider variety of terrain than just rocks. Dirt hills, ditches, logs are all awesome challenges for scale machines. Keep in mind the word "scale" is just French for "top heavy." Scale rigs tip over faster than the average politician sells out. While an occasional yard sale in unavoidable, don't create a course that is impossible for a scale vehicle to navigate. Don't make it easy; just go back to the progressive rule of thumb outlined before.
With vehicles that barely reach double-digit speeds, rock crawlers aren't exactly dangerous, but crawling courses can be. Most drivers will be focusing 100% of their attention on their truck and not at all on their footing. Keep this is mind when designing your courses. It is far better to be safe than sorry. Keep the climbing to the trucks and make sure your course paths allow for drivers to easily follow along without having to break out the crampons or falling off a ledge if they back up a step.
The two coolest things about building a homegrown backyard course is not having to travel to crawl and being able to really show off your creativity. There are two ways you can go about building a course: the large crawling area and the more defined obstacle course. Here are some tips to help you build a solid homegrown course that's far better than a pile of rocks:
- After you create a layer of rocks to crawl on, fill in the voids with dirt for a more realistic course. Most homegrown courses only present the challenge of avoiding wheel swallowing holes between rocks. Mix up the size of the rocks and fill in those pockets with dirt.
- Two 2×4 pieces of wood can make an interesting challenge when anchored securely and parallel to each other.. The skinny side is less than 2-inches wide (you knew that, right?), so it will take a steady hand to navigate the two pieces as a bridge.
- A flexible wooden bridge usually isn't tough to navigate, but they look cool. Drill each piece of wood and then pass the rope through, tie a knot and pass it through the next piece of wood.
- Go beyond rocks. Dirt is off-road. Carve out some short, steep dirt hills. Make a sand pit (it will stop the heavy "comp trucks" in their tracks).
- A row of half buried logs with a few inches between each log makes for an awesome challenge. put a few logs at slight angles to real twist some frames.


text:
Montgomery County Chapter
of the Ohio Genealogical Society
About Us
MCC-OGS Online Store
Our Events
Members Only
Surname Research
Lineage Societies
Links to Resources
MCC-OGS Facebook
Cemetery Listings
Area Genealogy Events
Online Join
To submit a query: Send an email to email@example.com with the subject Query for Posting. In the body of the message, include surnames on the first line using all capital letters. On subsequent lines, write the query as you want it posted. At the end, on separate lines, please include you contact information, such as e-mail address, name (optional) and address (optional). Your query will be posted on this webpage and in our newsletter.
Query: NOBLE - Rcvd: Dec 2020
My Grandfather Jesse Noble was born 3/14/1902, his father's name was Samuel Noble and his Mother's name was Margaret Turner. He had 2 brothers, Milo and Samuel. When he was a small child his father died and we believe he was sent to live with a relative. Any information about him would be appreciated.
Please contact:: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Query: Chamberlain & Hellrigle - Rcvd: Feb 2020
In 1820, four
brothers left New England to work along the Gatineau R., Canada. Josiah and John stayed. Leonard vanished. Thomas (1799-1868) settled in Dayton, married Catherine
). Thomas and Catherine's children were: Robert (aka Rufus), Andrew, Thomas A., Noble, Mary, Jacob and Parker. (Robert, Andrew and Noble served in the Civil War). Many grandchildren. Thomas Sr. and Catherine are buried at Woodland Cemetery.
There are 56+ Josiah and John descendants, affectionately calling ourselves
"Chamberlain Descendants...Chasing History."
We need to find a Thomas descendant to help us solve a history mystery -- finding proof of who the parents were of those four brothers. Family Bible notations and cemetery records lead us to Merrimack, New Hampshire.
Do you have Chamberlain/Chamberlin, Hellrigle or Kritzer on your family tree?
Please contact Laurel (1-604-980-7429) or firstname.lastname@example.com
Query: DAVIES - John, Samuel Watts, Edward -
Rcvd: 10 Sep 2019
I am researching the
family who were early settlers in Montgomery County. John Davies born 1749 London. His sons
Samuel Watts Davies, John Davies
Edward Davies
. Looking for burial sites or death records 1800 to 1850.
Susan Currier, email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Query: EMMONS - Ebenezer and John -
Rcvd: 27 Aug 2019
1820 census records for German Township, Montgomery County show
Ebenezer Emmons
and family. Ebenezer was born in NJ and returned to Monmouth County NJ in 1821. He served in the War of 1812, however, it does not appear he had bounty land when he resided in German Township with other NJ families. There is potential that he and his family accompanied NJ REV WAR soldier
John Emmons
, perhaps his father, and returned to NJ in 1821 when
John Emmons
If you can please share any information and detail regarding relationships between these former NJ residents it might help us resolve whether Ebenezer was a son of Rev War John Emmons.
Glenn Soden, Columbus, OH
Query: Olt Family from Dayton, Ohio
- Rcvd: 5 Aug 2019
My daughter married into the
family from Dayton OH. In an old house they are remodeling she has found trunks in the attic with lots of
info. I have several picture albums with photo. Some ID, some not. Is there anyone there that maybe could help us with these photo ID's we would gladly share a digital copy.
Joy McGinnis
Phone: (606) 348-8453
Query: Seeking Copy Photo Advise -
Rcvd: 18 Apr 2019
I am copying a good deal of information on paper by photocopying, using a camera and copy stand.
I would like to learn the best method(s) for lighting the material which is laying flat on the copy stand. Currently, I am relying on light from a northern window, but would like supplemental lighting for gray days and evenings. I have some small spots with 5,000K bulbs that came with a cheap photo/light tent. They do not put out enough light and brighter lights would require diffusers. Are LEDs better than incandescent bulbs?
(FWIW, photocopying is faster and better quality than flatbed scanning. Example of a copy stand: <
Terry Easton,
Query: HERSHKOWITZ, HERSH - Rcvd:
23 Mar 2019
As the family genealogist, I heard that in the early 1900's my great grandfather,
Jacob Hershkowitz
(name was shorted to Hersh, but not sure of the time) was arrested for allegedly stealing merchandise from one of the railroad cars in Dayton.
I have not been able to document this from research on the internet so am hoping you might have access to other sources for me. I was told that he had a lawyer who got him off as the judge ordered Jacob and his family to get out of Dayton ASAP.
Any assistance you can provide me is greatly appreciated.
Thank you in Advance,
Mail to; Edward D. Hersh, Pearland, TX
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
© 2022 Montgomery County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society
* Powered by
Webware *


