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London - Global food and drink companies are using techniques pioneered by the tobacco industry to undermine public-health policies, a new study claims.
Multinational firms have distorted research finding, paid large sums to build relationships with health bodies and lobbied governments to block health regulations, according to the paper published in The Lancet.
It argues that the British government's reliance on voluntary self-regulation and "nudge theory" techniques to change consumer behaviour will do little to reverse the global spread of disease caused by junk-food diets.
The study, led by Professor Rob Moodie, of the University of Melbourne in Australia, also details the grip that trans-national corporations such as Kraft, Nestlé, Mars and Unilever have on global food markets in the developed world and their increasing reliance on low-income countries for continued growth.
The 10 largest companies now control more than 15 percent of all food sales - three quarters of which are made up of highly processed foods such as frozen pizza, burgers, biscuits and fizzy drinks.
The study team concluded that the only way to achieve the United Nation's goal of halving the mortality rate for diseases caused by tobacco, alcohol and poor diet is through greater regulation.
The report concluded: "There is now evidence to show that the food, drink, and alcohol industries use similar tactics and strategies to the tobacco companies to undermine public health interventions."
Among the techniques allegedly used to avoid unwanted industry regulation was the building of partnerships with health bodies. The report highlights the three-year arrangement between the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and confectionary giant Nestlé announced in 2012.
Janet Voûte, global head of public affairs at Nestlé, said last year that the partnership was evidence of the company's commitment to "nutrition, health and wellness".
On Monday night, Nestlé said it was was "proud" to support the IDF.
"We believe in the power of multistakeholder actions to deliver better nutrition, encourage healthier diets and physical activity, and to promote health and wellness initiatives worldwide," a spokesman added.
However, the report says "there is little objective evidence that public-private partnerships deliver health benefits, and many in the public-health field argue that they are just a delaying tactic of the unhealthy commodity industries".
It also accused companies of distorting research findings and investing millions of dollars in lobbying politicians to promote policies conducive to the needs of the industry.
The report added: "From the denial of tobacco addiction as late as 1994 to the obstruction of traffic-light labelling of unhealthy food and the recent detraction of alcoholic drinks from EU labelling legislation, the tobacco, alcohol, and food industries have all tried to block access to objective health information and to manipulate channels of communication."
Professor Moodie said that so-called nudge theory in which people are encouraged to change behaviours with light-touch policies had little impact on reducing the health toll. "You can't expect self-regulation to work. It is like having the burglars install your locks. You think it might work and you are safe but you are not," he said.
But food manufacturers insisted that voluntary codes were working, pointing to the elimination of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils as ingredients in foods and a 10 percent reduction in salt levels in many products over the past five years.
Barbara Gallani, director of food safety, science and health at the Food and Drink Federation said the industry recognised the need to tackle obesity and diet-related diseases.
"UK food and drink manufacturers are working in partnership with government, health organisations, NGOs and other stakeholders as part of the Public Health Responsibility Deal, to reduce salt and calories in products and to promote healthier diets and more physical activity," she said.
The brewer and the International Centre for Alcohol Policies assisted Lesotho, Malawi, Uganda, and Botswana in writing alcohol- control policies. According to The Lancet, the plan served "the industry's interests at the expense of public health".
A SAB Miller spokesman said that it contributed to workshops but that the national governments were responsible for developing the policies.
Britain's biggest retailer spent five years opposing the introduction of the red, amber and green "traffic light" system for the labelling of food's nutritional values -the preferred method of the Food Standards Agency. Tesco finally bowed to consumer opinion in 2012 despite having spent £4m previously promoting its own system which did not incorporate red lights.
In 2009 the soft-drink maker spent $9m lobbying US Congress, according to the US Senate Office of Public Records. Filings with the Federal Elections Commission show that in the 2008 election cycle the company's Political Action Committee, the so-called Concerned Citizen Fund alone contributed $547,700 to candidates for federal office. - The Independent


