#Largest coffee exporter

[exportimportdata-blogs]

Coffee Export from India: A Complete Overview

Coffee holds a special place in the hearts of millions worldwide, not just as a beverage but also as a significant commodity in global trade. India, known for its diverse and rich agricultural heritage, plays a crucial role in the coffee export market. This article delves into the intricacies of coffee export from India, exploring the history, major players, challenges, and future prospects.

History of Coffee Cultivation in India

The journey of coffee in India began in the 17th century when Baba Budan, a revered saint, smuggled seven coffee beans from Yemen and planted them in the Chandragiri hills of Karnataka. This small act of defiance set the stage for a burgeoning coffee industry. Over the centuries, coffee plantations expanded across South India, particularly in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Major Coffee Growing Regions in India

Karnataka: As the leading coffee-producing state, Karnataka contributes to over 70% of India's total coffee output. The regions of Chikmagalur, Coorg, and Hassan are renowned for their high-quality Arabica and Robusta beans.

Kerala: The state's Wayanad district is another prominent coffee-growing region, known for its robust Robusta beans.

Tamil Nadu: The Nilgiri and Shevaroy Hills in Tamil Nadu produce a unique variety of coffee, adding to the diversity of India's coffee offerings.

Types of Coffee Exported from India

India mainly exports two types of coffee: Arabica and Robusta.

Arabica: Known for its mild and aromatic flavor, Arabica coffee is grown at higher altitudes. It is more delicate and requires specific climatic conditions to thrive. Indian Arabica is highly sought after for its unique taste profile.

Robusta: More robust and higher in caffeine content, Robusta coffee is easier to cultivate and has a stronger, more bitter flavor. It's often used in espresso blends and instant coffee due to its rich crema and deep body.

Leading Coffee Export Companies in India

Several companies lead the charge in exporting high-quality coffee from India.

Tata Coffee: As part of the Tata Group, Tata Coffee is one of the largest integrated coffee companies in the world, with a significant presence in the coffee export market. They offer a range of products from green coffee beans to instant coffee.

Coffee Day Global Limited: Known for the popular Café Coffee Day chain, this company is also a major player in coffee exports. They have extensive plantations and a strong network, ensuring a steady supply of quality coffee.

Allanasons Pvt Ltd: A significant coffee exporter of agricultural products, Allanasons Pvt Ltd has made a mark in the coffee export industry with its robust supply chain and quality assurance measures.

The Process of Coffee Export from India

Exporting coffee involves several meticulous steps to ensure quality and consistency.

Cultivation and Harvesting: Coffee cultivation in India follows traditional and sustainable practices. Harvesting typically occurs from November to January for Arabica and from January to March for Robusta.

Processing and Grading: Post-harvest, coffee beans undergo wet or dry processing to remove the outer pulp. Beans are then graded based on size, weight, and quality, ensuring only the best beans are exported.

Packaging and Shipping: Proper packaging is crucial to maintain the coffee's quality during transit. Coffee exporters in India use specialized packaging materials to protect the beans from moisture and contamination before shipping them to international markets.

Quality Standards and Certifications

Ensuring high quality is paramount for coffee exporters in India. The Indian Coffee Board plays a pivotal role in monitoring and maintaining quality standards. Certifications like Fair Trade, Organic, and Rainforest Alliance are often sought by exporters to meet global standards and consumer preferences.

Challenges Faced by Coffee Exporters in India

Despite its successes, the coffee export industry in India faces several challenges.

Climate Change: Changing weather patterns and unpredictable rainfall can significantly impact coffee yields and quality.

Fluctuating Global Prices: Coffee prices are highly volatile, influenced by global supply and demand dynamics. This volatility can affect the profitability of coffee export companies in India.

Competition: India faces stiff competition from other major coffee-producing countries like Brazil, Vietnam, and Colombia, which can affect its market share and export volumes.

India's Position in the Global Coffee Market

India holds a significant position in the global coffee market. It is the seventh-largest coffee producer and the fifth-largest exporter of coffee globally. Indian coffee is particularly popular in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. The largest exporter of coffee in India has continually innovated to meet international standards and consumer tastes, helping the country maintain a competitive edge.

Future Prospects for Coffee Export from India

The future looks promising for coffee export from India. New growth opportunities are arising in emerging markets in Asia and Africa. Additionally, technological advancements in cultivation and processing are expected to boost productivity and quality. Coffee exporters in India are also increasingly adopting sustainable practices to meet global environmental standards.

Conclusion

India's coffee export industry is a testament to the country's rich agricultural heritage and its ability to compete in the global market. With a focus on quality, sustainability, and innovation, Indian coffee exporters are well-positioned to continue their growth trajectory. The industry's future looks bright, with new markets and technological advancements paving the way for further expansion.

FAQs

What are the major coffee-growing regions in India?

The major coffee-growing regions in India include Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, with Karnataka being the largest producer.

2. Which are the top coffee export companies in India?

Some of the top coffee export companies in India are Tata Coffee, Coffee Day Global Limited, and Allanasons Pvt Ltd.

3. What types of coffee does India export?

India mainly exports two varieties of coffee: Arabica and Robusta.

4. What challenges do Indian coffee exporters face?

Indian coffee exporters face challenges such as climate change, fluctuating global prices, and competition from other coffee-producing countries.

5. How is India's coffee quality maintained?

India's coffee quality is maintained through stringent standards set by the Indian Coffee Board and certifications like Fair Trade, Organic, and Rainforest Alliance.