text:
- Pour one tablespoon of liquid hand soap into an empty foaming soap dispenser.
- Fill the rest of the dispenser with water (leaving a little space at the top of the container).
- Screw on the lid and shake.
- Warm water works best.
- Pump the dispenser a few times to get the foaming started.
What You Need
- Liquid hand soap
- Water
- Empty foaming soap dispenser


text:
Pacing the street I stop; crouch on my feet and watch my prey.
Feeling my heartbeat drop as I dodge the alley's urban decay.
Then I grin.
My heart full of sin as my first victim comes into view.
Tottering on tiny shoes like a porcelain doll.
She's a tasty morsel, of course I fix eyes on her as my ultimate goal.
Good Lord… she's so helpless.
Stalking her's no game of chess but a turkey shoot.
There's no sport here. The point is moot, I must move on.
I slink down the alley my lust not sated, I'm just not done.
Then I spy another.
This one here, she's a wildebeest.
Chatting to her friends half asleep, she's a basic target.
This is too easy.
I hang back and weigh up my chances.
Whilst I'm king of the urban jungle and these streets are mine, at times I must know when to face defeat and when to draw the line.
But it's fine.
Not every hunt should mean it's killing time.
Half the time, all I'm looking for is a sign.
Something to break the cycle and shake things up.
Some real sport to test me, where I get to prove I'm the best breed.
But what's the point of being top of the food chain if you're constantly tormented like you're having a bad day?
However, I refuse to be thwarted.
I'm lean, fighting fit and ready to hunt.
Bring on all foes you mothers I'll face many at once!
And the night is young so let's see where things lead.
The truth is… It's hardly a good night's work if on some level I don't bleed.
But that's the life of a proud old lion.
None of this 'let bygones be bygones', I'm taking you down.
We'll fight round and round until one of us hits the ground.
Have to say though, I kinda like my battle scars.
I'll rattle your cage with my aggressive ways and leave you broken and marred.
Right this minute though the time to talk is over, I've now fed.
Time this old lion bowed his head and went to bed.
Because I'm contented.
And right now I lack incentive.
Tomorrow though, that's another story.
Back on the beat stalking the street in search of my next quarry.
So stay on a swivel if you don't want it to be you.
If you don't… a grisly fate will await you, you'll end up as my food.