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Agriculture occupies a priority status in Nigeria as the sector serves as the key driver of growth, wealth creation and poverty reduction for a large portion of the population. It is the leading economic activity in the country contributing about 40 per cent of GDP and providing 60 percent of employment in 2010. More than 80 percent of Nigeria"s agricultural production is dominated by poor and small-scale producers in the rural areas.
Agriculture occupies a priority status in Nigeria as the sector serves as the key driver of growth, wealth creation and poverty reduction for a large portion of the population. It is the leading economic activity in the country contributing about 40 per cent of GDP and providing 60 percent of employment in 2010. More than 80 percent of Nigeria"s agricultural production is dominated by poor and small-scale producers in the rural areas. Foreign Agricultural Service 27 November 2011 Agricultural Finance and Development
Agricultural Finance and Development
An Expert's View about Agriculture and Animal Husbandry in NigeriaPosted on: 27 Nov 2011
THIS REPORT CONTAINS ASSESSMENTS OF COMMODITY AND TRADE ISSUES MADE BY USDA STAFF AND NOT NECESSARILY STATEMENTS OF OFFICIAL U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICY Voluntary Public - Date: 10/17/2011 GAIN Report Number: Nigeria Post: Lagos Agricultural Finance and Development Report Categories: Agriculture in the Economy Approved By: Russ Nicely, Regional Agricultural Counselor Prepared By: Michael David, Agricultural Specialist Report Highlights: Nigeria's agricultural development is constrained by the lack of access to credit for the predominantly smallholder farmers. Efforts by successive governments to address the problem have been largely unsuccessful. Commercial banks in the country perceive agricultural finance to be high-risk. The Central Bank of Nigeria is making efforts to de-risk the sector and encourage banks to lend to farmers. Executive Summary: Agriculture occupies a priority status in Nigeria as the sector serves as the key driver of growth, wealth creation and poverty reduction for a large portion of the population. It is the leading economic activity in the country contributing about 40 per cent of GDP and providing 60 percent of employment in 2010. More than 80 percent of Nigeria?s agricultural production is dominated by poor and small-scale producers in the rural areas. This group lacks access to capital to acquire the needed inputs to increase output and incomes. To overcome this challenge, farmers have continued to exploit various avenues by relying on both non-institutional and institutional sources of credit. Efforts and initiatives by successive Nigerian governments to address the problem have produced lower than expected results as rural farmers still encounter difficulties in accessing credit from the formal financial institutions. Many have resorted to self-help and mostly informal financing options. Background: Like many other African countries, Nigeria is primarily agrarian with its abundant land and water resources. Despite the rapid growth of the oil industry over the years, agriculture still accounts for 40% of GDP and provides employment (both formal and informal) for about 60% of Nigerian?s 150 million people. Nigeria?s agriculture remains largely subsistence-based with about 80% of agricultural output coming from rural farmers living on less than a dollar per day, earned from farming less than one hectare (2.47 acres). Nigeria has diverse agro-ecological conditions that can support a variety of farming models to create its own green revolution. However, successive administrations neglected agriculture over the years and failed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the capital-intensive oil sector. Nigeria was once a large net exporter of agricultural products and the sector was the major foreign exchange earner before the advent of oil in 1970s. Nigeria is currently a huge net importer of agricultural products, with such imports exceeding $3 billion in 2010. The country has the potential to return to its previous position if adequate attention is given to agricultural growth policies, finance and provision of rural infrastructure. The fact of the matter is most of the smallholder farmers lack access to capital to acquire the needed inputs to increase their productivity and incomes and reduce their poverty. Farmers require credit to purchase seeds, fertilizers, herbicides, and buy or rent mechanized equipment and related services. Nigerian agricultural policy recognizes the vital role of agriculture finance in attaining the much desired green revolution. A major focus of the policy is to establish a system of sustainable agricultural financing schemes, programs and institutions that could provide micro and macro credit facilities for the small, medium and large-scale producers, processors and marketers. However, public expenditure on agriculture which serves as the bedrock of financing for the sector has consistently fallen short of recommendations. It is therefore not surprising that these policies have failed to achieve the set goals of food self-sufficiency, self reliance, poverty reduction and rural development. Importantly, Nigeria?s agriculture is abysmally under-financed. At a public forum in early 2011, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was quoted to have said ?currently agriculture accounts for 40 percent of the GDP, yet it receives only one percent of total commercial bank loans.? This is significantly below the level of other developing countries, e.g. Kenya and Brazil which reportedly registers 6 percent and 18 percent, respectively. The Nigeria Agriculture Public Expenditure Review, a collaborative study carried out by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the World Bank in 2008, revealed that public spending on agriculture was less than 2 percent of federal expenditure during 2001 to 2005. This is far below the 10% goal set by African leaders under the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP). CAADP was established by the AU assembly in 2003 with a focus on improving food security, nutrition, and increasing incomes in Africa's largely farming based economies. It aims to do this by raising agricultural productivity by at least 6% per year and increasing public investment in agriculture to 10% of national budgets per year. Very low levels of funds are available for activities considered vital for promoting agricultural growth, such basic and applied agricultural research, agricultural extension and capacity building, and agricultural credit and irrigation development. In spite of this poor investment, agriculture contributed on average 32% to the country?s total GDP during 1996- 2000 and 42% between 2001 and 2009. For a successful transformation of the agricultural sector, experts suggest that Nigerian agriculture requires additional annual investments of as much as $8 billion. Budgetary Allocation to Agriculture (# Billions) 1990-2002 Total Allocation % of Agric Year Budget to Agric to total 1990 39.76 1.96 4.95 1991 38.66 0.67 1.74 1992 52.03 0.92 1.78 1993 112.10 2.83 2.53 1994 110.20 3.71 3.37 1995 153.49 6.92 4.51 1996 337.21 5.71 1.69 1997 428.21 8.66 2.02 1998 487.11 9.04 1.86 1999 947.69 12.15 1.28 2000 701.05 13.60 1.94 2001 1, 018.02 64.94 6.38 2002 1,018.15 44.80 4.40 Sources: CBN Statistical Bulletin and Annual Report Contribution of Agriculture to Gross Domestic Product 2001- 2007 Total Share of % Share of Agric Year GDP (#Billion) Agric. GDP in Total GDP 1990 267.55 84.35 31.53 1991 265.38 87.50 32.97 1992 271.37 89.35 32.92 1993 274.83 90.60 32.97 1994 275.45 92.83 33.70 1995 284.41 96.22 33.83 1996 293.75 100.22 34.12 1997 302.02 104.51 34.60 1998 310.89 108.81 35.00 1999 312.18 114.57 36.70 2000 329.18 117.95 35.83 2001 431.78 182.66 42.30 2002 451.71 190.37 42.14 2003 495.01 203.01 41.01 2004 527.58 216.21 40.98 2005 561.83 231.46 41.19 2006 595.82 248.60 41.72 2007 634.86 267.06 42.20 2008 672.20 283.18 42.13 2009 716.95 309.00 43.10 Source: CBN (2005, 2007& 2010) GDP is at 1990 constant price. Structure of Farming in Nigeria For purposes of clarity, this report will focus on two distinct farming groups in Nigeria: small-scale farmers (10 ha or less) and medium to large-scale farmers (above 10 ha). Medium to Large-Scale farmers: Recent reform programs of the Government of Nigeria (GON) brought an increase in private sector acquisition of land for medium to large-scale agricultural operations. These are mainly retired civil servants and private sector workers who use their retirement benefits to start their own farming operations. In a few states, such as Kwara and Kano, there are specialized institutions established by the government to provide training in commercial agriculture. Because these farmers are fairly well educated, they adapt easily to new technologies and are able to structure their operations to attract financing from development banks and in some cases, commercial banks. Loan conditions from commercial banks are very stringent and interest rates are high. Nigeria is largely a cash-based trading economy and there is almost complete absence of long-term funds for investments in agriculture. Local farming sources indicate that in Nigeria today, it is almost impossible to obtain long-term (7-15 years) loans from commercial banks to invest in agriculture. Long gestation crops such as oil palm, cashew, cocoa and rubber are most affected by the lack of long-term loans. A case in point is that of 13 Zimbabwean farmers (displaced white farmers from Zimbabwe) in Kwara State. The government of Kwara State invited the farmers to come and farm in Nigeria and allocated to them 1000 hectares of land each for commercial agriculture. The program is a part of the overall goal of developing commercial agriculture in the state and the country at large. The program was almost scuttled at inception because for more than two years after the Zimbabwean farmers relocated to Nigeria they could not secure long-term loans from the commercial banks to commence farming operations. It took the intervention and secured guarantee from the government of the state before a consortium of banks would extend credit to them. Even recently one of the farmers was quoted as saying that the main challenge to the development of commercial agriculture in Nigeria is the lack of understanding, particularly by commercial banks, of long term, medium term and short term finance. These farmers are now fully settled and engaged in commercial production of corn, soybeans, cassava and dairy. This experiment in Kwara has turned out to be a huge success and is today a reference point for other states and private sector individuals planning to venture into commercial agriculture. In February 2009, the Government of Nigeria (GON) through the Central Bank of Nigeria set aside 200 billion naira ($1.33 billion) under the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS), designed primarily to nurture the growth and development of medium to large-scale commercial agriculture in Nigeria, with a broader focus on the entire value chain. The funds are channeled through a selected number of commercial banks. Unlike previous initiatives, the CACS appears to be working. Bank sources have reported that less than two years from the establishment of CACS, about 50 percent of the available funds have been taken up by medium to large-scale farmers. Overall, loan disbursements under the scheme are making steady progress. In this scheme, the private commercial banks are obligated to recover their loans, so the selection of projects is very thorough and the funded projects are achieving the desired expansion in scale, while steady repayment has started on some of the facilities. Smallholder Farmers: Small-scale peasant farmers are the heart of farming in Nigeria, with more than 80 percent of Nigeria?s agricultural production coming from these resource-poor, subsistence farmers operating on less than one hectare of land. This segment of the farming population does not adapt to new technologies as quickly as the medium to large-scale farmers and as such, they only obtain very low crop yield levels. Most of these farmers do not have funds to acquire seeds, fertilizers, chemicals and farm machinery to scale up operations and remain outside the reach of most types of available modern financing. Overview of agricultural finance in Nigeria Since independence in 1960, successive Nigerian governments have made efforts to address the problem of lack of access to credit to the rural poor. In recognition of the vital role of small-scale farmers in wealth creation, the GON has experimented with various financing initiatives. These are largely subsidized, targeted credit programs to promote agricultural production and improve the lives of smallholders. Following are the most important of the formal, mostly government financial schemes and institutions: i. Nigeria Agricultural Cooperative and Rural Development Bank (NACRDB): Jointly owned by the GON and the Central Bank of Nigeria, it plays the role of providing finance in the rural landscape. In practice, its deposit mobilization and credit services are also extended to urban clients. The bank is required to lend 70% of its loan portfolio at single digit interest rates through loans of 250,000 Naira ($1,666) or less. The very low repayment rates and the interest rate cap have both been found to undermine the viability of the institution as well as restricting its ability to satisfy the demand for loans from its target clientele; ii. The People?s Bank of Nigeria (PBN): Created in the early 1990s through a military Decree in order to reach the unbanked public, it essentially provided micro credit of 250,000 Naira ($1,666) or less to clients at a service charge of 20%. Clients had to have compulsory savings of 30% of the loan amount on hand when they obtained their loan; iii. The Community Bank (CB): was set up with the goal of encouraging locally-owned savings and loans institutions to meet the needs of the rural population not served by the commercial banks and government owned banks. The imposition of the ceiling on interest rates led to an inability of many CBs to recover their costs and eventually many became distressed; iv. Microfinance Banks (MFI) 2005 to Date: introduced by the CBN with the specific objective of making financial services accessible to a larger segment of the potentially productive Nigerian population who otherwise have no access to such services and permit them to contribute to rural transformation, promote synergy, and mainstream/graduate the informal subsector into the formal financial system. Through this microfinance policy, the CBN introduced a new regulatory and supervisory framework that made it compulsory for all institutions to obtain a new license and have a minimum share capital of 20 million Naira. Some modest success has been achieved, especially through the MFIs that are supported by NGOs. These are important financial providers for the rural poor in states such as Benue, Nassarawa and Bauchi, although their overall impact remains small. The limitation with NGO-MFIs is that they are prohibited from mobilizing deposits and find it difficult to grow; v. The National Poverty Eradication Program (NAPEP): currently has several micro-finance initiatives underway. From the onset, the program recognized the tendency for delinquency rates among borrowers to be higher for those who accessed government funds than those who access funds from commercial financial intermediaries. Building on the success with community approaches in the past, NAPEP loans are channeled through community-based financial intermediaries; vi. Financial Agricultural Cooperatives: Rare in Nigeria due to traditional views on sharing personal wealth information, these tend to be found in the northern states of Gombe and Bauchi, where experience with cooperatives has been positive. Very little is known about them however, including their number. Small-scale cooperatives are common across the country since most formal financial providers will only lend to farmers through this vehicle. These cooperatives are usually stand alone entities and are not federated under an apex body. In recent years, the GON promoted the formation of cooperatives in local communities and along commodity lines as a way of improving access to financing for the small-holder farmers. Cooperatives provide the required guarantees which the individual farmer cannot provide. Currently, there is a Directorate of Cooperatives in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture with more than 30,000 registered cooperatives spread across the country. Except for a few isolated cases, cooperatives have not helped to improve access to bank finance for the small-scale farmers. The concept of cooperatives is alien to Nigerian farmers who tend to want to keep matters relating to their farm operation and finances in secret; vii. Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme (ACGSF): Set up since 1977, primarily to induce banks to increase and sustain lending to agriculture. Under the scheme, bank loans to farmers are guaranteed 75 percent against default by the CBN. Commercial Banks in the country see agricultural finance as development finance and they are generally not pro-development finance. Banks consider the guarantee provided under ACGSF as inadequate to build their confidence to finance a sector that is reputed for loan default. There is also the problem of a large backlog of unsettled claims, some of which span over twenty years. This is highly undesirable as it has eroded the confidence of banks in not only the scheme but also all other government initiatives to provide credit to the agricultural sector; viii. Preferred Sector Allocation of Credits 1970-1996: The GON mandated all commercial banks to allocate a minimum of 40% of their total loan portfolio to agriculture or be penalized. Virtually all the banks opted to pay the penalty. The direct intervention by Government in lending to small-scale farmers did not only fail but it also planted a seed in farmers that government-backed loans are mere grants or ?gifts?. Traditionally, repayments defaults are very high for almost all of these government-supported efforts. This explains the unwillingness of commercial banks to finance small-scale farmers because of the poor loan repayment history, despite credit guarantees provided by the government. The problem is that these farmers often see such loans as their share of the ?national cake? (i.e. national oil revenue) which they sometimes channel to non-farming activities, such as marrying new wives, vehicle purchase, etc. Analysis of Impact: Several studies have been conducted by national and multi-lateral organizations to assess the performance of these institutions using indicators such as outreach, financing structure, financial performance and profitability. A summary of the findings is presented below: Outreach: Of all the Rural Finance Institutions (RFIs) discussed above, community banks have the most significant scale and with the exception of NGO-MFIs which cannot legally mobilize savings, all the institutions have more savers than borrowers. Financing structure: The community banks are the most leveraged, relying mostly on client deposits and private investment, respectively. However, the NGO-MFIs rely heavily on grants to fund their operations. As for the NACRDB, branches finance operations through client deposits and funds from head office, which represent about half of each branch?s total assets. Portfolio Quality and Financial Performance: NACRDB and the rural NGO-MFIs- those institutions dealing with poorer rural segments-are not operationally self-sustainable and have negative returns on assets primarily due to poor loan recovery. NACRDB and the NGO-MFIs essentially survive with injections from government and donors respectively. In contrast, the cooperative, community and commercial banks demonstrate some profitability. Efficiency: In terms of cost per borrower and saver most of the institutions located in the rural areas are the least cost-efficient in terms of lending. Where Smallholders Find Credit It is an established fact that financing from commercial banks to the smallholder farmers is virtually non-existent. To overcome this challenge, farmers have continued to exploit various avenues by relying on informal rural financial institutions for credit. i. Savings and credit associations: These are self-help associations, which consist of members who agreed to make regular fixed cash contributions, with each member being handed with the whole contribution on a rotating basis. This approach allows farmers to have access to funds that they invest in farm inputs. The weakness with this financing option is that it does not allow timely access to funds for farming operations for all members due to the limited amount available for disbursement. Another weakness is that this option does not take into account the time value of money. In one establish case; the first contributor to collect was able to purchase a motorcycle while the last to collect, 30 months after could only purchase a bicycle; ii. Money lenders: These are usually sole-proprietors who have mobilized enough savings to meet the financial needs of farmers who are in need for their farming operation. The interest paid on money lenders? credit is usually about 25 percent per month (300 percent per year). This high cost of fund is the major drawback of this system; iii. Daily savings/Itinerant banking: This is a type of personalized banking involving the money collector (banker) and his or her clients. A savings-only itinerant banker collects deposits daily and charges the saver one contribution of the 30 deposits made during the month. Contribution size is fixed, making the cost to the saver to be 3.3 percent. The Challenges Facing Agricultural Finance Policies in Nigeria Following are some of the identified challenges of agricultural finance policies in Nigeria: Paucity of loan funds: The portfolio of funds deployed to agricultural financing among Nigerian commercial banks is less than one percent of the aggregate investable funds; Low management capacity of farmers: Most farmers who should benefit from the financing policies lack the basic skills of farm management, including record keeping. And when these records are called up as requirement for accessing credit facilities, as is always the case, the farmers find they are ineligible; Lack of adequate skills to deliver services effectively: Most of the credit institutions undertook lending to agriculture without the use of trained agricultural credit officers with knowledge of agriculture and the constraints holding back farmer performance. Additionally, supervision of credit programs has often been below acceptable standards, resulting in poor repayment performance; Inadequate funding of public agricultural financing institutions: The NACRDB, for instance, has a capital base of N50 billion to be contributed to by the Federal Government and the CBN in a 60:40 ratio. To date, only about N23 billion has been paid up. These institutions cannot deliver effectively in the face of this dearth of funding.; There is a general lack of interest among commercial banks because agricultural finance in Nigeria is longer term (7 years) finance, and not what they do; Nigerian banks favor giving short-term loans, typically with three months tenor, more for the marketing of agricultural products rather than their production, which has long gestation periods, often exceeding one year; Most commercial banks do not have clearly defined structures for the administration of agricultural finance; Most of the initiatives and institutions established by the GON are not adequately funded for effective performance; Inadequate funding of public financing institutions. Government owned development banks, such as the Nigerian Agricultural Development and Cooperative Bank are poorly funded; Private financial institutions are skeptical about government agricultural initiatives due to cumbersome processing procedures, high transaction costs and a weak legal system; High dispersion of farmers which increases the lending and recollection costs; a lack of acceptable collateral by small-scale farmers; seasonality and low profitability of smallholder agriculture; and the high cost of borrowing money; Financial institutions are unwilling to support farmers, even with the mandatory (preferred sector) lending and guarantee of exposure citing low productivity and higher risk relative to other sectors. Historically, commercial banks opted to pay a penalty rather than abide by CBN directives to channel a fixed proportion of their loan portfolio to agriculture; About 65% of Nigeria?s economically active population lack access to formal financial services, hence the failure of the various efforts by government at all levels to address the issue. The failure of these initiatives and programs may have informed the direct involvement of the government at the local, state and federal levels in the provision of subsidies on farm inputs to farmers across the country. In addition to increased protection offered to local industries through high tariffs, the GON gives financial support for the production and distribution of subsidized planting seeds and seedlings for Nigeria?s major cash crops, such as cocoa and palm oil. The GON supplies fertilizer to farmers at a 25 percent subsidy. Again, inefficient and under-funded delivery systems often prevent such programs from successfully reaching the intended small-scale farmers and supplies are sold to directly to those with political connections who then resell at higher prices. A New Program is Attempted Dating back to the 1960s and 1970, agricultural finance in Nigeria has been characterized by the notion that subsidized and targeted credit could promote agricultural development and improve the lives of smallholders. Most of the initiatives of the GON are enumerated in the overview of agricultural finance in Nigeria section of this report. Poor funding and implementation have limited the ability of these programs to provide credit to this vital sector. Commercial banks continue to perceive the smallholder farmers as high risk. They see financing of the smallholder farmers as ?development finance? and that credit guarantees provided by the government are insufficient to encourage them to venture into this sector. In fact, at a public forum in April 2011, representatives of some of Nigeria?s major banks admitted that their banks are ill-equipped to fund the agricultural sector. There was a paradigm shift which began in the 1990s with microfinance approach that typically worked fairly well in urban and densely populated rural areas. This approach continues to evolve as attempts are made to extend it into rural areas and to farm households. It treats finance as a valuable way to expand and integrate markets, rather than as a policy tool targeted for specific market segments. The new paradigm reflects a financial systems approach, using market principles to deliver financial services to smallholder farmers. Currently, there is considerable interest in using the value chain approach. The relevance of this approach to rural finance rose from the gradual emergence of integrated operations between the real and financial sectors to facilitate the flow of commodities and services from producers to consumers within the activity clusters and sub-sectors. Taking full cognizance of the posture of the commercial banks and as part of its developmental role, the CBN is adding its weight to this initiative by attempting to ?de-risk? agricultural financing through the establishment of the Nigerian Incentive Based Risk Sharing for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL). The design which has been completed is to provide the singular transformational, one bullet solution to break the seeming jinx in Nigeria?s agricultural lending and development. This initiative which is being implemented in partnership with the Alliance for A Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is intended to un-lock financing for the entire agricultural value chain. It comes with a regime of incentives for lending banks, capacity building, agricultural insurance and risk sharing. The good thing about NIRSAL is that it has worked in other African countries and there appears to be a commitment to make it work in Nigeria. NIRSAL breaks tradition in two significant ways. First, it fixes the agricultural value chains so that banks can lend with confidence to performing projects across commercially healthy agricultural value chains. Second, it encourages banks to lend into the value chains from their balance sheets and without recourse to government funds, by offering incentives and technical assistance. Conclusion Insufficient institutional credit is a major contributor to the persistent poor performance of the Nigerian agricultural sector. Research has shown a strong positive correlation between the number and volume of guaranteed loans and agricultural GDP. Medium to large-scale agricultural production in Nigeria is small but growing. Access to credit for this small, well structured large-scale farm operators has improved somewhat, albeit at very high interest rates. However, the dominant smallholder farmers lack access to financing from the formal financial institutions. Most of these farmers (65% of population) reside in the rural areas and gain their livelihood from the farm and other rural based economic activities with little or no access to formal financial services. If government agricultural financing policies are to achieve the targets for rural development, it is a generally held view that Nigeria will need an adequate level of strategically targeted investments in agriculture to upgrade rural infrastructure, boost productivity, and increase competitiveness of smallholders. The various financing schemes/initiatives of successive Nigerian administrations designed to improve access to credit for the rural poor have been largely inefficient and ineffective. This is primarily because of inadequate budgetary provision to fund the initiatives properly. Over the years, the GON has consistently failed to abide by its commitments to the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Program (CAADP). In order to make Nigeria?s agricultural system work better, experts suggest that the country requires additional annual investments of as much as $8 billion annually. Recent effort by the CBN to de-risk agricultural lending-NIRSAL could improve access to credit for the rural poor if properly implemented. Under this program, the CBN has reportedly established $500 million to be used to leverage $3 billion from the commercial banks and Rural Finance Institutions (RFI) into agriculture. This initiative is expected to focus on providing affordable financial products to farmers, while at the same time reducing the risk of loans offered to farmers by the financial institutions. By reducing part of the risk of lending by banks, it will be possible to leverage substantial flows of funds in support of agriculture across the value chain and allow farmers to secure the financing they need to increase production. However, in order to sustainably improve outreach and lower the risk for RFIs, it is imperative that performance based capacity building take place and for organizational innovations to take place. The NIRSAL seeks to synchronize agricultural and trade policies utilizing the value chain approach. This should ensure that the system does not generate systemic overproduction, as it did during the Presidential Initiative on Cassava (PIC). In 1999, the GON inaugurated PIC to promote increased production of cassava for domestic use and exports. By 2003, cassava production in the country had almost double and farmers suffered great loss because of limited market outlets.
Posted: 27 November 2011
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I am intelligent, romantic, and chivalrous.
I also love the creative and performing arts. For most of my life I have been involved with some form of performance from playing piano to acting to dancing. For the past few years my involvement has been most see behind the scenes doing such things as lighting and costuming, which I got into in college and combines the family's traditional occupation of tailoring with my love for theater. Two years ago I started singing in a men's chorus, which I've very much been enjoying.
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It's hard to classify my taste and music as it runs from alternative rock to folk and renaissance.
My favorite foods are Thai and Greek, but I also have a soft spot for good Italian food and traditional Eastern European Jewish cooking.


