Human impact of climate change highlighted through Google Earth

Google Earth users around the world can now see how climate change could affect the planet and its people over the next century. Using world leading climate science, Climate Change in Our World shows global temperatures over the next hundred years, along with stories of how people in some of the world's poorest countries are already being affected by changing weather patterns. Examples of possible future climate change impacts have been produced, based on projections by the UK's Met Office.

The project includes present day human impact case studies provided by DFID. These include stories from research projects of the Climate Change Adaptation in Africa (CCAA) research and capacity development program, and specifically, studies produced through the "Adaptation Stories" initiative of the CCAA. These examples of the diverse work being done by DFID-funded researchers in the CCAA span the African continent: recording lessons learned by farmers in Niger adapting to drought; providing improved climate information and options to help South African fruit farmers prepare for a water-scarce future; and combining climate observation with medical research in Kenya to improve models of malarial prediction.

How to explore Climate Change In Our World?

• Opening the KML file on the Google Earth Outreach page will take you to Climate Change In Our World.
• In the main Google Earth window, clicking on the "play" button to the left of the timeline bar will activate an animation showing temperature changes over the next hundred years.
• During the animation, push-pin icons will appear over selected points on the Earth. Click on these icons to open pop-up boxes containing more information about the impacts of climate change in the developing world. Move the hand cursor or use the navigation controls to fly anywhere on the planet to investigate further.
• The Google Earth Help Centre provides more details about getting the most from Google Earth.

Agricultural Researchers Call for a Revolution in Sustainable Agriculture

New sustainable agriculture technologies with renewed funding commitment is the call of the world's largest organization dedicated to international agricultural research in order to alleviate current and future food crises. Emile Frison, Director General of Bioversity International, explained on behalf of the 15 centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), that strategies for a revolution in sustainable agriculture were in place for fruition in the 1990s but were stalled due to the waning of financial support.

The challenges of the early 60s to increase food production was well supported which lead to all-time successes in international agriculture. This resulted to increased harvests and steadily declining food prices that might have lulled donors into complacency about agriculture, Frison commented. With this scenario, the Alliance of CGIAR Centers put together an action plan which was presented during the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) High-Level Conference. The document highlights short, medium, and long-term measures to resolve the current food crisis and reduce the risk of future crises. "We urgently need to accelerate the flow of new varieties tolerant to heat, drought, and other stresses that will become worse with climate change,” Frison said. “We must also spread more widely the new tools and methods from research on natural resource management."

The alliance will also continue to work in concert with other international institutions such as the FAO, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the World Food Programme and World Bank, as well as with many regional, national and local partners.

Reference: Press release 03/06 Bioversity International

Related:

19 May, 2008 Emile Frison, Director General of Bioversity International, was recently interviewed by the French language service of Radio Canada. He explained some of the factors behind the recent rise in food prices and spoke of some approaches to tackle the problems, including more money for agricultural research for development and the need to use biodiversity to tackle malnutrition. Listen

Scientific Innovations will Trigger Green Revolution in Africa

Scientific innovations can help bring about Africa’s Green Revolution. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), headquartered in Patancheru near Hyderabad in southern India, is working with other institutions in the global initiative to bring about a green revolution in the drylands of sub-Saharan Africa.

Speaking at an international conference titled Israel and the Green Revolution in Africa held on 1 June in Jerusalem, and addressing politicians, policy makers, scientists and other distinguished participants, Dr William D Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, said, “I am certain that MASHAV and ICRISAT can provide critical leadership in this Revolution, particularly in the dry areas, which are our bread and butter.” The drylands cover about 40% of Africa’s arable landmass, and about 25% of Africa’s populations live and work in these areas. According to the United Nations Human Development Index these areas cover most of the poorest nations on earth, and the farmers here earn less than one US dollar a day.

“African governments need to be more supportive of their rural poor, “ Dr Dar added, “They need to adopt policies that encourage, rather than penalize agriculture. Developed countries need to break with their past habits of huge subsidies to domestic farmers that create unfair competition with the poor in the developing world.”

Reference: ICRISAT press release 02/06

New Collaboration among Rome-based UN Agencies and AGRA

ROME (4 June 2008) A memorandum of understanding was signed by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to boost food production in Africa’s “breadbasket regions”. The new partnership will work closely with other stakeholders to rapidly improve food production, food security and rural incomes. Careful environmental monitoring, and conserving biodiversity, water and land will be given high priority.

"Unlocking the potential of agriculture in Africa is a huge challenge, but it can be done,” said FAO Director Jacques Diouf. “This initiative is an important contribution to reduce the number of more than 200 million hungry people in sub-Saharan Africa.” Kofi Annan, Chairman of the Board of AGRA, said that they are hoping to spur a green revolution in Africa that respects biodiversity and the continent’s distinct regions and great variety of crops.

Reference: AGRA press release 04/06 Partnership to Boost Agricultural Production in Africa's "Breadbasket Regions"

INRA to Boost Tunisian Agricultural Research

An agreement to boost agricultural research in Tunisia was recently signed between Marion Guillou, the President of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), and Mr Abdelaziz Mougou, President of the Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education (IRESA) - Tunis.

The agreement was signed on 16 May 2008 in Tunis at the Ministry of Agriculture in the presence of Mr Mohamed Habib Haddad, Minister of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources and Mr Abderrazak Daâloul, Secretary of State for Fisheries. The CIRAD will soon be associated with this agreement.