text:
According to General Manager of marketing at NIGEC Mostafa Sharif, the company plans to sell at least 20% of its 49% shares in Iran LNG joint venture project to foreign companies.
Along with Iran Oil Pension Fund which holds the remaining 51%, NIGEC hopes to complete the project in just under three years, making the country's first LNG exports ready for the market.
Iran LNG is a $3.3 billion project to produce 10.5 million tons of liquefied gas per year. It is 60% complete, according to officials, pending imports of new equipment and structures to bring it online.
Revival of abandoned projects
With sanctions formally removed on Saturday, many of Iran's oil and gas development projects are expected to gain pace as foreign companies are offering funds and technology in anticipation of big dividends.
Sharif, quoted by London-based Argus Media, said Iran Oil Pension Fund may also seek to sell some of it 51% stake in Iran LNG. Discussions with foreign oil companies could be concluded this year, he added.
German industrial gases group Linde has already offered to help Iran complete its LNG projects which also include LNG Pars and LNG Persian.
The three projects had been awarded to Royal Dutch Shell, Spain's Repsol and France's Total to produce 40 million metric tons of LNG a year for exports but the three companies abandoned them in 2011 when Iran came under sanctions.
Foreign companies are also weighing $800 million-$1 billion of investment in floating production of LNG from associated gas at offshore fields in the Persian Gulf, a senior energy official has said.
Last November, Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said Iran and Belgium were in talks for possible FLNG production off the Kharg Island.
Linde Chief Executive Wolfgang Buchele visited Tehran in September, announcing the company's readiness to resume its "legitimate presence in Iran" as "one of the biggest players in the global market" in the LNG industry.
"We are definitely seeking to cooperate with Iranian companies on transfer of technology" to carry out petrochemical and other projects, he said then.
Investment plans
Germany's BASF, the world's largest chemical producer, also plans $6 billion of investment in Iran's petrochemical sector, director of planning at the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) Hamid Reza Rostami said last month.
Zangeneh has said the lifting of sanctions would enable Iran to fulfill its 20-year vision plan, including its target to produce $70 billion of petrochemicals a year at current prices.
With more than 34 trillion cubic meters under its belt, Iran owns the world's largest natural gas reserves but its share of the global trade in gas is less than one percent. Officials hope to attract $40 billion in the gas industry now that sanctions are lifted.
Iran seeks to raise gas production to 1.2 billion cubic meters (bcm) a day in five years, from 800 million cubic meters now. Annual output totals 166 bcm, which is mostly used at home.


text:
Ice fishing: Hard lessons on hard water
By Diane Tipton, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Ice fishing puts the angler in touch with the elements in a way no other outdoor activity does. Fishing "hard water" is alluring for its simplicity—ice, water, wind, fish, a line in a round ice hole, and time.
Wind might be the element ice anglers have had enough of this year. One dedicated angler, who sometimes sleeps overnight on the ice during the season, recently had a wind-powered adventure he and his friends will remember for winters to come.
Retiree Robert Morris of Helena made his ice shanty from a recycled pop-up camper with 10-inch tires that carries a 2×4 framed plywood shack. This winter he is set up at Canyon Ferry Reservoir a few miles out from the Silos, propped on jack stands with tie downs to the ice. His fishing buddy's ice shack was sitting on skis and lashed to Morris's shack with a lead rope.
During one of the longest nights this winter, Morris was up at 4 a.m. to fish for ling. The wind was already growling when he checked his line with a flashlight and crawled back into his sleeping bag. All was well for a time, until a heavy weight hit his ice shanty hard enough to break its moorings and hurtle it across the ice.
"I was suddenly sailing at highway speed on the ice in the black night, with the wind slamming my friend's ice shack into mine, twisting and spinning us," Morris said.
Morris said he felt pretty certain, with all the open water and pressure cracks along the ice at that time, that he was a goner.
"I started calling a few close friends to say thanks and let them know what happened to me," he said. "Odds were they'd be out looking under the ice for me come morning."
When the strange assemblage slowed, Morris hurriedly crawled out to take stock. The tongue of his ice house trailer was snagged on a sled he uses to pull groceries to his fishing site.
"I lifted the trailer tongue onto the ice hoping to add some traction," he said. "I thought of abandoning the whole thing and hiking to shore, but in the dark I had no idea where I was."
Even as he climbed back into his ice shack it took off again, traveling another few city blocks with the trailer tongue scraping and jittering over the ice.
"My fishing poles, supplies, jack stands, everything was strewn far and wide across the ice back the way I'd come," he said.
When first light dawned, he was finally able to reorient himself for a nearly two mile walk back to the silos.
"I was so glad to be alive," he said. "I felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz blowing out of Kansas in my little ice house on wheels."
"He walked in just as I was about to listen to my phone messages," said Sharon Walker, manager of the general store at the Silos at the Townsend-Canyon Ferry Lake KOA. "Boy was I glad he was there in person before I listened to that message—otherwise I would have been scared to death that we'd lost him."
Friends in the Silos area helped Morris gather his belongings over the next few days. He had lots of help, a lot of fellow ice anglers were scouting around for their ice houses and belongings too. But none had ridden the night's high wind as Morris did.
"A few days later I was back out on the ice anchoring my ice house with bolts screwed into 2×4's under the ice," Morris said. "I spend 19 or 20 days a year out on the ice in winter. It's one thing that I really enjoy—even after this experience."
There are some measures ice fishermen and others recreating on the ice can take to make every trip safer.
• Don't fish alone.
• Keep fishing holes small and few. When drilling fishing holes with an ice auger, keep the diameter under eight inches. Bigger holes are not necessary to land fish and can create a safety hazard for others.
• Watch your step.
• Spread out. Disperse weight and fishing holes.
• Be prepared for weather conditions.
• Be prepared for emergencies. Carry equipment such as ice picks or awls, rope, extra buckets and personal flotation devices. Also pack a first-aid kit and matches for starting a fire.