[honestlyangrypeace]

Bujumbura, Burundi: Bujumbura, formerly Usumbura, is the economic capital, largest city and main port of Burundi. It ships most of the country's chief export, coffee, as well as cotton and tin ore. Bujumbura was formerly the country's political capital. Wikipedia

[probablyasocialecologist]

The families who reside in the settlement are dedicated to combating monoculture and preserving regrown native vegetation. “Monoculture is for profit,” dos Santos says, mentioning Brazil’s large soy crops that are mostly exported to the EU and China to be used as cattle feed. “We diversify our production for self-sustainment and as the basis for family agriculture,” he says. After the MST began gaining land in the mid-1990s, its members immediately began producing food. “Now that we had land, we started planting so we could eat and show society that we weren’t like the land monopoly owners who didn’t use that land for anything,” Suptitz says. Some of the families in the Roseli Nunes settlement came together to found the Alaíde Reis collective and purchase a small delivery truck to transport produce to the cities of Barra do Piraí, Volta Redonda, Resende, and Rio de Janeiro. In her 22-acre lot, Amanda Aparecida Mateus grows bananas, manioc, okra, tangerines, oranges, limes, beans, and coffee beans—a far more diverse and ecologically sound harvest than that of the coffee plantations that used to rule the area. For Mateus, it’s important to emphasize the movement’s efforts to produce organic, pesticide-free food. “We have so many MST settlements that have advanced in their food production development and today focus on the production of healthy food through agro-ecological methodologies,” Mateus says. “But above all, it’s essential to highlight that our food production has the objective of ending hunger in Brazil. The agrarian reform, the democratization of access to land, is a project to combat hunger.” MST activists argue that land monopolies are the root cause of inequality in Brazil and that the resulting hunger crisis is a type of political violence. During the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity rates rose by more than 4% in Brazil, mostly due to poverty, unemployment, and right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro’s mismanagement of the health crisis. In 2022, the movement released a statement reading, in part, “We know that hunger is a project of the current [extreme right] government and one of the most serious effects of political violence in Brazil, where half of the population doesn’t have enough food to supply their homes.” Since the pandemic began, the MST has partnered with other organizations to donate more than 7,000 tons of food to struggling families in Brazil. The MST is also combating slave labor, which a recent investigation found is heavily practiced by local agribusinesses. MST settlements abide by an agrarian reform law, which defines using slave labor as grounds for declaring a piece of land unproductive, allowing the federal government to reappropriate it. In addition to using this legislation to call attention to slavery-like working conditions in land monopolies, the MST grants its members autonomy over their own land and production. By owning the means of production, these rural workers don’t have to depend on exploitative land monopolies for employment. Connecting ethical food production to the eradication of hunger has boosted the movement’s visibility on social media over the past three years. For dos Santos, the movement’s mission has always been bigger than land distribution. “People ask me, ‘But why does the movement care about LGBTQ rights and women’s rights?’” he says. “And I say, ‘It’s always been about more than the land; we are all involved in everything.’”

[fatehbaz]

Hal Langfur's Adrift on an Inland Sea: Misinformation and the Limits of Empire in the Brazilian Backlands sheds valuable light on spaces and processes in the history of colonial Brazil that have been overlooked and understudied, namely those taking place in internal frontier zones - the sertões, or backlands, between and beyond the enclaves governed by Portuguese rule, unstable and unincorporated spaces [...]. Langfur argues that [...] Lisbon made increasingly assertive efforts to survey and establish control over isolated zones after 1750 but that these failed such that the Portuguese imperial state found itself “adrift on an inland sea.” [...]

[T]he axis on which this enterprise fails is information. People made up the infrastructures of communication and data transmission that the Portuguese Empire endeavored to construct and deploy in order to render its domains governable and ever more profitable, but these people had purposes of their own.

The probing tentacles of imperial intelligence gathering met instead with the confusion of rumors, distortions, inflated claims, conflicting reports, disputed facts, and fantasies. [...]

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[Langfur] bring[s] into the conversation [...] accounts of several forays between 1750 and 1820 into the backlands of Minas Gerais [...]. These took place against the exhaustion of the mineral deposits that had fueled the gold rush decades earlier in Minas Gerais and the crown’s relentless pursuit of new deposits that could keep up the flow of alluvial wealth. While these projects foundered, ultimately, new forms of extraction in the form of slave-based export agriculture (coffee) would take their place. [...] [T]he first expedition was led by an ambitious merchant named Inácio Correia Pamplona in the late 1760s who commissioned a scribe to record a diary and compose poems praising his attempts to find gold and subdue Indians and thus extend the empire’s territorial dominion. While Pamplona’s actual accomplishments fell short of the Herculean feats described [...], he was able to cash in his narrative for favors and privileges that made him one of the largest landholders in the captaincy. [...]

The third [expedition] involved José Vieira Couto, a crown-appointed mineralogist, who was appointed to use his scientific expertise to investigate reports of diamond strikes in Western Minas Gerais, particularly of a famed free Black prospector known as Isidoro de Amorim Pereira [...]. The hoped-for diamonds never materialized but Couto [...] deployed a discourse of scientific rigor in an attempt to recast his mission and produce knowledge that would allow the crown to absorb and exploit the territory. [...] Wied established himself as an authority with unrivaled knowledge of Botocudo peoples for an international reading public; his accounts [...] presented the Botocuda as exotic primitives, incommensurable with “civilized society,” [...].

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If these expeditions [...] did not accomplish what the colonial state intended, this was, Langfur argues, a result of the capacity of diverse inland actors to divert, co-opt, and deceive authorities. [...] [Langfur's study] turns on an emphasis of the unacknowledged agency of a variety of marginalized peoples who acted as knowledge brokers: indigenous communities, both enslaved and free Afro-Brazilians, itinerant poor, and others deemed vagabonds and criminals: ��the Indigeneous inhabitants separating the colony’s burgeoning capital from its mining heartland retained considerable say over the crown’s ability to impose its sovereign dominion. They largely determined what could be known, what remained a mystery, what could be accomplished, and what was beyond reach in this strategic mountainous expanse” (p. 150).

These frontier informants generated an “informational alchemy,” a mix of fantasy, fabrication, concealment, and contradictory reports [...].