This agreement aims at reinforcing scientific exchanges, researcher mobility and joint projects between the two establishments. It establishes a programme of calls for proposals for joint research projects.The agreement aims at reinforcing scientific exchanges, researcher mobility and joint projects including biotechnology. The program will soon call for proposals for joint research projects between the two establishments.

Reference:

INRA 30/05 INRA has signed a cooperation agreement with the Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education (Tunisia)

Patenting climate genes

Less than a dozen companies have filed 532 patents for plant genes designed to tolerate extreme weather and environmental conditions. While the biotech crops are designed to better survive conditions brought on by climate change, a report looking at the patents warns of how a gene patent monopoly could harm farmers.

"Patenting the 'Climate Genes' and Capturing the Climate Agenda" was complied by the ETC Group, a Canadian-based non-governmental organization focused on socially responsible development related to culture, ecological diversity and human rights.

ETC Group notes that in some cases the companies are working with organizations, research groups and philanthropists. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is providing a $47 million grant for Monsanto and BASF to develop drought-tolerant corn for use in the southern African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa.

The ETC Group urges for governments meeting at the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity in Bonn (May 19-30) and at the joint United Nations-FAO High-Level Conference on World Food Security and the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy (3-5 June 2008) to recommend that governments suspend the granting of all patents on climate change-related genes and traits.

Some experts say that both sides have oversimplified the pros and cons of biotech crop patents. "I don't mind Monsanto developing these tools. I mind that we don't have an economic ecology that lets other companies compete with them," said Richard Jefferson, founder and chief executive of Cambia, a nonprofit institute based in Australia that helps companies worldwide sort through patent holdings so they can build on one another's work instead of stymieing one another. Under the current system for patenting genes, he said, "the little guys shake out and the big guys end up in a place a lot like a cartel." Jefferson characterized the ETC report as extreme in its anti-corporate views but praised it for drawing attention to what he said is a real problem of corporate consolidation in the seed industry. Happily, he said, patent offices are "getting a lot better" about not allowing overly broad gene patents.

References:

Communique ETC group 13/05

GreenBiz 15/05 Patents for Crop Genes Tolerant of Climate Change Tops 530

Washington Post 13/05 Firms Seek Patents on 'Climate Ready' Altered Crops

Related:

29/05 Business Daily Africa Debate on GM crops rages on as Bill comes under scrutiny

01/06 CheckBiotech Patent policy and sustainable cellulosic biofuels development
National patents and international rules on patents will be instrumental in the development of biofuels markets—defining how fast that development takes place and who controls and benefits from the next wave of biofuels.

03/06 GGIAR story of the Month June 2008: Fighting for Fair Use of Plant Genetic Resources A nearly 8-year effort to redress a notorious act of biopiracy finally achieved its objective on April 29, 2008, when the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced it was definitely rejecting all patent claims for a yellow-seeded variety of common bean named "Enola".

BBC 30/05 Could GM crops help feed Africa?
In the final part of his series on whether genetically modified food can help solve the world food crisis, BBC News rural affairs correspondent Jeremy Cooke reports from Uganda.

Announcement:

The next FARA Bulletin issue (April-May) will have a thematic focus agriculture and Intellectual Property Rights

Improving opportunities for African small scale farmers through e-learning for basic skills, agricultural education and market information

The Ugandan "Busoga Farmer Network" (Bufanet), the Swiss e-learning developer Avallain and the National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) have teamed up to jointly develop "MarketInfonet", an internet-based and mobile phone driven market communication and e-learning system for small scale farmers and fishermen covering three areas: agricultural education, market information and basic skills training.

The provision of information and learning material for market and agricultural skills contributes to closing the knowledge gap – and unlocks human potential: "Access to information is prerequisite for small scale farmers and fishermen to adapt new agricultural techniques, improve their business and achieve good prices", Mr. Kiirya emphasizes. "The ability to read, write and calculate is prerequisite to make full use of information."Hence, MarketInfonet will address basic skills.

The user friendly edited information in English and local languages will be amended with interactive exercises for literacy and numeracy: Comparing prices, calculating the amount of fertilizer, writing an order, reading a manual –MarketInfonet will present basic skills learning as a key to improved business. Business becomes the driver for education.

Reference: Avallain Press Release May, 29

Towards food sovereignty: reclaiming autonomous food systems

The current food crisis has revived the myth that the world doesn't produce enough food for its six billion people, according to Michel Pimbert, author of a new study that highlights local production as a potential solution.It is a "manufactured crisis" that is the outcome of a market-driven, global food system, says Pimbert, director of the agriculture and biodiversity programme at the London-based International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

Towards Food Sovereignty is an online book with linked video and audio files. The first three chapters, available on the IIED website, begin to describe the ecological basis of food and agriculture, the social and environmental costs of modern food systems, and the policy reversals needed to democratize food systems. The video and audio clips show farmers, indigenous peoples and consumers all working to promote food sovereignty, it highlights the importance of locally controlled food systems to sustain both people and nature.

Published:May 2008 International Institute for Environment and Development

Reference: IPS News 24/05 Q&A: Lack of Food Is a "Persistent Myth"

Workshop on Lethal Yellowing Diseases on coconut

A workshop on Lethal Yellowing Disease, one of the main pandemic diseases affecting coconut worldwide was held in Accra 3rd of June.