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HOUSTON - A man was found dead outside a food store in northwest Harris County on Tuesday.
Harris County sheriff's deputies said the man's body was found behind Primos Food Store on Old Bammel North Houston near Tomball Parkway about 5:45 p.m.
Detectives said the man had been shot.
The man's identity has not been released.
Officials have not released any information about possible suspects.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
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At long last, Angela Merkel is Germany's new – and first woman – Chancellor. Although continuity will remain the hallmark of foreign policy, Germany's international engagement under Merkel will sound and feel different from that under Gerhard Schroeder's leadership.
Schroeder came to power seven years ago representing a new generation whose formative experience was not the Cold War, European integration, and transatlantic friendship, but German unification and the restoration of national sovereignty. For him and the team that took over after Helmut Kohl's 16-year reign, Germany had become a normal country, no different from other European heavyweights like France or Britain.
Indeed, one of Schroeder's first major foreign-policy experiences was the EU summit of 1999, where the leaders of France and Britain played rough with the newcomer from Berlin. The lesson that Schroeder drew was to insist that Germany could no longer be taken for granted and would demand a role commensurate to its size and weight. Self-assertion became the watchword of German foreign policy.
Thus, when Schroeder claimed special circumstances for Germany's failure to meet the budgetary ceilings of the European Union's Stability and Growth Pact, he seemed to be arguing that the restrictions should apply only to smaller countries, not to the big players. When he rightly opposed America's war against Iraq, the pride of standing up to the world's only superpower was palpable. When he established a close personal and political relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he signaled to the world – and to the EU's sensitive new Eastern European members – that Germany's foreign policy would no longer be constrained by the past.


