Improved access to digitised information in fisheries in the Pacific

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Library and the Marine Resources Division have developed a full text Digital Library which is now available online.-- > More information

Agricultural information sessions at IFLA 2007

The IFLA session on Agricultural Libraries focused on the "Impact of globalisation on small farmers worldwide: implications on information transfer." -- > More information

Global knowledge reference on sustainable forest management

A recent progress report from FAO's Foresty Department reports on efforts to compile a 'global knowledge reference' on sustainable forest management (SFM). The idea is to create a repository of information on SFM with the aim of enhancing experience-sharing among countries.-- > More information

Getting information to agricultural communities in Viet Nam

A recent ID21 research highlights reports that development programmes try to improve the spread of agricultural information by involving communities in extension practices. -- > More information

Ugandan farmers call home

The agricultural biodiversity weblog reports "a great article (and some audio as well) describing how a Dutch NGO is helping Ugandan farmers exchange agricultural information using mobile phones."-- > More information

Getting agricultural and natural research into use

In June, the DFID-finance Research Into Use (RIU) programme was launched. Its approach is to shift the focus of attention away from the generation of new knowledge to the ways in which that knowledge can be put to productive use through innovation - the use, adoption, uptake or commercialization of existing knowledge.-- > More information

Sharing communication strategies in agricultural research

The CGIAR Marketing Group has brought together a useful set of materials on the communication of research.-- > More information

Communicating ACIAR research results

The 2007-2008 operational plan of ACIAR includes a short section outlining how its research results will be communicated – also their 'key performance indicators.'-- > More information

FAO as a Knowledge Organization

Collecting, analysing, interpreting and disseminating agricultural-related data and information has been a central activity of FAO since the inception of the Organization. FAO attaches paramount importance to securing the highest standards of efficiency and of technical competence in the appointment of its staff. The key challenge for FAO as a knowledge organization is to make the most of both explicit and tacit knowledge in serving Members.-- > More information

AgInfo management in Laos

Information and communication management are important aspects of the work of the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institution of Laos. Through an Information Service Strategy, it seeks to improve researchers’ ability to better access and use information so as to improve the quality of their research. It has developed on-line information systems; it has also joined with the National Agriculture and Forestry Extension Service to improve research-extension linkages - a dedicated web site (Laolink) has been set up. A separate LaoEx web site provides information and key full text reports on agricultural and forestry extension.-- > More information

E-commerce for Filipino Famers and Cooperatives

In the recent WITFOR 2007 conference in Addis Ababa, Edgardo Herbosa of b2bpricenow.com introduced an innovative partnership to bring e-commerce to agriculture in the Philippines.-- > More information

A 'Solution eXchange' for Indian agricultural practitioners

In India, agricultural development practitioners have used ICTs (mainly email discussions) to share experiences among the community on sustainable agricultural extension systems. They use a 'Solution eXchange' for agricultural development practitioners.-- > More information

WITFOR sessions illustrate innovative concrete ICT applications in agriculture

Speakers from 10 countries shared insights and experiences at the recent World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR) Agriculture Session meetings.-- > More information

ICT Adoption - Perspectives from EFITA 2007

The papers and presentations from the 6th EFITA Conference "Environmental and Rural Sustainability through ICT" are now available. As in previous EFITA congresses, one of the major topics discussed was ICT adoption in agriculture.-- > More information

Farmer-led documentation

As part of the e-agriculture week in Rome (September 2007), PROLINNOVA, IAALD, and FAO sponsored a session on 'Farmer-Led Documentation: Local knowledge sharing in an agricultural context.'-- > More information

Interactive web-based platform in support of agriculture and rural development

The FAO announced the launch of a unique interactive web-based platform focusing on the role that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can have in supporting agriculture and rural development.-- > More information

PMN introduces cross-journal search; extension publications as well

Try your hand at Plant Management Network's new Cross-Journal Search Engine, an important new tool for those looking for credible information in the applied agricultural and plant sciences.-- > More information

PMN provides journal access to countries with developing economies

Access to all Plant Management Network online journals and resources is now available at no or reduced cost to institutions in more than 100 of the world’s poorest countries though AGORA.-- > More information

Experts discuss international information systems for agricultural science and technology