How much information does an empire really require to run? Aren’t fantasies and lies always part of its infrastructures? Is all misinformation of a kind, or what specific misinformation carries with it not only the limits but also failures of empire? Put differently: How to judge the value and distribution of information versus that of representation in the running of an empire? What does the category of information itself conceal? [...] [A] horizon of intelligibility [...] is ultimately given by the Portuguese colonial state, so that the work of the information brokers is both possibly overstated and yet curiously limited, measured always in the terms set out by colonizing projects. [...] [I]n what ways [...] [do] such limits continue to bleed through once absorbed into the fabric of writing, determining the very grid of intelligibility?

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All text above by: Adriana Johnson. "Review of Langfur, Hal. Adrift on an Inland Sea: Misinformation and the Limits of Empire in the Brazilian Backlands". H-Environment, H-Net Reviews. February 2024. Published by H-Net online at: h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=59701. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Global Food Prices Risk Spiking on Worst-Ever Drought in Brazil

Long periods without rainfall are becoming the norm — and the world’s bread basket is a microcosm of how climate change is turning lives and whole economies upside down.

For six months, not a drop of rain fell on José Orlando Cintra Filho’s coffee crops.

The white flowers that typically inspire hope of a good arabica harvest — the bean variety favored by chains including Starbucks Corp. — still haven’t blossomed. Instead, the trees withered. Cintra Filho, knowing he didn’t have enough water in his reservoirs, stopped irrigating his farms and trimmed some branches earlier than usual. Next year’s harvest is already shrinking.

“I’ve been in coffee for 36 years and I have never been through this,” he said, hectares of parched trees surrounding him in a major coffee producing area known as Mogiana Paulista.

The worst drought in Brazil’s history is doing more than jeopardizing coffee, sugar and soybean crops. Dead vegetation is giving way to fires, sending greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and disappearing more of the Amazon rainforest. Key rivers, responsible for transporting a third of the nation’s prized soy crop, are drying out. Utility costs are up given that the country gets two-thirds of its energy from hydropower.

And as one the world’s largest crop exporters, any trouble in Brazil’s agriculture business has knock-on effects for food prices around the world.

Continue reading.

[tastesoftamriel]

You’ve probably gone over this before but tumblr’s search engine sucks butt. So, what would each culture’s staple crops and livestock (for both meat and byproducts) be? How much would globalization come into play, like how irl potatoes are originally from South America but have become one of the most important staple foods across the world?

Staple crops and livestock vary throughout the Provinces due to climate and geography, though trade over the centuries has meant that ingredients like saltrice from Morrowind and honey from Skyrim are in constant circulation around the continent. Nonetheless, here are some uniquely local ingredients you'll find across Tamriel.

Altmer

Summerset's temperate climate makes it the ideal place to grow all sorts of exotic fruit, especially stone fruit. From peaches to lychees, nectarines to cherries, Summerset produces the largest quantities of these fruits (with the trade embargo around the Great War and Dragon Crisis making them an extremely sought-after prize). And don't forget the wine! Summerset is also famed for its gorgeous vineyards and even more gorgeous wines. However, juicy and flavourful grapes are beloved by almost anybody, making them a valuable staple crop too.

Livestock in Summerset is nothing particularly exciting. Merino sheep are farmed for their wool, which is a luxury export beloved by northern Provinces, while meat comes in the form of cattle and chickens. However, High Elves particularly love their wild-caught fish and herons, which are populous on their home island.

Argonians

Once again, fruit is a major export from Black Marsh, but the fertile (if hostile) region is home to some of Tamriel's best agricultural soil. From cocoa and coffee beans, saltrice and coconuts, to padan and banana leaves and more, you'll find all sorts of wonderful plant-based ingredients in Black Marsh. However, something that has gained in popularity following the Argonian diaspora has been palm wine, a potent alcoholic beverage.

As for livestock, you'll find bantam guar, guar lizards, various poultry, goats, and even farmed frogs and lizards to be popular. Sheep and cattle are far less popular due to the upkeep required for them to stay healthy in the swampy environment, making beef and mutton less popular and more expensive than in other Provinces.

Bosmer

The Bosmer are famed for their meat and animal byproducts, particularly from timber mammoths and sugar mammoths. Whether it's meat, pelts, or milk, these beasts are much beloved by the Wood Elves who take great care in rearing them.

Other popular exports from Valenwood include alcoholic beverages like rotmeth and jagga, as well as kopi luwak- a luxurious type of coffee made from beans found in civet cat excrement, thus making them Green Pact-friendly. And of course, Valenwood produces some of Tamriel's finest cocoa beans, mostly used for export. However, have you truly lived until you've tried salted sugar mammoth caramelised milk chocolate from Woodhearth?

Bretons

In High Rock, sheep and cattle are the most popular livestock to farm due to their versatility, with a constant demand for their meat, horns, skins, and milk. While it's nothing exciting, the animals in the region are usually grass-fed and free range, spanning acres of farmland (which can sometimes result in cultists and the like infringing upon the livelihood of livestock). Chickens, geese, turkeys, and ducks are also popular for their meat, down, and eggs, with High Rock producing some of Tamriel's best duck meat.

With regards to staple crops, wheat is a major export and features heavily in Breton cuisine, especially in bread.

Dunmer

The volcanic ash of Morrowind is key to its success in growing all manner of weird and wonderful crops. Market stalls across Vvardenfell and Blacklight bustle with sellers touting mushrooms of all kinds, saltrice, comberry, marshmerrow, hackle-lo, canis root, and much more, all of which are consumed locally as well as across Tamriel.

Regarding livestock, it should come as no surprise that the big money is in bug farming. Kwama mines produce cuttle, scuttle, scrib jelly, and kwama eggs, making them the backbone of Morrowind's mages and chefs alike. Nix-hounds and guar are raised both by town Dunmer and Ashlanders, while wild nix-ox is also popular for those who can afford it.