text:
By Keith Strier and Cathy Cobey, EY
As the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning proliferates, AI technologies are rapidly outpacing the organizational governance and controls that guide their use.
External regulators simply can't keep up, and enterprises are grappling with increasing demands to demonstrate sound and transparent controls that can evolve as quickly as the technology does.
As has been proven time and again in recent high-profile catastrophes, there are serious operational risks of using AI without a robust governance and ethical framework around it. Data technologies and systems can malfunction, be deliberately or accidentally corrupted and even adopt human biases. These failures have profound ramifications for security, decision-making and credibility, and may lead to costly litigation, reputational damage, customer revolt, reduced profitability and regulatory scrutiny.
The need to build trust
Within the organization, leaders must have confidence that their AI systems are functioning reliably and accurately, and they need to be able to trust the data being used. Yet this remains an area of concern; in our recent survey, nearly half (48%) of the respondents cited a lack of confidence in the quality and trustworthiness of data as a challenge for enterprise-wide AI programs.1
Meanwhile, organizations also need to build trust with their external stakeholders. For example, customers, suppliers and partners need to have confidence in the AI operating within the organization. They want to know when they are interacting with AI, what kind of data it is using, and for what purpose. And they want assurances that the AI system will not collect, retain or disclose their confidential information without their explicit and informed consent. Those who doubt the purpose, integrity and security of these technologies will be reluctant — and may ultimately refuse — to share the data on which tomorrow's innovation relies.
Regulators are also looking for AI to have a net positive impact on society, and they have begun to develop enforcement mechanisms for human protections, freedoms and overall well-being.
Ultimately, to be accepted by users — both internally and externally — AI systems must be understandable, meaning their decision framework can be explained and validated. They must also be resolutely secure, even in the face of ever-evolving threats.
Amid these considerations, it is increasingly clear that failure to adopt governance and ethical standards that foster trust in AI will limit organizations' ability to harness the full potential of these exciting technologies to fuel future growth.
You can get a copy of EY's full report on the importance of trust in AI here.


text:
LeBron James inks 2-year, $97.1 million deal with Lakers
FILE - Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) controls the ball during an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in Los Angeles, Friday, April 1, 2022. The NBA schedule comes out Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 17, 2022, and it'll provide the first look at, among other things, when LeBron James might pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time scoring leader. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Greg Beacham, The Associated Press
Published Thursday, August 18, 2022 7:28AM EDT
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension through the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent announced Wednesday.
Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul said the league-maximum deal makes James the highest-paid player in NBA history. His new deal includes a player option that would keep the second-leading scorer in NBA history with the Lakers past his 40th birthday in December 2024.
The 37-year-old James is headed into the final year of his most recent contract with the Lakers, who signed the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and four-time league champion in July 2018. The new deal means the 18-time All-Star will make $46.7 million this season.
Barring injury, James is likely to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's career scoring king this winter. James and the Lakers also still hope to be in contention for another title if James and Anthony Davis can return at full health after an injury-plagued 2021-22 ended without a playoff appearance.
James' new deal syncs with Davis' most recent contract extension with the Lakers, allowing both to leave the Lakers or to negotiate new deals in 2024. Both superstars are represented by Klutch.
James' recommitment to the Lakers also silences persistent talk of his possible departure as a free agent or in a trade. James hasn't appeared to be going anywhere on social media or in his public appearances, and he praised the hiring of new Lakers coach Darvin Ham.
James has missed significant portions of the season due to injury in three of his four years with the Lakers. He was largely healthy in the elongated 2019-20 season when the Lakers won the franchise's 17th NBA title in the Florida bubble, and he has been every bit the dominant player of his prime when at full strength in the ensuing two years.
Although his contract status inspired plenty of offseason chatter, James seemed unlikely to relocate after spending the past four seasons of his 19-year career with the storied Lakers. His family is settled in Los Angeles, where his eldest son, Bronny, is a 17-year-old senior and college basketball prospect playing at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth.
James has occasionally said he intends to play on the same team with Bronny when his son reaches the NBA. Although plenty of obstacles remain between the younger James and the NBA, he could be draft-eligible in the summer of 2024.