The workshop was organised with the support of the French Ambassador in Ghana, Centre for International Cooperation in Agric Research and development, and in partnership with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research,and the Forum for Agriculture Research in Ghana.

Coconut lethal yellowing disease has been devastating plantations in Ghana at regular intervals since 1932. CIRAD and the Ghanaian Oil Palm Research Institute are currently testing the disease resistance of various coconut hybrids obtained by crossing "Tall" and "Dwarf" varieties. Coconut is a major source of income for farmers along the Ghanaian coast. However, it has been hit by the devastating effects of a small wall-less bacterium, a phytoplasma, which causes coconut lethal yellowing disease.

Note:
Lethal yellowing is a phytoplasma disease of coconut and other palms. Susceptible palms die within 3 to 6 months of the first symptoms. It is epidemic on the Gulf and Caribbean coasts of Mexico and in Belize and Honduras where hundreds of thousands of palms are dying. When the disease was active in Jamaica and Florida, in the 1960s and 70s an International Council on Lethal Yellowing (ICLY) was set up. It was supported by the FAO, the Coconut Industry Board, Jamaica, the UK Overseas Development Administration, the University of Florida and the International Palm Society, amongst others.

ICLY is now revived, with the benefits of electronic mail, as CICLY. In English this is the Centre for Information on Coconut Lethal Yellowing or Centro de Información del Amarillamiento Letal de Coco in Spanish (to acknowledge the inescapable fact that most research will take place in Latin America). CICLY is intended to act as a discussion centre and clearing house for information about lethal yellowing and similar diseases of coconut and other palm species.

Related:
Fiji Dwarf Coconut is One Tough Nut The "Fiji Dwarf" coconut variety may be able to save the US coconut industry which is being destroyed by the lethal yellowing (LY) phytoplasma.

The audio files of the FAO newsroom

The FAO newsroom offers, free of charge, online audio files on FAO's related events and programmes.

Here are some files (African selection) on the High level on World Food Security:

Question to Ban Ki-moon from l' Agence Panafricaine d'Information (PANA)
Duration: 3min.22sec. / Format: mp3

Address by Mr Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization
French version / Duration: 26min. / Format: mp3
English version / Duration: 22min. / Format: mp3

His Excellency Isaias Afwerki, President of Eritrea
English / Duration: 5min.55sec. / Format: mp3

Address by the president of Zimbabwe, Robert Gabriel Mugabe
Duration: 12min.5sec. / Format: mp3

Discours du Président du Sénégal, Abdoulaye Wade
French / Duration: 9min.25sec. / Format: mp3

Son Excellence Monsieur Ismaël Omar Guelleh, Président de la République de Djibouti,
French / Duration: 8min.33sec. / Format: mp3

A South African look at Food Security issues of 3-5 June 08 Summit, Rome

Duncan Samikwa (SADC) shares some of the major interventions in South Africa in dealing with the challenges of climate changes on food insecurity.
Duration: 5min.10sec. / Format: mp3

Independent non -governmental organization Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme (RHVP) in South Africa say the country has done well by excluding maize in their biofuels strategy.
Duration: 4min.23sec. / Format: mp3

Neil Townsend, Oxfam touches on the advantages of biofuels in an attempt to alleviate climate change.
Duration: 5min.1sec. / Format: mp3

South Africa’s Economic Policy Research Institute, Dr Seshi Kanki says the challenges of food crisis could be minimized with introduction of solid social protection systems for the vulnerable community.
Duration: 4min.3sec. / Format: mp3

South Africa’s Wits University Research Group on Vulnerability Adaptation Mitigation Planning believes there should be an extensive research before we could all blame climate change on impact of food security. Professor Colleen Vogel says the emphasis should also focus on current climate variability and its impact on people.
Duration: 4min.35sec. / Format: mp3

Reporting on environment and sustainable development from Africa to the world

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) - Reporting Services Division (IISD RS) and the South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism (DEAT), in partnership with the UN Environment Programme’s Regional Office for Africa, have joined together to assist in communicating the policy outcomes of regional meetings on environment and related sustainable development issues to the larger international community. These three partners have launched a new three-year project to provide coverage of regional sustainable development policy meetings in Africa.

The project is the result of the identified need to give African meetings and activities a higher exposure to the international community. Building on the success of the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) in covering international environment and sustainable development meetings, this project expects to replicate this success at the regional level in order to make the outcome of Africa’s NEPAD follow-up meetings available to the world in real-time.

This first phase of the project will consist of reporting from meetings of ministers in Africa on sustainable development and environment as well as those on water, energy, transport, human settlements and technology. Through the distribution of targeted policy briefs on upcoming international meetings, IISD RS will also be building a network of environment and sustainable development policy experts working in African capitals. The meetings to be covered by IISD Reporting Services will be selected from meetings of the following organisations but not limited to the following:

• African Union and its subsidiary bodies Southern African Development Community and its subsidiary bodies United Nations Environment Programme New Partnership for Africa’s Development
• International Agreements and Conventions that may be hosted by African Governments
• Relevant South-South Cooperation Meetings
• Bi-annual meetings of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment
• African preparatory meetings for the Commission on Sustainable Development
• Planned meetings of the NEPAD Environment Initiative Meetings of the UN Economic Commission for Africa’s Committee on Sustainable Development.