Imperials

Cyrodiil spans terrain from the snowy Jerall Mountains to the swamps of Blackwood. As a result, the Province is relatively self-sufficient in that it produces the bulk of its own consumption, from livestock to greens. Speaking of greens, battaglir, a type of weed, is a staple in the Imperial diet, making wild-foraged and farmed battaglir a key crop in the region. Like Summerset, Cyrodiil is also famed for itswines, and is proud of its unique grapes of every size, flavour, and colour (including ones that taste like cotton candy).

Livestock in Cyrodiil is about as generic as can be: cows, sheep, goats, poultry, and horses. While meat is a staple part of the Imperial diet, milk is also important as it is used to make the cream and cheeses so prized by the Province.

Khajiit

What don't the Khajiit grow or rear? From Southern Elsweyr's rich moon sugar and rice paddies to the North's edible cacti and tea, the Province is full of exotic and scrumptious delights that are highly prized across Tamriel. Ingredients are valuable both raw and processed, and form the backbone of the Khajiiti economy. Samar Pekoe tea, for example, is wild-harvested from caves and is beloved by tea aficionados across the continent, and fetches a hefty price for its rarity. Pellitine cacao and coffee beans are also a staple in any self-respecting chef's kitchen.

In terms of livestock, you'll find guar, poultry, beef, and goat to be popular, as well as wild game like jerboas, terror birds, antelope, and addaxes. Game meat can often be purchased from Bandaari nomads, who hunt the animals themselves. Whether fresh or dried into jerky, who doesn't want some moon sugar-cured addax jerky for the road?

Nords

Foreigners in Skyrim are often shocked by the range of produce we're capable of producing in our cold and often inhospitable lands. Fish and horker are consumed in great amounts locally, as well as being one of the Province's major exports. Goat from the Reach, cattle from Whiterun, and honey from the Rift are always in high demand.

Apples and jazbay grapes are probably the most valuable crops in Skyrim, followed by wheat and other fruits and vegetables. The former two are used in cider and wine, both of which are valued across the Provinces.

Orcs

Wrothgarian Orcs differ from Betnikh Orcs who differ from Wood Orcs and so on... so in this case, it really varies. For Wrothgarian Orsimer, echatere is the main source of meat and milk, while in Betnikh it's fish, and in Valenwood, timber mammoth. All these groups also enjoy game, from rabbit and wolf to pheasant and venison, which features heavily in regional Orcish cuisine. Wild honey from Betnikh is also another notable animal product that bears mention here.

In terms of crops, there aren't many of note aside from valuable herbs and spices. Frost mirriam, which is also loved by alchemists, and wrathberries, known for their violently bitter taste unless prepared correctly, are two of the most important plants you'll find for sale at any stronghold.

Redguards

I've said it before and I'll say it again: goat, goat, and more goat. Unless you're a coastal Redguard with access to seafood, it's likely that your main source of meat and milk will come from goats. Whether it's feta or kebabs, it's almost always goat meat, as they wander all through Hammerfell like they own the place. However, Redguards are also renowned for breeding horses, and the uh... faulty ones are generally turned into food. Spiced horse blood sausage and spreadable horse 'nduja are a staple in households across Hammerfell.

With staple crops, you'll find that corn, coconuts, palm fruit and oil, bananas, coffee, cinnamon and other spices, and cocoa are plentiful. These are all consumed in great amounts within the Province, but are also highly prized across Tamriel.

[cherrylng]

The reality of Oxfam's involvement with Coldplay [CROSSBEAT (August 2006)]

In the UK, where philanthropy is very popular, celebrities and individuals often choose one (or more) of a number of organisations and campaigns to support and work with as part of their life's work. Coldplay's commitment to the UK-based development NGO Oxfam's 'Make Trade Fair' campaign is widely known.

The ‘unfair trade’ that prevails in the world is a long-standing problem between the so-called ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries. Historically, it has the same roots as the unfair colonial trade once practised by Western countries. Western countries buy raw materials at low prices from developing countries (without teaching them the technology) and export them, while selling goods mass-produced in their own countries to developing countries. Even now, developed countries are forcing developing countries to open their markets, putting pressure on the livelihoods of local farmers and workers. In the 1990s, when people became aware of the problems of unfair trade, it began to become a problem that footballs made by young children in Pakistan and other Asian countries, who were not allowed to go to school and were forced to work for cheap wages, were traded at high prices in the UK. In addition, in the banana industry, where five major corporations control more than 80% of the world market, the struggles of Latin American farmers, who are forced to ship at unfairly low prices, attracted attention and support movements in the late 1990s. As a result, when the first ‘fair trade bananas’ were imported into the UK in 2000, it was widely reported.

In 2002, Oxfam launched an international campaign to bring together the sporadic campaign to correct unfair trade and to call on governments and the WTO to change trade rules and shift policies. In 2002, Chris and his staff visited the Dominican Republic and Haiti in Central America to see first-hand the plight of the local people and the production of coffee beans, which had seen a decline in wholesale prices in recent years. In 2003, they visited Mexico, where they performed as a band at a concert in support of maize farmers fighting against cheap imports from the USA. In 2005, Chris toured Ghana (see photo) and was shocked to learn that cheap agricultural imports from the West were destroying local agriculture and contributing to poverty. Incidentally, Ghana is the second largest producer of cocoa beans in the world, yet it cannot make chocolate. Even if they did, they could not export it because of high tariffs imposed by developed countries.

What is needed is not for rich countries to seek more wealth, but for them to share it with less rich countries. "When I was a child in the 80s, if you saw on TV the miserable situation of farmers, the only solution was to ‘donate money’. But here I see other solutions. I mean, everyone can participate by speaking up. The more I study, the more I think that poverty is also caused by trade imbalances. What I feel is particularly serious is that we are ruining the industries of developing countries by exporting products that are surplus in developed countries at unbeatable prices. It's crazy. It should be easy to stop." (Chris).