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So, as we all prepare for the new consoles to hit the market later this year, I have been doing some thinking about my gaming.
I realize that, because I will be a student for the next two years (as my wife and I have decided to move to Memphis for the school of Preaching) I am not going to be able to afford any new hardware.
As unfortunate as this travesty (and blow to my "gaming manhood") is, I am actually sort of relieved.
The other day, I received an email from Gamestop telling me that my Pokemon SoulSilver game was worth $24 bucks! - Needless to say, I was quite shocked, and for the first time in over three years, I went back into my local Gamestop.
I traded in Final Fantasy III (NDS), Soul Calibur V (X360), Super Mario 64 (NDS), and of course the Pokemon SoulSilver game, and much to my surprise, I was even given a few other trade in bonuses that gave me a grand total over $70 buckaroos.
As I meandered about the store, I got this strange inkling to want to check out the used game sections for the consoles I own. I was happy to see that the quality of the game cases has greatly improved since the last time I was in a used game store (over 3 years ago). Glancing over, I saw a paper that advertised a "3 for $10" sale that featured a very lengthy list of games to choose from. As much as I disdain what (Gamestop especially) game stores have done to the industry I hold dear, I have to say that having over $70 floating around in my PowerUp card like a ghost in cemetery and seeing dirt cheap prices on games that I love, and games that I have wanted to play for a long time, all added up to me spending the vast majority of my newfound fortune on old gems from years gone by.
A few of the games that I decided to buy were Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm (PS3), Madden 2010 (PS3), and Final Fantasy XIII (PS3). I couldn't believe that I found all of them with pristine cases and actual paper "manuals" inside! My mind was effectively blown.
I know, I know, most people who read this are going to wonder why in the world I bought these games instead of others like The Last of Us, or the new Madden, or even why didn't I preorder Batman Arkham Origins? Well, put simply I have great memories of each of these games in one way or another.
Madden 2010 featured Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald on the cover, and being a Steelers fan I loved having this game just for the awesome box art. - I also let my neighbor borrow the game and he never returned it and moved away.... so yeah, it was bound to happen eventually and at the low low price of $1.79 I couldn't pass it up.
Well, I am a huge Naruto fan. I like the manga, love the anime/movies, and adore the video games (Ultimate Storms). When I first got my Ps3 back in the day, I was only able to buy a few games like Genji: Days of Blade, Heavenly Sword, and Lair. I downloaded game demos all the time using my neighbors wifi that had a 3% connection that only worked at night.... sometimes.... So, needless to say, when the Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm demo finally downloaded (and installed, and installed again .... ugh PS3 is so annoying sometimes) I was ecstatic! I searched and searched for that game every Friday when I picked up my paycheck, but it was to no avail. Flash forward back to today though, and I am a very happy man! - Never mind the fact that the game doesn't have any trophies (I wish it did though), I am having a great time just playing a game for the sheer fact that it is a game. A nostalgia that has been missing for a while in my life.
And of course, who could forget about the always great Final Fantasy XIII, right? I understand that many people did not enjoy this game as much as I did, but that's ok. I still think that it is the most visually stunning game that I have played on any of my PS3's over the years, and I have beaten every Uncharted game, so that's saying something. When the game first came out, I bought it on the Xbox 360 and I was on the 2nd of 3 discs, when my buddy borrowed the game and went to college at JMU. He forgot that the game was mine, and let someone else borrow it, and well.... you can do the math. When I saw the FF13 just sitting there on the shelf, with Lightning just staring at me.... I just had to pick it up and look at it again. Upon seeing that the game case was intact, and there was still that "new game smell", [it] was all over. After playing it for the past few days, about an hour a day, I have to say, that THIS could possibly be the first game that I will actually attempt to Platinum. I don't have any Platinums right now because no games have encouraged nor pushed me to actually want me to play them all the way through. I am a happy man.
A few other games that I bought include MLB 2011 - because I want to keep getting PS Move games to play with my wife and buddies when they come over. I got NCAA 2011 because of the same reason I got Madden 2010 - Tim Tebow sold it for me too! Captain America and Crackdown 2 have been sleeper hits for me as well, and I don't mind keeping them in my library from now on.
Well, I had a really good experience this past week with Gamestop. Something that I haven't said in over 3 years. I got some great games, but more importantly I got some great experiences. I want to get a lot of the new games, of course, who doesn't? But, the fact is, I am just not able to afford $60 (except Arkham Origins of course, I gotta get me some of that!) per game, or $400+ for a new system. I am content with being a fashionably late to the "next gen" party this go-around because I realize now, that I have a lot of great games to play on the current gen.