In addition, IISD RS will publish periodic policy briefs for governments in the region in relation to multilateral environmental agreements and sustainable development in the context of the follow-up to the WSSD and the NEPAD Environment Action Plan.

Reference: African Regional Coverage

Seminar on the Progress in the Implementation of Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) and Emerging Opportunities

Yokohama, – A seminar under the theme “Progress in the Implementation of Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) and Emerging Opportunities” was held May 27, 2008 by The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) on the sideline of the fourth session of the Tokyo International Conference for Africa’s Development (TICAD IV).

CAADP it was highlighted is an Africa-led initiative and framework to rationalise and revitalize African agriculture for economic growth and lasting poverty reduction results. The CAADP seeks to increase agriculture productivity in Africa to 6% annually, in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The two-hour seminar was attended by a large number of participants, particularly Africa’s key stakeholders in the area of agriculture such as, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA) Green, and Alliance for the Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).


The Acting CEO of NEPAD, Ambassador Olukorede Willoughby opened the meeting by introducing NEPAD and its CAADP program and underscoring the importance of partnerships in effectively implementing all the NEPAD priority areas and programs, especially the CAADP program.

Reference: African Press Organisation 28/05

High-Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy

The recent thirty-fourth session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Conference, held during November 2007, called for a series of expert meetings and stakeholder consultations on climate change and bioenergy, to be followed by a High-Level Conference on World Food Security and the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy.

FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf today appealed to world leaders for

US$30 billion a year to re-launch agriculture and avert future threats of conflicts over food.

The preparatory meetings were held January-April 2008 and the High-Level Conference takes place 3-5 June 2008. The High-Level Conference is informed by work undertaken and findings which emerged from the expert meetings and stakeholder consultations, as well as new analysis undertaken by the Organization, as part of its regular activities.

This High-Level Conference has become even more timely in light of soaring food prices and the additional challenges this situation poses to achieving global food security. Many Heads of State and Governments attend, as well as the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, transforming the June High-Level Conference into a true Summit on world food security.

The High-Level Conference on World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy opened on 3 June 2008, at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy. In the morning, after an opening plenary, a High-Level Segment convened. In the afternoon, the High-Level Segment resumed and a Committee of the Whole (COW) met to review the draft declaration of the Conference (HLC/08/3). The COW decided to reconvene the Informal Open-ended Working Group to carry out that review.

As delegates gathered in Rome on Tuesday, they seemed to be well aware of the heavy responsibility placed on their shoulders: formulating concrete strategies and practical solutions to tackle the world’s growing food crisis. The attendance of some 30 Heads of State and Government to what was qualified as a “de facto” summit by FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf reinforced their sense of urgency. Some delegates remarked that the various leaders’ statements served a political purpose in asserting the importance of the issue, and succeeded in touching upon the very heart of the situation: uncertainty and discussion – some say speculation – about the causes of the current crisis and their relative importance.

João Bernardo Vieira, President of Guinea Bissau, stressed the need to increase investment in agriculture, especially in Africa.

Absalom Themba Dlamini,Prime Minister of Swaziland, drew attention to the linkages between climate change and the food crisis.

Gabriel Ntisezerana,Vice President of Burundi, underscored that bioenergy should not threaten food security.

Maria Madalena De Brito Neves, Minister of Environment and Agriculture of Cape Verde

Bethuel Pakalitha Mosisili,Prime Minister, Lesotho

Sayyadi Abba Ruma, Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources of Nigeria

Representative of Sudan

References:

FAO Newsroom 03/06: The world only needs 30 billion dollars a year to eradicate the scourge of hunger

Reporting Service: International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

in Africa agriculture lending will increase from US$ 450 to over US$ 800 million

The World Bank Group is boosting overall support for global agriculture to $6 billion from $4 billion over the coming year. This includes IBRD lending, grants and highly concessional credits from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), which supports the world’s poorest countries, and finance for agri-businesses and trade finance. For example, in Africa agriculture lending will increase from US$ 450 to over US$ 800 million.

In addition to our financial support the Bank is also providing policy, technical and research advice to countries. Over the last 6 months, over 40 governments have sought policy advice from the Bank on how to deal with the rising food prices. Working in partnership with WFP, FAO, IFAD,NEPAD, UNICEF and others, the World Bank has concluded needs assessments in over 25 countries and has over a dozen more underway. The social as well as agricultural needs assessments will serve to guide policy responses as well as financial assistance to these countries.
The Bank is making $100 million available in Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Madagascar, Mali, and Niger through additional financing and restructuring of existing operations.

• Rapid needs assessments have been completed for Burkina Faso, Burundi, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Assessments are ongoing in Eritrea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritania, and Niger.
• In Guinea, the Bank is preparing an emergency budget-support operation to help the government manage the sharp rise in food and oil prices.
• The Bank is working on irrigation and water management in Ethiopia, fertilizer use in Malawi, market access for smallholders in Senegal, and crop diversification in Mali and Uganda.

Reference: Food Crisis: Background Note

Workshop on Food and Nutrition Security to Accelerating Investments in Response to High Food Prices and Food Insecurity

The African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad), in collaboration the World Bank, the Food and agriculture organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) have hosted a Food Security Workshop with the theme Accelerating Investments in Response to High Food Prices and Food Insecurity in Johannesburg from 20 to 23 May.