Chris has made the movement known by wearing campaign slogan T-shirts in public, including at shows, and by contributing a column to newspapers. "As long as we're providing music with heart, we can talk openly about things we feel are important in the media in developed countries. We can also promote Fair Trade and play our part in putting pressure on governments in the developed world to expand our activities and bring about trade inequalities." -Sumi Imai

[heketsbroodau]

Old Faith Domain Headcanons

Shared these with the server so I figured I share these here too.

Darkwood

One of the main exports of Leshy's domain is wood harvested from the hardwood trees that grow in Darkwood. His cult has a greater focus on art, music and dance, and festivals. And also gardening. Leshy's temple has the biggest artisan's wing (and garden), with Leshy himself being a wood carver and an avid gardener. Brews fruit based alcohol like cider and wine and a big producer of tea (herbal+true). Leshy's followers are also better hunters than fighters and are in fact the best hunters in all of the Old Faith.

Anura

This is where most of the farming is done. Has some overlap with Leshy's cult in the music and festival department, but is more into music while Leshy's followers are more into dance, and a lot of their festivals are around celebrating the harvest and feasting. Heket's temple has the biggest kitchen, and cooking is one of Heket's passion with music being the other. Two of the central tenants of Heket's cult are cannibalism and the natural burial doctrines. Brews grain based alcohol such as beer and spirits and big producer of coffee. Heket's followers are also better hunters than fighters and are the second best.

Anchordeep

Goldsmithing is a popular occupation. Festivals here are much more refined affairs than that of Darkwood and Anura, with music being courtly unlike the folk music of Darkwood and Anura. Kallamar's temple has the biggest healer's wing and he often works with his senior healers to make advances in the field of healing (for physical injuries). His other passion is painting and calligraphy. Brews an alcohol and produces a tea made from seaweed, but is much less favoured than Darkwood and Anura's produce. This is where the cult's mages and healers are trained, but also produces formidable warriors, though less formidable than those trained in Silk Cradle.

Silk Cradle

The home of knowledge and war, where the art of war is researched and developed. Shamura's temple boasts the biggest library and collection of tomes in all of the Old Faith as reading is one of Shamura's passions. Many of their followers are scholars that contribute information to the library, but Silk Cradle is also home to the finest warriors in all four domains. Rituals and festivals are based around fighting, and the music consists mainly of marches composed of drums and other musical instruments of war. Shamura's temple is also home to the largest forge where Shamura engages in their other passion, that of forging weapons with which they also spar. Silk Cradle's main export is silk.

[theglamorousferal]

So there's this world that has been on the back burner while I've had a decade-long writer's block. It's a world that my friends and I were rp-ing in for a summer before it all fell apart before it really started. I've had it in my mind this entire time though. I have basic notes written about the different countries and some of the main characters. I'm gonna share the countries notes.

A basic synopsis of the original rp was that we were each friends who were writing letters to each other to discover the secret of the "Star Daughter". It was a steampunk world with magic thrown in here or there and we were supposed to eventually journey together into the Uncharted Regions to find more clues and also my character's lost older brother.

Tsianta - the entire country is 6 km high and most of the people who live there live underground with crystal ceilings to bring light into lower levels. Some who live on the edges of the cliffs have built vertical cities facing the other regions. Tsianta mostly consists of three large cities and many small villages, all of which are mostly underground or on the sides of the continent. The capital is built facing the Country of Catanya with a large volcanic glass sheet the length of the cliff-face and braced with runes. The primary export is ores, gemstones, and Aerium.

Catanya - Industrial island with tropical climate, being surrounded by high cliffs with lava flows going through them allows for them to near constantly be warm. Much of the land is either factory or farmland or lab. In the center of it all is their capital Hoschault, which contains the International tradeport, the University and the Grand Hall or governing building. The main export is food, mass-produced clothing and medicine. 

Abazyn - An archipelago country, there are fauna that are easily tameable to have as companions. Ranging from small enough to fit in the palm of a hand up to creatures that are rideable. Teacup dragons are a common pet that have been sent to other world leaders as a peace offering. Fishing is a big staple of the region as well as certain foods and spices that can only be grown in the tropical climate. Most coffee comes from Abazyn’s capital island of Abadi. The people frequently will hop between islands on sea skimmers, solo-airships that use the wind blowing above the waves to travel.

Ce’uria - a desert country, the main export is sea ships and land skimmer ships. Ce’urian people have an innate magic that allows them to manipulate sand in any form and with practice are able to make intricate glass figurines. There is a library containing all of the knowledge that has been recorded and its location is a closely guarded secret among the council that runs the country. The capital, Sho��ya, is along the southern coast and has the largest water shipyard in the world.

Terralus - with high mountains to both its borders, the land between the mountain ranges is flat steppes and plains. The northern portion of the country is covered with a 1km thick glacier; there are three rivers that start from springs under this glacier that cut through the country. One goes straight through to the southernmost point of the country, another cuts across and lets out just above the Ce’urian border, and the last cuts through Calakai. The people are mostly nomadic, choosing one location for a few months of a growing season before moving on. There are a few established locations, like the capital Rodan that sits nestled amongst the mountains bordering Calakai. Their main export is meat and textiles.

Calakai - a mountainous country with a temperate climate, Calakai is the main exporter in the world of airships. With cities ranging from 20 m below sea level to 3 km above it, airships became every-day use after the discovery of Aerium, an element with innate magic properties that allows for larger ships to be manufactured at a cheaper cost. The capital Fodelle lies on the banks of a river flowing from the glacier in Terralus.

Solari - this country boasts having at least a small section of each climate, from desert to tropics, from temperate to tundra. It also is the one with the longest unbroken royal family line, the Ceandres family, dating back six hundred years. They have kept the family line healthy by a decree three hundred years ago to only marry outside of the family to prevent inbreeding. The capital Solaris lies in the bay in the south of the country and is where most of the royal family lives.  They’ve been pretty isolated for the last hundred years and have only recently reopened borders in the last ten.