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The Effects of D-Fagomine on Glycaemic Response to Sucrose in Men
This study has been completed.
University Rovira i Virgili
Technological Centre of Nutrition and Health
National Research Council, Spain
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: February 3, 2012
Last updated: July 24, 2012
Last verified: July 2012
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Detailed Description:
The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of D-fagomine on glycaemic response to sucrose in men.
|Glycaemic Response Insulinemic Response
|Other: D-Fagomine
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator)
Primary Purpose: Basic Science
|Official Title:
|Randomized Controlled Double-blind Nutritional Intervention Trial to Evaluate the Effects of D-fagomine on Glycaemic Response to Sucrose in Men
Resource links provided by NLM:
Drug Information available for: SucroseU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Bioglane:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- Glycaemic response to sucrose [ Time Frame: 0-180 minutes ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- Insulin in venous plasma [ Time Frame: 0-180 minutes ]
|Study Start Date:
|February 2012
|Study Completion Date:
|June 2012
|Primary Completion Date:
|May 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Placebo Comparator: Control Product
200 ml water with 50g of sucrose
Other: D-Fagomine
0 mg (control) blended with 50 grams of sucrose in 200 ml of water.
Active Comparator: Product 1
200 ml water with 50g of sucrose and supplemented with 30 mg of D-Fagomine
Other: D-Fagomine
30 mg (initial dose), with 50 grams of sucrose in 200 ml of water.
Detailed Description:
To determine and compare glycaemic response to sucrose of D-Fagomine and control in the timeframe of 180 minutes.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|20 Years to 70 Years (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
1. Males between the ages of 20 and 70 willing and able to provide written informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
- LDL cholesterol levels higher than 189 mg/dl
- Triglycerides higher than 350 mg/dl (the threshold level to determine c-LDL using the Friedewald formula)
- Physical examinations and routine biochemical analysis shall be conducted to rule out pathologies.
- Consumption of supplements or acetylsalicylic acid
- Chronic alcoholism
- Body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2
- Previous antihypertensive treatment at the start of the trial that has not finished at least 2 months before beginning the study
- Diabetes mellitus (if the fasting blood glucose is higher than 126 mg/dl, the test should be repeated and confirmed)
- Kidney disease (serum creatine levels above 1,4 mg/dl for women and above 1,5 mg/dl for men)
- Acute infectious diseases, malignant tumors, severe liver failure, respiratory failure associated with chronic or endocrine diseases
- Other conditions such as special dietary needs
- To be participating or having participated in a clinical trial within the last 3 months
- Inability to continue the study
- History of gastrointestinal disease which may alter the absorption of nutrients
- Depressive disorder or thoughts of self-injury
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01528631
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01528631
|Hospital Universitari Sant Joan, Universitat Rovira i Virgili
|Reus, Tarragona, Spain, 43204
Sponsors and Collaborators
University Rovira i Virgili
Technological Centre of Nutrition and Health
National Research Council, Spain
|Principal Investigator:
|Rosa Solà, PhD MD
|University Rovira i Virgili
More Information
Additional Information:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on August 22, 2017
Additional Information:
|Responsible Party:
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01528631 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|February 3, 2012
|Last Updated:
|July 24, 2012
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on August 22, 2017


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/6/2012 (1889 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Winnipeggers will get to hear the newest Joe Silva tracks this weekend, finished or not.
The veteran Winnipeg DJ/producer will perform an hour of original material at the third annual Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition (MEME), including new songs in various stages of completion that will be mixed in with finished compositions to see how the crowd reacts.
"It's exciting to me to play the newest thing I'm working on, even if it's not finished. As long as the rhythmic section is complete and grooving, people will be dancing. And that's the goal for me: to get people dancing," he says.
Silva has been hitting his mark for more than 20 years in Winnipeg and cities around the world. The 47-year-old specializes in tech-house with a soulful, funky edge, designed to get the party started and people moving.
He is also an in-demand soundtrack composer for films and commercials and does remixes for artists in a variety of genres.
But creating and performing his own music is what's filling the majority of his time these days, he says.
"I still enjoy doing composing work, but ultimately, I'm working on someone else's dream. Lately I've been doing more work as Joe Silva the artist as opposed to Joe Silva the composer.
"I just got an iPad a couple of days ago and I'm using it to control Logic (DJ software) now so I can sit in the back of the room on my futon and control things. I have four speakers around me I can turn up and it feels like I'm in a nightclub, so I know how the audience feels."
Some of his recent activity includes the single Spam being released on Italian label TechnoMafia Records; an EP as part of the duo Tonepushers with Ali Khan; and the soundtrack for the 2012 fringe festival show Trashbot Apocalypse: A Love Story.
This weekend he will perform twice at MEME. He plays a solo set Friday in the Winnipeg Art Gallery's main room at 11 p.m. and again Sunday afternoon at 9 p.m. with Tonepushers, a long-standing musical collaboration that had been shelved since the early 2000s but was resurrected at last year's MEME for their live debut. Earlier this month the duo played a showcase set at MUTEK in Montreal, the electronic festival MEME has based itself on.
"I think MEME is an important aspect of our culture; it's celebrating electronic music in the city and bringing people downtown to hear music," Silva says. "It gives local artists like Ali, myself and others a chance to showcase what we do. When it's unknown, there's the element of fear of the unknown. We want people to know it's great music -- it's not over-commercialized. It's made with a lot of love."
The four-day event, which kicks off tonight and runs through Sunday, features performances from more than 50 DJs and producers. The majority hail from Winnipeg, but many out-of-town guests will be featured, including London, England's Pearson Sound; San Francisco's Ghosts on Tape; Anenon from Los Angeles; Berlin's Deadbeat; L.A.'s John Tejada; and one-time Skinny Puppy member Phil Western from Vancouver.
Free shows in Old Market Square take place Friday to Sunday on the Cube stage, with post-Cube events at the Winnipeg Art Gallery Friday and the Manitoba Museum on Saturday (see the sidebar for the complete lineup).
Last year MEME attracted an estimated 10,000 people to the indoor and outdoor events.
"We were really happy with last year but realized the transition from the Cube to the after-parties needed to be cleaner, so we really wanted to step up the after-parties this year," says Nathan Zahn, one of the festival's organizers.
Both the WAG and Manitoba Museum will feature multi-room formats with different styles of music, ranging from dance-happy techno and house to more downtempo ambient music.
Interactive projections and visuals created by Onion Union will be on display throughout the weekend.
"They're really flexible spaces and we're really happy to finally be able to deliver our product in a way that says, 'Yes, it's a party, but it's not a bar night,'" Zahn says.
In addition to the shows, there is a screening of the documentary Electronic Awakening tonight at Cinematheque, a full-day audio workshop Saturday; and a two-night VJ workshop. Complete information about the workshops is located at memetic.ca .
This year MEME has teamed up with Red Bull Music Academy to help with funding to bring in some out-of-town DJs on Sunday. The early part of the day will be devoted to ambient chill-out music, Zahn says.
"Last year we had families out there and people were swaying and hula-hooping. It was really great to see that," he says.
MEME schedule
Events at The Cube are free and all ages. Post-Cube events are 18-plus. Weekend passes for opening night and post-Cube parties are $72.20 at Ticketpro.ca.
Boa Lounge (177 Lombard Ave.), 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Beezkneez, Donovan, Chris Chill Phaze M & Nathan Zahn
Admission $15
The Cube at Old Market Square, 4:30-11 p.m.
Famine, Rick Logic, the Shake, Mikhail, Phil Western
After The Cube Party
Winnipeg Art Gallery, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Main room: Submit, Joe Silva, Deadbeat, John Tejada, Adham Shaikh
Skylight room: FmSea, Beauchamp, Aaron Bragger, Nikki Volan, JNL, Gus
Penthouse Room: Footwerk, Owen Reynolds, Alphagroove, Dave Rad, Mika
Rooftop: The Seed Organization, Co-Wrekt & Friends
Tickets: $49.50 at Ticketpro.ca
The Cube, Noon to 11:30 p.m.
Theo Tzu, Phantohms, Smooths @ Shael, Kasm, Mike Jasper, Jereme Oliver, Fishead, Phaze M, Nathan Zahn, Adham Shaikh, Arthur Oskan
After The Cube Party, Manitoba Museum, 10 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Main room: Alex Ridley, Ali Khan, Billy Dalessandro, My Favourite Robot & James Teej
Bass room: Whupass, The Seed Organization, Marcus Visionary, Vilify, Ill Type
Tickets: $30.50 at Ticketpro.ca
The Cube, Noon to 11:30 p.m.
Yoga at The Cube, Justin Kace, Anenon, Billy Dalessandro, Labyrinth Experience, Chris Komus, Ghosts On Tape, James Teej, Tonepushers, Pearson Sound
For exact set times and other information check out memetic.ca.


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Think you have a better caption for this picture? Post your funny captions below and we'll republish the best ones with your name.
The best caption we received:
ASHUTOSH says -
Jade you broke my heart, no Craig it's still out there..feel it!!!
Abhineet says -
Just swear to your heart, there will not be another six this over!!