It was attended by about 200 participants drawn from 18 countries in Africa, development partners, NGOs, farmers associations, research institutions, regional economic commissions, regional organizations, and Lead Institutions for CAADP Pillars including FARA.

Speaking at the opening session, Prof. Richard Mkandawire, head of CAADP at NEPAD, said:

"This workshop is aimed at assisting African countries to identify, and formulate initiatives for boosting food security and agricultural investment in Africa. It is the result of our collective efforts to deal with the rise in food prices".

The main goal of this workshop was to assist governments in selected countries in Africa to identify and formulate an appropriate country framework of specific food security interventions following an approach to boost food production, availability and access to food for the most vulnerable and cope with higher and more volatile food prices.

Specific objective included:

• Country teams revising their initial project designs for investment
• Developing action plans for finalizing the project preparation
• The participants being exposed to CAADP and in particular CAADP Pillar 3 and its relevance to investment options for food and nutrition security programmes
• Sharing experiences and learning lessons for effective planning

Reference: AllAfrica 27/05 Africa: Agriculture to Be Discussed in Japan

Enhancing relief, recovery and rehabilitation through agricultural research

ICRISAT-Nairobi hosted a 2-day workshop May 22 & 23 in on ‘Defining a strategic agricultural research agenda on post-crisis/post-shock recovery in highly stressed systems’


The objective of the workshop was to identify opportunities for collective action with respect to research that leads to more effective recovery after crises and shocks, especially in countries suffering higher levels of political, social, ecological or economic stress. There were over 30 participants, representing seven CG centers, NARS from five countries, FAO, Red Cross / Red Crescent, NGOs involved in emergency response, and donors.


The workshop was structured around a discussion paper commissioned by the Regional Plan and written by Kate Longley of the Overseas Development Institute on ‘CGIAR Research for Improving the Impact of Relief, Recovery and Rehabilitation’. The paper reviews the ways in which CG centers have been working in disaster and conflict situation, highlighting the substantive research, strategic and organizational issues that emerge.


Note: Kate Longley is based in Nairobi, working under a partnership between ODI and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Specialises in rural livelihoods, agriculture and seed systems, with particular interest in food security and agricultural rehabilitation. Previously a Research Fellow in ODI's Rural Policy and Environment Group.

Upcoming: ‘Drivers of Change’ (Flagship 1) workshop - Nairobi (at ILRI) on June 12 & 13 about how to link up long term research sites in the region to a more synergistic whole, in terms of studying how to deal with said drivers of change.

Video based approach for agricultural learning content

Digital Green is an agricultural training and advising system in India that seeks to benefit rural farmers by disseminating targeted information through digital videos. A geographically-dispersed, culturally-diverse rural population of farmers remains disconnected from expert information that could improve the sustainability of their livelihoods. Various extension systems have been tried before, however, Digital Green aims to build a system that can scale agricultural advising support to even the smallest subsistence farmer. Digital Green bootstraps on the local expert knowledge of existing NGOs and farmers by capturing and distributing the widest selection of content in the most targeted, practically-oriented format – videos.

The video based approach has several important advantages to traditional forms of agricultural content, which is typically not in the local language, intended for a literate audience, uses expert terminology, lacks grassroots level practicalities, and remains inaccessible in a sea of scattered media.

• Farmers, by the nature of their occupation, rely on their auditory and visual senses and video, though not perfect, comes closest to capturing the scene in detail. Video creation tends to be faster and less expensive than other types of media, as advanced preparation in “lesson”-planning can minimize post-production editing.
• Video can compress the time needed to reveal the change.
• Video provides a means of bringing relevant demonstrations into the homes of farmers.
• Video also reduces the human resources required to follow-up with individual farmers and demonstrate time-consuming methods in the field.

The DG database is currently being populated with video of various types. This includes:

• Testimonials of farmers sharing their experiences with better agricultural methods
• Groups showcasing an alternative income generating activity
• Experts leading a step-by-step demonstration
• Meteorological data
• Marketing and government program information
• Entertaining local clippings

Mainstreaming eLearning for Environment

Currently, there is a very low awareness of the benefits of eLearning among environmental institutions in Africa. Other sectors such as education, health, and development are more advanced in the application of eLearning and blended learning to support their training activities. The Educa series of eLearning conferences and the eLearning Africa series of conferences have little or no involvement by environmental organisations.

A seminar was therefore organised in Accra on 28th of May by UNEP in cooperation with ICWE as a pre-conference activity to the e-learning Africa 2008 conference.

It had the following objectives:

• to increase awareness by environmental authorities on the cost-effectiveness of eLearning in their training, educational and awareness raising programmes;
• to increase awareness of technology-supported learning and a new way of thinking about environmental education in universities and other learning institutions;
• to strengthen institutional capacities in Africa to mainstream environment in university education across all academic disciplines, as well as long term knowledge competence development;
• to enhance outreach of environmental education in Africa in the context of sustainable development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Speakers and participants at the seminar included decision makers, eLearning experts, educators, environmental education programme managers, eLearning programme managers and information specialists working in international organisations, environment ministries, environmental protection agencies, universities, non-governmental organisations, research institutions and the private sector.