text:
Google Chrome now warns users if they are visiting a page that is not protected via HTTPS as "Not Secure". If you don't like this behavior, you can disable it with the following steps.
- Open Chrome, type chrome://flags in the address bar, then press "Enter".
- Type the word "secure" in the search box at the top to make it easier to find the setting we need.
- Scroll down to the "Mark non-secure origins as non-secure" setting and change it to "Disabled" to turn off the "Not Secure" warnings. To turn on the warnings, the other "Enabled" or "Default" settings can be used.
- Select the "Relaunch Chrome" button, and Chrome should no longer warn you of "Not Secure" web pages.


text:
Spring into Western Art!
The weather is beautiful here in the Hill Country and what better way to celebrate than with some gorgeous landscape paintings! The work of CP Montague, Porfirio Salinas, G Harvey and Walt Leader all exhibit the diverse landscape of Texas while also showcasing their individual painting styles.


text:
Enjoy £2,000 worth of perks with Revolut Business
There are many reasons people choose to join Revolut Business, from accounts in up to 28 international currencies, to fair exchange rates, and innovative automations with Slack and Xero. One thing that always comes as a pleasant surprise, though, is the number of incredible perks available.
To date, over 100,000 businesses, from freelancers to FTSE listed companies, have joined Revolut Business. All of them have different needs, of course, but all appreciate the savings we've negotiated for them here and there, to help life a little easier.
After all, £100 saved is £100 which can be invested back into another area of your business. It's all down to our Business Development team, who are constantly hard at work, closing deals with companies we know our customers use and love.
Over £2,000 worth of discounts and perks
Businesses that sign up to Revolut Business are able to take advantage of more than £2,000 worth of discounts and benefits.
As a Revolut Business customer, you could equip yourself and the team with Apple products at a 10% discount, eliminate overflowing inboxes and start chatting on Slack (save USD100 on your subscription) and say goodbye to hoarding paper receipts for your expenses when you migrate to Expensify (get £150 credit).
Now that the basics are sorted, start your digital marketing campaigns with £120 worth of credits from Google Adwords and make sure you nurture those leads with the highly trusted CRM tool, Pipedrive (save £100).
That's just the tip of the iceberg. We know it takes real hustle and grit to run a business so our team is constantly releasing more and more perks that can have a real impact for users.
See a full list of perks here.
Oh, and we forgot the most important perk of them all.
A whole month of FREE coffee from our partners at Pact to keep you and the whole office running at full steam.
Sounds like you're missing out? If you're not already a Revolut Business customer, then you probably are. Just saying.
Get started for free
Over 1,500 growing businesses are joining us every week. Will you be the next?


text:
I went into Mindscapes this arvo. Mindscapes is this store that sells heaps of really cool stuff, like board games, telescopes, books, puzzles, etc. I hate that place 😉 – they take my money in return for fabulous games! I usually go in there about once a month, and today I discover they have Cheapass Games! (so cheap, even their website is made of cardboard!) So I'm like "Yeah, you guys rule!" and then part with NZ$70. I bought Kill Dr Lucky and Girl Genius – The Works. Dr Lucky was $20, and I can't wait to play it 🙂 I played GGTW with Smiley's little brother Andrew who is down with his family for the weekend. He beat me. Isn't tht always the case?
Hi, I'm Brett Taylor, a.k.a. Glutnix
I am Brett Taylor, a geek living in Wellington, New Zealand. I love to do all things web. I guess I'm a jack-of-all-trades.
I can do Laravel, HTML 5, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, PHP, Processing, interaction design, graphic design, networking and desktop support, and anything else I put my mind to.
I live with my beautiful wife and my fantastically cute baby girl.