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Gallery Fashion Fix - Spring 2014
Check out who's clinched the award for our favourite fashion moment of the day!
Trust us when we say you won't want to steal her milk from the fridge...ever again.
Putting items into the fridge at work is always a risk. Whether you find someone has been pinching your dairy-free almond milk that you paid over the odds for, or kicked your entire lunch all together it can get VERY frustrating.
Well one woman seems to have had enough and took the opportunity to gain seek sweet revenge by leaving her colleagues a little "surprise".
The well played trick probably left a sour taste in her colleague's mouth (quite literally!) but undoubtedly made the cheeky milk thief regret their actions straight away.
The woman, who identifies herself as B, had noticed the milk which she had left in the fridge being stolen over an entire week by a colleague who was seemingly too cheap to buy their own.
The hilarious not has since gone viral and has gained over 19,000 likes since being posted to Facebook page Breastfeeding Mama Talk.
The post quickly sparked debate in the comments as to whether the woman was cruel to let her colleagues drink her breastmilk, but the official admit for Breastfeeding Mama Talk quickly came to her defence.
Couldn't have said it better ourselves!
Check out who's clinched the award for our favourite fashion moment of the day!
Let's face it, nothing beats old school Hollywood glamour...especially when it's given a modern twist!
Take a look at these stars before and after the stylist's touch.
Men's beauty regimes are nothing like women's. They need to be hassle free and reliable.
Singer Ciara blows competition out of the water with her incredible monochrome dress at the AMAs 2016.
Heart Beauty has trialled three different ways to keep your brows in check - and here are the results.
Gigi Hadid, Michelle Keegan, Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Drew Barrymore ditch the makeup and go for a natural look.
We take a look at what 10 icons say about beauty and look at how this can work for you.
Deposit £10 to get a £40 Welcome Bonus - That's £50 to play bingo, slots and more!*
Over 50 tracks to make you feel-good. New album out now...


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Lady Gaga Debuts Short Film During Paris Fashion Week (VIDEO)
Lady Gaga is leaving her claw marks on Paris Fashion Week!
Gaga joined forces with Thierry Mugler, the design label headed by her friend and stylist Nicola Formichetti, to release a new short promotional film for the brand. The video features a close-up of her mouth, and focuses on a pair of bucktoothed teeth.
"Sometimes my heart, sometimes feels so black. And other days, my heart feels like rainbows," says Gaga in the film, over a remix of Black Jesus and Amen Fashion. "Do you want to anger Mugler woman? She will eat you."
This will not be the first time Gaga has made an impact in the world of Paris fashion – in March, she made her catwalk debut when she walked the runway at the Thierry Mugler show while her own song Government Hooker played.
What do you think of Gaga's fashion short?


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Used 2003 Pontiac Van Values
Read more Read less
Pontiac Book Values: Pontiac is considered a sporty division of GM. Founded in 1926, Pontiac cars have long been sought after for their performance - and today's cars are no exception. From its sporty two-seater convertible to its performance-minded sedans, Pontiac still understands that some consumers want their daily vehicle to be capable of providing a thrilling driving experience.
Select a used 2003 Pontiac Van model
(2010 - 1926 including exotics and classic cars)
2003 Pontiac Montana
Now available with AWD, the 2003 Pontiac Montana is seven-passenger minivan that features sporty styling and is now offered with an optional DVD entertainment system for the rear passengers to enjoy.


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Holika Holika Peach Girl BB cream, along with the Aqua Petit Jelly BB cream, is the thing that I desperately wanted to try when I got onto the BB cream bandwagon. Consider me a late-starter, but bb creams just never was my thing when living in hot and temperate climates.
Holika Holika is a Korean brand, with a few selected stores scattered around Asia. They had opened one store in Singapore (I think 2 years back), but when I returned back a month ago, they were no longer there. That is quite unfortunate considering how much I prefer Holika Holika products over Etude House. Instead, I had purchased a bunch of Holika Holika products from Gmarket Korea, and shipped it to Singapore. My sweet friend had helped me carry it over to see me and I can't thank her enough! Thank you, Angeline!
I've been using the Holika Holika Peach Girl BB cream SPF 37 PA ++ (in no. 2) in rotation with my Missha Perfect Cover BB cream (in no. 23) when I just feel like using something even quicker than foundation. The BB cream process only takes me no more than 10 seconds; I squeeze a pea size around on my fingers, then quickly warm the product by pressing my fingers together, and then dab it on. Couldn't be much simpler.
This cute little nifty thing costed me no more than $20 (I think its best to refer to prices on Gmarket). It contains 50mLs of product and a small cap size amount of peach blush. Cute, isn't it?
And surprisingly, the cream blush feels creamy and blends in very well to the skin. I haven't used this blush yet, but it doesn't feel like a 'cheap' add on.
I believe I'm starting to get better in evaluating BB creams... So far, I've only been trying Korean BB creams. I simply do not believe in bb creams from the West, including the Garnier and L'oreal BB creams that have started to infiltrate the makeup stands in the Danish supermarkets and pharmacies. I suppose I'm quite biased that way. There are just some things where I would consider Asian brands more superior - BB creams and sheet masks, for example.
Comparably, Holika Holika Peach Girl BB cream no.2 is lighter than Missha Perfect Cover (which is suited to those in the NC27 range), but darker than the Skin79 Hot Pink. The tone is slightly grey on first application, but the color settles in about a minute or so. For reference, the picture above is swatched against the back of my arm where I'm probably an NC20. I still have some residual tan from the summer, so I would consider myself an NC25-27 on my face. The most yellow tone (and thus, more flattering on most Asian skin) would be the Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream.
There are 2 color options for the Peach Girl BB cream.
Holika Holika Peach Girl offers medium coverage, whilst Skin79 offers the lightest. The heaviest coverage bb cream is probably the Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream. Nevertheless, Holika Holika Peach Girl covers some of my acne scars, and to some extent, covers my pores too.
Texture, Scent & Finish
I really love the texture of the Holika Holika Peach Girl BB cream; it's creamy, blends in effortlessly, and leaves the skin feeling slightly fresh and dewy looking. Compared to the Skin79, the finish is more satiny matte, and compared to the Lioele Beyond the Solution, it is more dewy.There's quite a moderate scent to the cream, but I quite like it, and I hardly notice it after 5 minutes.
Oil control & Oxidation
By the 5-mark, there was hardly much oxidation and color change. "Marginal" meaning that you don't get the color demarcation from face and neck! :o) As for oil control, I didn't notice much. And I'm probably not the best judge for that, since I'm starting to have dry skin after living in this kind of crappy autumn weather. Because I suffer mostly from dry skin, I feel that the Peach Girl BB cream actually does nice job to hydrate the dry patches. What about the skincare benefits? Other than hydration, I'm not sure if I see any 'whitening' or 'anti-aging' benefits, like most Asian BB creams would claim.
In summary, I am loving the Holika Holika Peach Girl BB cream! It's quite hard to choose my preference between those BB creams I have tried so far. If I want to achieve luminosity, I would definitely go for this.
I hope this post is useful for anyone considering in some BB creams off Gmarket. There's just too many to choose from, but at least, the prices are attractive!


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Notts Director of Cricket Mick Newell will keep a keen eye on Somerset's LV County Championship fixture against Durham following the conclusion of his side's rain-affected draw at Trent Bridge.
Wet weather led to the abandonment of two days of play after a rain-affected opening in which Notts claimed three bonus points for their bowling display.
The result increased Nottinghamshire's lead at the top of the table to four points with Somerset poised in second position looking forward to their game in hand at Taunton.
"The extra point puts us in a slightly better position than we were in before the game but we would have preferred to make the match count and to have earned a win." Said Newell.
"Everything will be clearer after next week and we'll keep an eye on Somerset's game in hand. The outcome is obviously important to us and then every team goes into the final two rounds of matches knowing what they need to do."
Notts Second XI also lost two days to persistent rain against Northampotnshire at Milton Keynes.