The seminar comprised of four sessions:

1. Keynote presentations by high-level representatives of environmental institutions in Africa and Europe.
2. Roundtable – Policy dialogue on capacity development challenges facing environmental authorities in designing and delivering eLearning.
3. Presentations on the application of eLearning in environmental programmes.
4. Implementing an eLearning programme – the way forward.

Hereafter folows an interview with Maria Eugenia Arreola of UNEP Nairobi about this seminar.

FARA and the Scientists Without BordersSM Web site

Google's power is unprecedented, but even its strength fails when faced with certain tasks. For example, a person seeking organizations that work on neglected tropical diseases in Africa might type "Africa neglected tropical diseases organization" into the Google search box. If so, 127,000 results would pop up. Sorting through these items is daunting enough—but what if the searcher desires more specific information? Say this individual is looking for blood samples from schistosomiasis patients or wants to help an African university that aspires to bolster its curriculum on neglected tropical diseases. Perhaps he or she wishes to study oesophagostomiasis in Ghana and wonders how labs there cope with the frequent power outages that plague the country.

The new Scientists Without BordersSM Web site (http://scientistswithoutborders.nyas.org/) might help. Launched on May 12, its cornerstone is a free database that collects key information about individuals, projects, and organizations that work—or would like to work—in the developing world. This resource will allow the scientific community to mobilize and coordinate its activities, thus harnessing its potential to promote global health, agricultural progress, environmental well-being, energy development, and so on. The online tool will fuel communication, link individuals with institutions and projects that would welcome their expertise, allow people to register their wants and assets, and provide a mechanism by which organizations can build on one another's progress. With a few clicks, users can start matching needs with resources and find out who is doing what where.

Already, 141 organizations, 82 projects, and 421 individuals from all over the globe have completed profiles. The initiative has raised more than $1 million—and a wide range of world-class organizations have joined as programmatic partners. The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), which is spearheading Scientists Without Borders, envisions it as a community venture and actively seeks feedback about how the site can best serve its members.

The potential power of the database is tremendous, but depends on the extent to which it is populated and used. To raise awareness about the initiative, Scientists Without Borders have been promoting the type of "viral marketing" that other Web sites have harnessed to create different types of social and professional networks. For example, organizational partners are expanding the database's universe by educating their constituents and contacts about the initiative. At press time, organizational partners included the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, the Earth Institute, the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, the Pasteur Institute, Duke University Health System, the African Centre for Technology Studies, the Sabin Vaccine Institute, Health Sciences Online, SciDevNet, the University of Ghana, INDEPTH Network, Seeding Labs, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, the Science Initiative Group, the Information Training and Outreach Centre for Africa, the International Foundation for Science, the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation, the American Society for Cell Biology, the Partnership for Quality Medical Donations, and Sustainable Sciences Institute.

Reference:
23/05 Guest blog: Harnessing science to foster sustainable improvements in the developing world

Scientists Without BordersSM Web site will be presented during the e-learning International Congress:
Thu. 29/05: Demonstrations

Oluremi A. Omowaiye, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Nigeria
Science Without Borders - the New Single Reference Science Community Portal for Africa-Europe

African Development Bank creates fertilizer subsidy facility

The annual meeting of the governors of the African Development Bank (ADB), held in Maputo on May 14 and 15, approved the creation of an African Fertiliser Facility, that will make fertilizer available to African farmers at affordable prices.

The decision was not unanimous. The chairperson of the ADB Board of Governors, Mozambique's Planning and Development Minister Aiuba Cuereneia, told reporters that the United States was opposed to the fertilizer facility, "but the Board of Directors voted for it."
"We are now seeing international organisations talking about subsidizing agriculture", said Cuereneia. "This used to be taboo, but now it is being accepted. You can't manage agriculture commercially without subsidies."

At a closing press conference, the ADB President, Donald Kaberuka, noted that African agriculture used to suffer from low producer prices, and farmers had little incentive to produce. Now, with the sharp rise in grain prices internationally, there were incentives - but fertilizer prices had also soared.

Reference:

African Development Bank creates fertilizer subsidy facility

Experts discuss at TICAD the importance of boosting the continent’s agricultural production to increase food self-sufficiency and reduce reliance

At the TICAD meeting, experts discussed the importance of boosting the continent’s agricultural production to increase food self-sufficiency and reduce reliance on imported food staples and food aid. Researchers said that while people around the world have been feeling the impact of the soaring prices of key staples like rice and maize, no one has been hurt more than Africans.

Prior to the meeting in Japan, the Chair of the Council of Ministers that has oversight responsibility for the Africa Rice Center signed a declaration commending Japan’s long-term investment in science and technology toward sustainable development in Africa. In particular, the Council noted not only the current investment in high-yielding rice varieties, but also said that Japan has sent hundreds of agricultural scientists to Africa over the last few decades and contributed a total of $593 million to the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) since its inception in 1971.

Reference:
AllAfrica 23/05 Africa: At Time of Food Crisis, New Rice Varieties Boost Rice Production

Japan pledges to help Africa double rice production

YOKOHAMA, Japan — Japan vowed Wednesday 27/05 to use its technological prowess to help African nations double rice production within a decade and ease the burden of soaring food prices.

Fukuda opened the conference by pledging to double aid by 2012 and offering four billion dollars in low-interest loans to develop infrastructure. Amid spiralling food prices that have triggered unrest in some parts of the world, Fukuda also promised to devote Japanese technology to help Africa double rice production over the next 10 years from the current 14 million tonnes.