Uncharted Regions - This area is surrounded by clouds that blot out the sky and winds so high that most ships cannot make it through. No one has managed to come back from the Uncharted Regions in living memory. Charts in the Ce'urian library indicate that there was an ancient city where magic was the everyday norm.

[theculturedmarxist]

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Migrant workers are struggling to get a nibble as they fish for labourious work. Photo: Henry Wong

This is the second story in a three-part series about China’s employment environment, from migrant workers and fresh graduates to new job sources and the private sector.

For less than a cup of coffee at most major chains, a migrant worker in a major Chinese city can rent a bed for the night. But oftentimes, that is contingent on finding work and getting paid that day.

In the southeastern outskirts of Beijing, amid a record-breaking heatwave scorching the capital, migrant workers starved of both food and jobs still venture out to make a living in the sweltering sun.

Wang Ke, 36, is among those who haven’t had a full stomach in a while. He and his band of fellow job-hunters never pass up a chance to ask people, “Do you need workers?”

But the group too often returns in disappointment, wondering again when they might get their next meal, and if they will even have a roof over their head that night. Beds generally cost between 25 yuan (US$3.45) and 30 yuan a night.

“A job comes by only every few days, and a group of people rush to seize it,” Wang, originally from the central province of Henan, said from Majuqiao, once the capital city’s largest labour service market, where employment agencies and recruiters shout out menial job offerings on the street, paying usually about 100 yuan (US$13.80) or so a day.

“I am willing to work any kind of odd job, but I haven’t had any luck in four days. Ninety per cent of the people here are like me. No one can make money here; being able to fill my stomach would be the most beautiful thing ever.”

People like Wang can only wander the streets at night, finding vacant places to sleep wherever they can, changing locations several times a night to areas without people – safer areas with less chance of unwanted interactions.

The current need for migrant workers may serve as a barometer for the recovery of China’s economic activities, which has gradually lost steam amid a property slump, dwindling export demand holding back China’s manufacturing sector, and dampened confidence among consumers and investors.

China’s factory activities contracted for a third straight month in June, further putting pressure on the world’s largest exporter of goods.

“The most direct reason is there aren’t jobs that suit them, as Beijing is relieved of functions non-essential to its role as China’s capital, many labour-intensive industries have moved out of Beijing, and the labour opportunities have left with them,” said Yuan Xin, a demography professor at Nankai University in Tianjin.

Beijing has been pushing for the removal of “non-essential institutions” from China’s capital to the Xiongan New Area in neighbouring Hebei province. And many lower-end manufacturing businesses have taken the brunt, slashing the need for migrant workers without technical skills.

“We are even worse off than beggars,” Wang added. “Beggars can ask for help, while we are too ashamed, and many resort to rummaging through garbage bins to survive.”

China had around 296 million migrant workers at the end of 2022, and in the first quarter of this year, their average monthly income dropped to 4,504 yuan, from a monthly average of 4,615 yuan last year, according to official statistics.

In quantifiable terms, that lost income could represent three more nights that a migrant worker spends on the streets every month, in situations comparable to Wang’s.

But the data can hardly depict the bleakness of work prospects for the older generations of migrants, who are often too old to be office-building security guards, electronics factory workers, or perhaps amusement park staff. And they’re often rejected outright for jobs that necessitate fast learning, or when a company wants staff to appear younger.

And for many migrant workers, almost exclusively rural residents, there is no end in sight to their work, as they will not be able to retire, due to a lack of savings and limited pension coverage.

No one wants to go home without having made money. Who wouldn’t want to return home with glory and triumph? Wang Ke, migrant jobseeker

Despite bleak economic growth and sluggish factory activities last year due to China’s draconian zero-Covid measures, the conditions gave rise to a surge in demand for temporary workers, including security guards, workers for Covid testing booths, and delivery workers – all of which paid relatively well, sometimes more than 10,000 yuan a month, enabling migrant workers to cash in.

“As soon as the pandemic [control measures] ended, it became difficult to find jobs,” said another migrant worker, in his forties, who declined to be identified. It had been two weeks since he found work.

“Loading work pays 150 yuan for 12 hours, and you have to bring your own meals. Even some big enterprises pay less than Beijing’s minimum wage,” which is just over 25 yuan an hour.

Before the pandemic, Wang worked in Zhejiang province and owned his own business, was a sales manager at China Mobile, and led a large team of security guards.

After nationwide restrictions were lifted, Wang decided to test his luck in Beijing. And he’s not ready to throw in the towel yet.

“No one wants to go home without having made money. Who wouldn’t want to return home with glory and triumph? ‘Until one arrives in Beijing, one does not realise the insignificance of their position,’ I want to check it out,” he said.

Meanwhile, younger temporary workers – mostly students working summer holidays – have more opportunities. But this year, as the number of youth seeking odd jobs has increased, the monthly wage has shrunk in Beijing.

“This year there are more students looking for jobs, as last year they were all locked down at home,” said a recruiting agent for youthful temporary workers, surnamed Li, whose company is near Majuqiao.

Because students can work for such short periods – often just a handful of weeks – they have less leverage to negotiate and are often paid less.

Li said the monthly compensation for stage construction workers is about 3,500 yuan this year, including bed and board, for 12 hours a day, 30 days a month, with no breaks. That’s down from the 3,800 yuan monthly average last year.

That sort of difference could equate to not sleeping in a bed nine times a month.

Further illustrating the rising struggle among jobseekers, particularly young adults, is the youth unemployment rate, which has lately been setting record highs on a monthly basis.

The jobless rate in the 16-24 age group has been on an upward trajectory since 2020 and is expected to rise further in July and August, as a record 11.58 million university graduates are set to leave campus and flood the job market this year, posing a challenge to Beijing’s post-coronavirus recovery efforts.