In October 2005, FAO and partners convened the first 'Expert Consultation on International Information Systems for Agricultural Science and Technology.' To assess progress and to determine next steps, a 2nd IISAST Expert Consultation was held 23-24 September in Rome as part of e-agriculture week. -- > More information

WorldAgInfo 2007: International symposium on agricultural education and information systems

The first of two workshops by the 'WorldAginfo' project was held at Cornell University from September 30-October 3, 2007.-- > More information

Web 2.0 for participatory development: Notes from Rome

This three day conference at FAO from 25-27 September provided an opportunity for participants to share experiences in the use of social networking technologies (i.e. blogs, wikis, feeds, mash-ups etc.) to build collaborative knowledge organizations.-- > More information

Open access to IRRI research

In the IRRI Library blog, Mila Ramos of the International Rice Research Institute introduces a paper by IRRI for the International Public Knowledge Project Conference in July 2007.-- > More information

CGIAR on Web 2.0 for Dev conference

Blogs, wikis, del.icio.us, Bebo, feeds, tags, RSS…Is this a new language? It sure is ­ it is the new and ever changing vocabulary of Web 2.0! Nadia Manning captures some of the action from Rome and explains what it might mean for the CGIAR. -- > More information

CGIAR launches new ICT and knowledge sharing web sites

The CGIAR ICT-KM Program and KS Project have launched new web sites - including blogs from the different projects and a whole new look to the knowledge sharing in the CGIAR web site.-- > More information

Knowledge sharing for rural development

The creation of mechanisms to generate and share knowledge - both among farmers and with investigators and specialist centres -, is now a condition of survival of rural communities.-- > More information

AgInfo metadata, terminology, standards update

As part of the September e-agriculture week in Rome, information and knowledge managers gathered in the Eighth Agricultural Ontology Service (AOS) Workshop. -- > More details

Knowledge and Innovation for Agricultural and Rural Development

During a Science Forum Session organized by the ICT-KM Program's Knowledge Sharing in Research Project at the CGIAR's 2007 Annual General Meeting on 4th of December, participants looked at the new paradigms surrounding knowledge and innovation for agricultural and rural development with the aim of determining what these really mean for research and development.

The meeting kicked off with an audio presentation from William C. Clarke, the Harvey Brooks Professor of International Science, Public Policy, and Human Development at Harvard University. In his presentation, which can also be downloaded from the ICT-KM Program's website, William talks about the barriers to innovation: mutual incomprehension; fragmented knowledge systems; and static, inflexible processes confronted by dynamic problems.

PANEL: Enrica Porcari, CGIAR; Bill Niebur, Pioneer;

Anton Mangstl, FAO; Carlos Sere, ILRI; Jean Lebel, IDRC

Joint Conference of IAALD, AFITA and WCCA World Congress 2008

The 12th International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists (IAALD) IAALD World Conference at the Atsugi Campus of the Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan 24 Aug 08 - 27 Aug 08 will provide an effective forum for agriculture related researchers and information specialists to share and discuss latest development on applications and developments in the use of Information Technologies. These include new applications of well established and understood technologies to innovative and entrepreneurial applications of emerging technologies, in addition to issues related to policy and knowledge dissemination. The Conference will also provide an appropriate forum for agricultural information specialists for information dissemination, exchange and knowledge sharing. It will cover a wide array of topics.

This congres in organised in collaboration with 6th Conference of the Asian Federation of Information Technology in Agriculture (AFITA) and the 6th World Congress on Computers in Agriculture (WCCA). In 2009 IAALD will organise the IAALD-Africa congress in Accra.

Quality standards for training and education in the CGIAR

A joint workshop of the ICT-KM Program’s Online Learning Resources (OLR) Project and the United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) will be held from 11-15 February 2008 at UNU-EHS, Bonn, Germany. The purpose of this workshop is to develop a set of policies and procedures to ensure quality training and education in the CGIAR. Click here for more information.

Collaboration for Excellence

The ICT-KM Program’s Knowledge Sharing (KS) Project is offering CGIAR staff and partners the unique opportunity to explore and experiment with knowledge-sharing principles and methods in an innovative, three-phase workshop that will kick off in March 2008 with a four-week online event. For more information on this workshop (Collaboration for Excellence: Opportunities for discovering, understanding, and applying innovative knowledge-sharing approaches for impact), please click here.