A symposium hosted by Mrs. Sadako Ogata, the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), was organised Tuesday 27/05 in advance of an African economic summit conference attended by some 100 heads of state of African nations, UN and international organizations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Other members of the symposium included Jakaya Mrisho Kitwete, the President of Tanzania and the current head of the African Union, Joaquim Alberto Chissano, former president of Mozambique and Donald Kaberuka, the President of the African Development Bank. Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz of Columbia University in New York delivered a video message to the symposium.

The panel members debated the current state of Africa's economic situation, the best ways to accelerate economic progress, the delicate balance between government controls and private enterprise and the lessons to be learned from Asia’s so-called economic miracle of recent decades.

References:

AFP 28/05 Japan pledges to help Africa double rice production

Japanese International Cooperation Agency New Initiative to Double Rice Production in Africa +

Africa Begins to See 'Light at the End of the Tunnel' in Fight for Economic Prosperity

World Bank Group, 27/05 Fukuda begins marathon talks with African leaders ahead of TICAD

Related:

World looks to Japan's rice mountain to ease crisis

Tokyo Int'l Conference on African Development (TICAD)

FARA is attending the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) held from May 28 to 30 in Yokohama, Japan.

Hundreds of delegates from all over the world, including over 40 heads of state of African countries are expected to attend the quinqennial event, under the theme "Toward a Vibrant Africa: A continent of Hope and Opportunity."

TICAD is a policy forum for African Development which Japan initiated in 1993 and has led with other co-organizers which consist of the United Nations Office of the Special Advisor on African, the United Nations Development Program and the World Bank. A central feature of TICAD is the cooperation between Asia and Africa.

Since the inauguration in early 1990s, the TICAD meetings have evolved into a major global framework to facilitate the implementation of initiatives for promoting African development under the dual principle of African "ownership" and international "partnership".

The main objectives of TICAD are to promote high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and their partners and to mobilize support for African-owned development initiatives. Summit-level meetings are held every five years, while four ministerial conferences and other meetings have been held in between.

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (2nd L, front), Madagascan President Marc Ravalomanana (L, front) and Gabonese President El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba (3rd L, front) visit the booth of Ghana Shea Butter soap at the African Fair 2008 Opening Ceremony, during the first day of the Fourth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) in Yokohama, Japan, May 28, 2008. (Xinhua Photo/Ren Zhenglai)

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda (C) and guests including Gabonese President Omar Bongo Ondimba(5th L), Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanana(4th R), take a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of African Fair 2008 in Yokohama, near Tokyo oJn May 28, 2008. This five-day fair opened here connected the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). (Xinhua Photo/ Kazuhiro NOGI/Pool)

The conference aims to mobilizes knowledge and resources of the international community in the core areas of boosting economic growth, ensuring human security and addressing environment and climate change issues.

TICAD IV is scheduled to conclude with the adoption of the "Yokohama Declaration", outlining guiding principles and approaches to African development among TICAD stakeholders, as well as the "Yokohama Action Plan and the Yokohama Follow-up Mechanism", laying out a road map for action-oriented initiatives with measurable targets.

Results from TICAD IV are expected to be fed into the G-8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit hosted by Japan from July 7 to 9, 2008.

References:

Xinhua, China 28/05 African leaders expect closer cooperation with Asia

Afrique en ligne, France 28/05 African heads of state flock to Japan for TICAD IV

New report on how climate science could be better used for supporting adaption in African agriculture.

The Stockholm Environment Institute has recently published a policy brief and report (March 2008, 52 p.) on how climate science could be better used for supporting adaption in African agriculture.
The policy brief is available online
The full report is available online



Climate change is expected to place considerable additional stress on the biophysical, economic, political and social systems that determine livelihood security in Africa. Accordingly there is a growing need for “anticipatory adaptation”, in other words, proactive rather than reactive management of climate change risk.

Successful anticipatory adaptation requires the best available information concerning the nature of future climate risks: therefore it is vital that climate science is used more effectively in adaptation decision making.

The report makes following recommendations:

1. Improve access to historical climate data
2. Strengthen skills for applying climate science
3. Bridge the gap between information producers and information users
4. Create ‘platforms’ for collaborative action and information sharing
5. Build on existing organisations and networks
6. Develop records of ‘good’ adaptation
7. Focus aid to better support adaptation

e-Learning Africa 2008 conference

Accra 28-30/2008. More than 1390 delegates from 78 countries are registered so far for the third edition of the eLearning Africa conference. The event will be opened by His Excellency Alhaji Aliu Mahama, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana on Thursday, May 29th. The Opening Plenary will mark the kick-off for two full days of sessions, discussions and debates around ICT-supported education and training in Africa.

315 speakers and chairpersons from 54 countries will offer an abundance of opportunities for participants to learn, share and network with colleagues from all over the world. With 4 plenary sessions, 66 sessions in 11 parallel conference strands, 48 demonstrations and best practice examples, 14 pre-conference events and a number of exciting new features, the event will again be a landmark in pan-African capacity building for ICT-enhanced education and training.