Factories offer about 15 to 17 yuan per hour for [temporary workers this year], down from last year’s 18 to 20 yuan Recruitment agent, Guangdong province

In May, the jobless rate among that younger demographic hit a record of 20.8 per cent, up from the previous high of 20.4 per cent in April.

The overall urban surveyed jobless rate in May, however, remained unchanged from April at 5.2 per cent. June’s figures should be released in a couple of weeks.

In the manufacturing hubs of southern China, demand for such young workers also remains ample, but incomes have declined compared with last year, due to a reduction in the overtime working hours at small and medium-sized enterprises.

“Factories offer about 15 to 17 yuan per hour for [temporary workers this year], down from last year’s 18 to 20 yuan,” according to a recruitment agent in Guangdong surnamed Li, who declined to give her full name.

While exporting manufacturers cut full-time workers and hire more temporary workers instead, to save operating costs, the cost of living expenses have barely changed, including food and accommodation.

“The main labour force in my factory is now mainly temporary workers. I pay them about 260 yuan a day for over 12 hours of work,” said Wang Jie, a manufacturer of parts for boots and shoes, in Guangdong’s Dongguan city.

He said that to save costs, he had cut most of his full-time workers to less than 20, down about two-thirds from last year,

“Before the epidemic, we used to be paid 7,000 yuan [a month] or more in peak seasons [for at least 60 hours per week], but now we make about 5,000 yuan, including a free meal,” said a worker at a listed electrical company in Guangzhou.

She also talked about how factories in migrant workers’ hinterland hometowns are seeing longer off-season stretches, making them hard to rely on for a living, which drives workers elsewhere, with wide-reaching economic implications.

“We all cherish the stable employment, especially when we hear that more and more SMEs nearby are cutting jobs,” she said.

Elsewhere, in eastern China’s Zhejiang province, sources say factories are finding it much easier to recruit temporary workers this year – even in the last couple of months as the year has gone on, and workers are generally more reluctant to leave a job midyear.

Lu Zhou, an operations director at an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) factory in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, expressed a similar assessment in his province.

In May or June of previous years, most labourers worked for fixed factories in Jiangsu, and it was very difficult to recruit workers at this time, but this year it’s been easy, he said.

“The labour cost … is about 8,000 yuan per worker. Workers can get about 5,000 yuan a month, working at least 60 hours a week, after the social security contribution,” Lu said. “One obvious change is that this year’s social security contributions [such as social insurance and taxes] have risen again.

“Many workers are reluctant to pay [into social security], and that feeling is stronger now than in previous years. Many workers probably expect that social welfare will become inadequate in a future ageing society.”

[readyforevolution]

FACTS ABOUT UGANDA 🇺🇬

1. Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa whose diverse landscape encompasses the snowcapped Rwenzori Mountains and immense Lake Victoria.

2. Uganda is home to abundant wildlife such as Chimpanzees, rare birds,National parks consisting of mountain gorillas, Murchison Falls National park in the north west known for its 43m tall waterfall and wild life.

3. The largest Lake in Africa and the second largest Lake in the world is found in Uganda.

4. The snowcapped Rwenzori mountains is named one of the best hike in the world.

5. Uganda is home to one of the largest Volcanic Caldera in the world.

6. Uganda's largest export is Coffee.

7. Uganda is one of the few countries in the world where the earth's equator crosses (Earth's equator is an imaginary line dividing the North and South Hemispheres)

8 Uganda's nickname is the 'Pearl of Africa' because of its abundance of nature and wildlife.

#beauty

#africa

#Amazing

[rhk111sblog]

The Importance of the Economic Ties and Cooperation between China and the Philippines

Here is an interesting Article from the Asian Century Journal (ACJ) showcasing the importance of the Economic Ties and Cooperation between China and the Philippines. Here are some of the most important Quotes from the Article:

“… Some so-called “Experts” and Academics in the Country are urging the Philippine Government to consider stopping and annulling existing Chinese Business operations in the Country if alleged China’s illegal and aggressive actions in the disputed SCS or popularly known in the Philippines as the “West Philippine Sea (WPS)” continue. As far as I am concerned, such a Suggestion from these “Experts” is akin to telling the Philippines to commit Economic Suicide.”

“China has been the Philippines’ Top Trading Partner for seven consecutive Years, with Bilateral Trade reaching $87.73 billion in 2022. In the first seven Months of 2023, China jumped to become the largest Export Market for the Philippines. Thus, China remains the Country’s vital Economic and Trade Partner and is still one of the Country’s top Sources of Investment. In terms of Government-to-Government (G2G) Cooperation Projects between the Philippines and China, they have yielded fruitful Outcomes, with nearly 40 Projects carried out in recent Years, 18 of which have been completed. Apart from Cash, Rice, Fertilizers and Covid-19 Vaccine Donations, an important Highlight is Infrastructure cooperation such as the construction of China-aid Estrella-Pantaleon Bridge, the Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, the Bucana Bridge Project in Davao City, the Dangerous Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers, the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project, the three priority Bridges Project (North and South Harbor Bridge, Palanca-Villegas Bridge and the Eastbank-Westbank Bridge) and the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Project, among others, are key G2G cooperation Projects between the Philippines and China, which offer and extend real Benefits to the Filipino People.”

Here is the Link to the Article at the ACJ Website: https://asiancenturyph.substack.com/p/what-is-the-importance-of-china-philippines

SOURCE: What is the Importance of China-Philippines Economic Ties and Cooperation? {Archived Link}

Check out the Links to my other Social Media Accounts at https://linktr.ee/rhk111

If you like my Work, buy me a Coffee to help support it at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/rhk111

[nunuisancenewt]

Plant based foods people claim are unethical/not vegan/proof vegans are bad/ whatever, ordered by least to most " legitimate".