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The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita (pdf) 1.08
The Essence Of The Bhagavad GitaADVERTISEMENTS
Author : Bhaktivedanta Trust Inc (BHAKTI)
OS : Win95,Win98,WinME,Windows200...
The essence of the bhagavad gita (pdf) license : Freeware (Price: free)
Added date : 13. April 2006
Release date : 28. March 2006
Download page : Get it Here!
Download Size : 194 kBytes
Publisher URL: http://purebhakti.com
The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita (pdf) 1.08 details:
The scriptures describe many spiritual places, but there is nowhere like Vrindavana in the entire universe. Anyone who knows its glories will understand. Krishna and His eternal associates have performed pastimes which are uniquely wonderful. Spiritual life entails rememberering these pastimes, and ultimately to be completely absorbed in the transcendental service moods of Krishnas eternal associates. This is a summary work examining the verse, Absorb your mind and heart in Me, become My devotee, worship Me, offer your obeisances to Me, and certainly you will come to Me, the essence of the Bhagavad gita, spoken by Krishna.
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If you are looking for a photographer for your wedding, engagement, bridal or boudoir photo session in Atlanta, Georgia, you are at the right place. Over the years, I have been photographing weddings in Europe and USA and perfected a very personal style of wedding photography that is accomplished with care, creativity and fun. With an eye toward unusual perspective and attention to the finer details, I deliver beautiful photographs empowered by your passion for each other, and captured with my love for photojournalism. Please take a moment to browse this website and wedding photo blog. If you would like to discuss your event and my services in person, send me a contact form and we will schedule a meeting. Congratulations on your Engagement and best of luck with the Wedding!
Welcome to 'Photo of Two'- A Photo Project of Atlanta Wedding Photographer Alex Kay!
Photo of Two by Atlanta wedding photographers is offering wedding photography coverage in the Greater Atlanta Area and other cities of State of Georgia, including but not limited to, Acworth, Augusta, Dahlonega, Dalton, Duluth, Macon, Marietta, Kennesaw, Savannah, Smyrna. We also offer wedding photography coverage in other United States and Worldwide.
Why Choose Us
- We are experienced licensed professionals producing superior wedding photography services, including custom planning of wedding day photography timeline
- We use only the best and most modern professional photo equipment, including full-frame DSLR photo cameras and advanced lighting system
- We offer a variety of wedding photography packages, including custom A La Carte package
- We offer a very competitive wedding photography pricing with payment options available for those who are on budget
- We release copyrights and provide high-resolution images without additional fees
- Because we care about your Wedding Photography as much as you do!
What Clients Say
You have been such a joy to work with! Thank you for all your time and experience. Having you be a part of our day is more than we could have asked for!
I wanted you to know that yesterday Scott and I celebrated our first anniversary. It was a beautiful day that we spent together and had a wonderful time enjoying each other and celebrating our love. Towards the end of the evening, we watched the DVD you made for us, and again, we were struck by how fully you captured the emotions and beauty of that day. The images and the music brought us right back to that magical day and the beauty of it. Thank you, once again, for the artistry of your photos!
Thank you so much! The pictures are absolutely fantastic! spectacular!
Thank you very much for your excellent work and professional touch for our wedding photography! We are delighted with the quality and appeal of the pictures taken, especially considering the additional challenge of covering our Hindu wedding!
The photos are amazing, you did a wonderful job. I've gotten many kudos from people seeing the pictures and wanted to let you know they were impressed with the pictures. Thank you again!
We viewed the slide show last night and we absolutely LOVED IT! We were both crying by the end. You are so awesome! Thank you so much for everything you did to make our day so special and caption the memories so vividly.
I just spent some time looking through the pics online. You are so great! I love them! They are fantastic and definitely many will be framed! It will be hard to decide which ones! I cannot thank you enough for the work you've done for us. Everyone has commented on how great our engagement photos are. I'm so glad that you were recommended to us! Thanks a lot!
Check Your Date!
Check Your Date!
Use our contact form to check photographers' availability! If we are available, we will put the date on a temporary hold for you.Check Your Date!


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See if you recognize the skaters old man Tony Hawk has in his game
You know what they say about times. They are a-changin'. Someone put a bunch of young, hip-lookin' kids in old man Tony Hawk's video game. There's even a younger Tony Hawk, but his name is Riley. Those of you who cut your teeth on the like... read


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Durban - Two people were killed and 26 were injured, including 14 pupils, in several accidents in Durban on Monday, paramedics said.
A man was killed when he was run over by a train at the Phoenix railway station, said Emergency Medical Services spokesman Robert McKenzie.
He said the man was dead when the paramedics arrived at the scene.
Another person was killed in Mariannhill when a minibus taxi and a truck collided on the M1. Nine other people were injured in the accident.
McKenzie said they were treated on the scene before they were taken to a nearby hospital.
Fourteen school children were injured in Meerbank when a bakkie transporting them overturned on Chittagong road.
The pupils sustained minor injuries, said McKenzie.
One person was injured when a car overturned on the N2 near Nandi drive. Two other people were injured when their vehicle overturned on the same road. - Sapa


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Stock to Sell #6 – Sony Corp. (SNE)
Sony Corp. (NYSE:SNE), a world leader in consumer electronics, filmed entertainment, games and financial services, has fallen on hard times. Analysts expect a loss this year of $5.55, which exceeds the losses in each of the past three years.
The economy has been slow to recover, and the widespread consumer malaise is expected to continue through 2013.
The stock is in a sharp downtrend with heavy selling in the past month. There is no obvious bottom to this stock and selling at the market is the best course of action.


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We are currently seeking a DVM for a full-time position. Duties include but not limited to: diagnose, prevent, and treat a variety of animal illnesses and diseases for both canine and feline, administer tests, observe conditions in animals, perform surgery, and prescribe medication and/or therapy, supervise dental procedures with the ability to extract teeth and read dental radio-graphs while working well with Licensed Veterinary Technicians and Technician Assistants.
We are a small animal hospital and boarding facility with a passion for animals and our community. We value hard work, honesty, integrity and professionalism and are seeking someone who shares our core values. The competitive salary will be mutually agreed upon between the applicant and practice owner. We offer health insurance that includes medical, dental and vision. We also offer a great CE and Vacation package among several other benefits.
Our hospital is nestled in Carson City, which is a perfect location for any outdoor enthusiast and pet lover as we are only minutes from Lake Tahoe, Reno and Virginia City which also contribute wonderful outdoor recreation for any time of year. Our climate delivers all four seasons with a lot of annual sunshine. Carson has the small town feel with all the big city amenities that include great establishments for dining, entertainment, shopping as well as a rich history that has value for families with museums, historic railways, train rides and the capitol.
2144 Commons Parkway
Okemos, MI 48864-3986


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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 5/7/2012 (1872 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
In the hard-copy edition of the Winnipeg Free Press Wednesday, Coun. Jeff Browaty is quoted as asking a question about the much-debated plan for the development of Corydon Village. As fate would have it, Jane Jacobs answered his question 51 years ago.
I'm going to quote the Free Press account of his question and then quote Ms. Jacobs's answer, as delivered in her classic The Death and Life of Great American Cities, which ought to be required reading for everyone who loves cities.
The Free Press: Coun. Browaty said Corydon has seen successful developments arise from few restrictions and the new planning process doesn't have to be... in-depth. "Overall, what's there works, why mess with it?"
Jacobs's answer: "the self-destruction of diversity... is a force that creates has-been districts, and is responsible for much inner-city stagnation and decay... it can happen in streets, at small nodes of vitality, in groupings of streets, or in whole districts. The last case is the most serious.
"Whichever form the self-destruction of diversity takes, this, in broad strokes, is what happens: A diversified mixture of (land) uses at some place in the city becomes outstandingly popular and successful as a whole. Because of the location's success, which is invariably based on flourishing and magnetic diversity, ardent competition for space in this location develops. It is taken up in what amounts to the economic equivalent of a fad.
"The winners in the competition for space will represent only a narrow segment of the many uses that together created success. Whichever one or few uses have emerged as the most profitable in the locality will be repeated and repeated, crowding out and overwhelming less profitable forms of use.
"If tremendous numbers of people, attracted by convenience and interest, or charmed by vigour and excitement, choose to live or work in the area, again the winners of the competition will form a narrow segment of the population of users. Since so many want to get in, those who get in or stay in will be self-sorted by the expense.
"Thus, from this process, one or a few dominating uses emerge triumphant. But the triumph is hollow. A most intricate and successful organism of mutual economic support and social mutual support has been destroyed by the process. From this point on the locality will be deserted by people using it for purposes other than those that emerged triumphant from the competition -- because the other purposes are no longer there. Both visually and functionally the place becomes more monotonous."
Jacobs said it best: We have to plan the development of our city -- and especially its gems, like the Corydon, Osborne and Exchange districts -- carefully. Good areas can go bad if we don't manage their growth judiciously.
For city councillors, who have the tough job of accommodating or overriding the many economic interests that converge on a neighbourhood like Corydon Village, the quotation from Jacobs is but a sample of the wealth of thoughtful analysis she offered. You can learn a lot from her book.
Whether you're a city councillor or not, if you care about Winnipeg, or any other major city, get a copy of The Death and Life of Great American Cities (New York: Random House, 1961). When Jacobs wrote the book, she lived in New York, but she later gave up on New York and spent the rest of her life in Toronto. The academic world first ignored her book, then treated it dismissively and finally embraced it. In a formidable career as a public intellectual, Death and Life remains her best work.
Christopher Leo is a professor of city politics at the University of Winnipeg. His blog can be found at http://christopherleo.wordpress.com


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| Degas
likened the dancers training to his work as an artist. Just as he sketched
the dancers every gesture and position to make his paintings as authentic
as possible, the dancers performed countless repetitions to perfect their
Degas sketched as he wandered the Opera House, filling his notebooks with drawings of dancers and then returning to his studio to compose and paint.
Compare one of his sketches to a figure in The Dance Lesson by clicking the highlighted detail.
terms of use | home |