Quinoa-One news article said foreigners buying quinoa would make a staple crop inaccessible to locals, this is stupid cause we grow crops to meet demand, also being from the Andes Quinoa grows in temperate places as well as potatoes do. Also, the locals already transitioned to a western diet.

Agave- The Greater long nosed bat is an endangered species that relies partially but not exclusively on Agave plants for nectar. Agave or "century" plants are long lived and die after blooming. They are mainly grown and harvested before flowering for Tequila production. a very small amount of wild agave in harvested for bootleg mescal in some regions. The main threats of the bats are habitat loss to agriculture, roost disturbance, and persecution as mistaken for vampire bats. If anything, the agave is threatened by a shortage of bats.

Figs- the inside of a fig consists of flowers that are pollinated by a fig-wasp, which lay their eggs in figs. Female wasps go on to lay eggs in other figs while males are trapped inside and are digested inside the fig. wild wasps obviously aren't harmed by fig harvest. and most fig trees grown today don't rely on pollination too fruit.

Cashew-The outside of a raw cashew contains a shell that contains anacardic acid, a major skin irritant. Workers are exposed to it when the outer shell is peeled before the cashews are cooked. workers are sometimes given gloves but not always, the only mentions of slave-labor I could find in the Cashew industry involved prisoners.

Palm oil- Palm oil has been the main crop behind the deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia in the 21st century, but considering Indonesia's population size and rapid industrialization, the deforestation feels almost inevitable. Is far from the best oil (look at pongame oil trees, or algae) but it produces more calories per land area than the most dominant competitors like canola/corn/soy/coconut/olive etc. Additionally, though trace amounts of Palm oil may show up in many western products, it is mainly being used as a cooking oil in Asia.

Soybeans- Occasionally I'll see someone (presumably British) jump to soy as an example of an exotic food that is harmful cause it's imported. As an American I find this surreal cause soy is a boring standard crop, the second largest in land use after corn, mainly grown as the default legume for nitrogen fixation, but I understand an export market means an import market somewhere else. additionally, over 3/4s of soy is fed to livestock. Soy production alongside cattle ranching are major drivers of Amazon deforestation, but again most is fed to livestock. It also has a higher yield per acre than beans, peas or peanuts.

Rice- Rice is sometimes considered a major source of agricultural emissions, Rice is one of the most important crops, and the still water it grows in is a source of methane as anaerobic bacteria decompose matter. Since wetlands are generally considered better at carbon capture than dry land, I question rice farms net impact compared to other crops, and rice produces more tons per acre than wheat (though admittedly less than corn), so it is unclear.

Tea- tea is a very labor-intensive crop as young leaves are harvested by hand by workers, and slavery seems relatively common in the tea industry. having people walk through thick shrubbery, reaching hands in bushes, is a recipe for wildlife conflict. Leopard attacks on and venomous snake bites on tea plantations are an issue. However, all the tea in the west is just the powder at the bottom from actual tea production for the Asian market. so, it doesn't increase demand.

Chocolate/Coffee (not counting Kopi-Luwak)- I am lumping these two together because they are broadly similar in many ways. Both have very high carbon footprints, land use, and eutrophying emissions per Kg of food produced compared to other plant-based foods. both are primarily grown in former tropical forests, both contain high levels of caffeine and are neither produce nor staple crops, and both are well known to have very high rates of child labor and slavery in them for anyone paying attention. Thankfully these problems are well known enough that many certification schemes (Fair Trade, Rainforest alliance certified, bird friendly coffee, etc.) that can be used to guide purchases. If anything, I would prioritize coffee over chocolate because 1) assuming your already Vegan you're already selecting for higher end dark chocolate/specialty vegan chocolate that is likely better in other ways and 2) I am assuming most people consume more coffee than chocolate.

Almonds- 55% of the world's almonds are grown in the US. Almonds are sometimes scapegoated for water shortages, but Animal agriculture is far the main driver, and all nut trees are very water thirsty. Almonds need hot dry climates but the same is true of pistachios. More interesting is bees. only 2.9% of captive honeybee hives are in the US. 40.8% of Beekeeper profit in the US is from pollination service, with 82.2% of that coming from Almonds. Almonds may contribute more to bee exploitation per serving than other crops. avocados, blueberries, blackberries, canola, cocoa, cranberries, cherries, cucumbers, honey dew melons, kiwis, pears, pumpkins, raspberries, strawberries, and watermelons, among many others, are also pollinated by managed honeybees. because American honeybees are such a small share of the global population, and the share of Almonds grown in the US is so high compared to other crops, I do believe, but only with a low degree of confidence, almonds are worse for honeybees than the average honeybee pollinated crop. The good news is between new self-fertilizing verities catching on, pollination being 5% of an almond producer's production costs, pollinating machines, and native bee conservation measures, the importance of honeybees to almond production will likely gradually diminish.

Coconut- It seems that kidnapped wild southern pig-tailed macaques are used to produce nearly all coconuts in Thailand, being used as labor picking coconuts. The practice is likely present in other Southeast Asian countries as an American practically all coconut products I could readily access come from Latin America, but it's something it would be a good idea for Old Wolders to be aware of.

[moneeb0930]

Oromia or Oromia is the largest nationality and one of the most civilized nationalities in Ethiopia 🇪🇹

The national population reaches 35 million people, or up to 39% of the country's population

The largest percentage of Oromo converts to Islam, followed by Christianity

The colors of traditional clothing are red, white and black. Women perform accessories in the form of an inverted triangle at the front of the head

There is evidence that they are the womb from which most of the southeastern Kushite peoples emanated, such as the Somalis, the Afrin, the Sahu in Eritrea, and the Nubians in Egypt and Sudan. And a large part of the Guraghi people, and they used their historical port (Zeyla) "Zeyla" to import and export goods such as livestock and grains such as corn, barley, coffee and animal skins.