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Art History Fellowships at The Met are an opportunity for scholars from around the world to use the Museum as a place for exchange, research, and professional advancement. The Fellows are fully integrated into the life of The Met and, through weekly gatherings and discussions, take part in research sharing and workshops that explore the inner workings of The Met. Fellows are given a workspace and access to libraries, collections, research facilities, labs, and the time and space to think.
All fellows, with the one exception of Theodore Rousseau Fellows, must be in residence at The Met during the fellowship period.
All fellowships must take place between September 1, 2017, and August 31, 2018.
PhD candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and senior scholars are eligible to apply.
Junior fellows are those applicants who are currently working on their PhD; senior fellows are those who hold a PhD on the date of application and/or are well-established scholars.
The Slifka Foundation Interdisciplinary Fellowship and the Polaire Weissman Fund Fellowship are open to candidates who have completed their master's degree or are in the process of completing their PhD.
Applicants submit a specific research proposal that makes use of the Museum's collection and/or resources, and accepted fellows spend the majority of their time working on that project.
All fellows, with the one exception of Theodore Rousseau Fellows, can be asked to assist the hosting curatorial departments with projects that complement their approved proposal. Not all departments request this assistance.
The Met offers a Slifka Foundation Interdisciplinary Fellowship for training in an interdisciplinary approach, joining art-historical research with technical investigation of the Museum's Northern Renaissance paintings. The Museum also offers a small number of Theodore Rousseau Fellowships for travel abroad to conduct research related to paintings in European collections.
The number of fellowships awarded depends on funds and resources available.
The stipend amount for one year is $42,000 for junior fellows and $52,000 for senior fellows, with up to an additional $6,000 for travel (maximum of six weeks).
See a list of endowed fellowships.
All applications must be submitted online and in English. We will not accept applications or related materials via email, postal mail, or in person.
The online application will require you to provide the following:
1. Documents as Microsoft Word or PDF files:
2. Contact information for three recommenders (at least one academic and one professional), none of whom may be current Metropolitan Museum of Art staff. Once you have submitted your recommenders' names, titles, and email addresses, they will automatically be emailed instructions for uploading their letters online. Please note that each letter must include the recommender's complete title and contact information. We encourage recommenders to submit letters in English.
The deadline for all application materials, including transcripts and letters of recommendation, is November 4, 2016, at 5 pm (ET).
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact us.
All applicants for the 2017–2018 year will be notified by February 24, 2017.


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For the last year, Al Roker has been begging Vice President Joe Biden to join the TODAY's Take team, and it finally happened!
"The reason why people like you so much is that they trust you...everybody loves you, buddy," the vice president told Al Roker Wednesday morning.
Joe Biden to Al: I'd have you in the next administrationPlay Video - 5:01
Joe Biden to Al: I'd have you in the next administrationPlay Video - 5:01
More video
See Al Roker get a birthday surprise from TODAY anchors (and Mr. T!)
Watch Al Roker (in disguise) surprise customers at the NBC Shop
Scared of the Easter Bunny: See these hilarious family photos
Dylan Dreyer, Sheinelle Jones share adorable videos of their kids
The vice president said he wants Al to head up NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"We'll work that out after this job or whatever job I am in next," Biden said. "If I was running the administration or the next one, I'd have you in it!"
Joe Biden admitted he may have a tough time being a permanent co-host for TODAY.
"I'd have trouble sitting across from Natalie all day. She's so damn good she'd intimidate me!"
Natalie was flabbergasted!
"I promise I'll come and try it [anchoring] someday," Biden told Al to top off the birthday surprise.
The festivities started early when the birthday boy got a tribute from Bloomsbury Farm in Atkins, Iowa. Check out how creative they got with a 10-acre corn maze.
It's nice to be on this side!" Roker joked Wednesday morning.
In the Orange Room, Willie Geist looked back at some of Al's most viral show moments, including the time he creepily snuck into Jeff Rossen's shot — and inspired the worldwide trend #Rokering.
One of Al's friends old pals, Meredith Vieira (always the light of party!) surprised him from across the plaza.
"Nice balloons!" He shouted at her before inviting her to join the TODAY crew.
Getting in on the celebration was the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from "Ghostbusters," one of Al and Matt's favorite movies.
Despite a minor spat this winter, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio surprised Al with a hug…
...and an official proclamation: August 20 is officially "Al Roker Appreciation Day!"
One of Al's favorite ways to relax is cooking for his family. TODAY threw him a barbecue bash that included a special cake from the "Cake Boss," Buddy Valastro.
WATCH: Willard Scott wishes Al a happy 60th birthday
Al's daughters, Courtney and Leilia, and his son Nicky surprised him on the plaza.
The TODAY team gathered around him as he shared 6 life lessons from the past 6 decades.
Al Roker on 60: 'I'm happy, healthy and very lucky'Play Video - 5:39
Al Roker on 60: 'I'm happy, healthy and very lucky'Play Video - 5:39
More video
See how the TODAY anchors viewed the eclipse together (with margaritas)
See Al Roker get a birthday surprise from TODAY anchors (and Mr. T!)
TODAY pays tribute to treasured family member Eric Hill
Vote for your favorite summer moment on TODAY.com
"I am thinking about my parents today," he reflected. "My dad, when he was 60, only knew he had a little time [left], but he made every moment count."
Nbc Newswire / Episodic
Al Roker
TODAY's funny, fast-talking weatherman is 60, but don't expect him to slow down.
Al Rokerof
Now here's the weather in your neck of the woods
Al Roker, seen here reporting the weather on TODAY on Jan. 16, 2014, was born in Queens, New York on Aug. 20, 1954. His easygoing manner and quick wit have made him a favorite of many, no matter the forecast.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
What's cooking?
Al Roker, a self-professed grilling fanatic, joins chef Giada De Laurentiis and TODAY anchor Tamron Hall to cook on TODAY on July 14, 2014.Lance Booth/TODAY / Lance Booth/TODAY
Al Rokerof
Matt and Al learn to luge
Roker isn't afraid to clown around for a good laugh. Here's Matt and Al in star-spangled spandex before hitting the double luge in honor of the Sochi Winter Olympics.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
Mister Mayor
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio takes a selfie with Roker during the official re-opening of the TODAY plaza on Feb. 24, 2014.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
Snazzy dresser
Roker greets fans on the TODAY plaza while wearing his stylin' plaid jacket on June 19, 2014.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
All smiles and laughs
Actor Aaron Paul and Roker report the weather on TODAY on June 13, 2014. Roker joked to the former "Breaking Bad" star that the sunshine marker on the weather map near New Mexico must have "got some of Walter White's stuff," cracking the actor up.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
O Christmas tree
Roker, Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales discuss the arrival of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree on Nov. 8, 2013.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
I pity da fool
Hoda Kotb as Betty Rubble and Kathie Lee Gifford as Wilma Flintstone join Roker, dressed as B.A. Baracus from "The A-Team," on TODAY's Halloween show in 2013.AP / AP
Al Rokerof
Row, row, row your boat
Roker, Willie Geist and Nick Offerman appear on TODAY on Oct. 1, 2013.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
Spring training
Roker bobbles a catch before the Yankees' spring training baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals in Tampa, Florida on March 11, 2013.AP / AP
Al Rokerof
Family man
Roker, wife Deborah Roberts and daughter Leila attend "Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet" Broadway opening night at The Richard Rogers Theater on Sept. 19, 2013 in New York.Getty Images / Getty Images
Al Rokerof
Pucker up
Roker and Willie Geist share a smooch on TODAY on Feb. 7, 2013 while testing flavors of lip balm.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
Gangnam style!
Singer PSY performs on TODAY Sept. 14, 2012 while Roker, Natalie Morales and Savannah Guthrie act as backup dancers.Reuters / Reuters
Al Rokerof
My people!
Roker greets the crowd prior to Kenny Chesney's concert on TODAY on June 22, 2012.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
I've had the time of my life
Actor Ryan Gosling lifts Roker "Dirty Dancing" style on July 20, 2011.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
Lighting the tree
Roker and singer Tony Bennett at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting in New York on Dec. 3, 2008.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
Gingerbread man
Meredith Vieira, Matt Lauer, Ann Curry and Roker dress up for TODAY's annual Halloween show on Oct. 31, 2008.Getty Images / Getty Images
Al Rokerof
Booking it
Roker tapes a segment of Al's Book Club for Kids on May 8, 2007.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
Wake up with Al
Roker pretends to sleep during a segment on TODAY in April 2013. Roker was promoting his 'Wake Up With Al' contest, where he visited viewers' homes and woke up with them.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
Able to leap tall buildings...
Roker dressed up as Superman (with Natalie Morales as Justin Bieber and Tamron Hall as President Barack Obama) for the 2010 TODAY Halloween show.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
Remembering Katrina
Roker and Matt Lauer anchor TODAY live from New Orleans on the 5-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 27, 2010.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
Hat man
Roker, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer stand outside the studio during a taping of TODAY.NBC / NBC
Al Rokerof
Going places
In 1997, Roker hosted an eight-week travel series called "Going Places." The show featured a series of whirlwind jaunts to some of the world's most popular vacation spots.Everett Collection / Everett Collection
Other celebrities like Jennifer Hudson and Heidi Klum sent Al their birthday well wishes, and actor Dan Aykroyd called into the show.
WATCH: Dan Aykroyd to Al: You are my 'Blues Brother'
Finally, the birthday extravaganza ended with a chocolate and bacon cake created by TODAY's culinary director Bianca Henry.
WATCH: Al taste-tests bacon cupcakes on his 60th birthday
"That's incredible! Wow!" The 60-year-old Al Roker said to conclude his big bash.
Follow TODAY digital dude Kyle Michael Miller on Twitter.