Relevant topics for agricultural research in Africa:

Wed. 28/05: Mainstreaming eLearning for Environment

Thu. 29/05: Mobile Phones Offering a Lifeline to Learners
Patrick Kiirya, Busoga Farmer Network (Bufanet), Uganda & Ignatz Heinz, Avallain AG, Switzerland
Uganda-MarketlnInfon et: ICT-Driven Agricultural Knowledge and Market Information for Small-Scale Farmers

Thu. 29/05: Using Open Source Technologies and Tools in Practice
Kwaku Boadu, Arrow Network Systems Ltd., Ghana
Javelin - Delivering On-line Educational Content in Poor Infrastructure Areas in Africa

Thu. 29/05: ICT for African Mother Tongue Language Education
Lauryn Oates, University of British Columbia, Canada

Thu. 29/05: Repositories, Knowledge Banks and Online Resources
Dr Petr Kosina, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Mexico
Cereal Knowledge Bank – Empowering Research to Reach the Doorstep of the Farmers
He was also in Addis

Thu. 29/05: Unleashing the Capabilities of Universities Through Information and Communication Technologies
Jan Beniest, World Agroforestry, Kenya
Lessons Learned from a Blended Learning Event on ‘Research Induction – Thinking Scientifically’

Thu. 29/05: Demonstrations
Oluremi A. Omowaiye, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Nigeria
Science Without Borders - the New Single Reference Science Community Portal for Africa-Europe

Fri. 30/05 Access Solutions for Rural and Poorly Connected Regions
Ugo Vallauri, Computer Aid International, Kenya
Rural Access to ICT: The Importance of a Low-Power Approach

Fri. 30/05 Libraries as Access Providers to Resources and Expertise
Marga Koelen, International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, The Netherlands
Fri. 30/05 Ongoing Research in the African Technology-Enhanced Learning Sector (Part I)
Wanyenda Leonard Chilimo, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania.
Challenges and Opportunities of eLearning from Learners’ Perspective: Experiences of Graduates of NetTel@Africa eLearning Programme

Fri. 30/05 Putting in Place ICT-Supported Libraries in Africa
Dr Justin Chisenga, Food and Agriculture Organization, Ghana

Fri. 30/05 Best Practice Examples
Prof Virginie Levasseur, Université de Moncton, Campus d'Edmundston, Canada
L'Agroforesterie en Afrique Sub-Saharienne: Principes et Pratiques

Dr Bedilu Habte, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Blended Learning Using Moodle in the Course Design of Concrete Structures

Programme of the eLearning Africa 2008 conference: online.
If you would like to print the conference programme: PDF 260 kB

Women's farmer group create their own e-learning material in Mali

COPROKANZA Project: Zantiébogou Women Shea Butter Producers Cooperative in Mali.

On Wednesday 28th May 2008, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capacity-building expert Mr Ousseni Zongo, presented the benefit of ICT tools for Agricultural E-learning. Mr. Zongo is working with the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) in Holland.

He shared the story of work with grassroot women farmers’ organization in Mali, as an example of the projects IICD is implementing in Africa. With the help of IICD, the 1200 relatively un-educated women have strategized, developed, and implemented a project to share knowledge in their local language about their area of expertise; Shea Butter.

This “COPROKAZAN Project” is based in Zantiébogou, a small village out of Bamako, Mali. Recognizing that practical agricultural production tips can best be shared in their local dialect, these women enhanced a font system to include characters from the Bamanan language and by so doing, not only explored digital photography for the first time, but also created a basic PowerPoint slideshow to communicate the procedures and difficulties of production.

This method is particularly effective because though most of the women farmers in the region are uneducated, they can benefit greatly from peer-mentoring and conferencing using ICT to disseminate agricultural knowledge.Perhaps, local-dialect programs like these can be scaled-up to the Sub-Saharan African Regions, to all of Africa and further to the rest of the world.

Why agricultural e-learning is still marginal?

Ousseni Zongo from the International Institute for Communication and Development (the Hague - the Netherlands) is Coordinator for the ICT Capacity building and supervises a number of e-learning projects in Burkina Faso and Mali.



He shares his thoughts on following questions:

• Why is agricultural e-learning so marginal in the International Conference on e-learning (Accra 28 - 30 / 05 / 2008)?
• What is the advantage of farmers making their own content?
• What is the MULTI MEDIA learning method?
• How is agricultural e-learning linking policy makers, researchers and farmers?
• How powerful is agricultural e-learning for dessiminating innovative agricultural practices?

Evaluation of FAO's information, knowledge sharing and communication activities

A 400 plus pages report (September 2007, 417 p.) of the 'Independent External Evaluation of FAO' was recently made available on the FAO website.

Looking at all aspects of the organization's work, the evaluation team discusses its information, knowledge sharing and communication activities in several places.

The role of FAO as a 'knowledge organization' pervades the report, and provides useful notions for other organizations in this area.

• In paragraph 601, for example, the authors say that FAO’s “principal task is to work to ensure that the world’s knowledge of food and agriculture is available to those who need it when they need it and in a form which they can access and use.”
• Chapter 3 on the ‘Relevance and Effectiveness of the Technical Work of FAO for the 21st Century’ has a substantial section on knowledge management and ensuring the availability of knowledge to users.
• In recommendation 3.6, the evaluation team concludes that the “maintenance and strengthening of information systems is thus fundamental to the performance of the Organization’s role and requires adequate resourcing.” [Comment of IAALD: This is perhaps a lesson for all organizations working in agriculture.]

Reference:
IAALD 12/05 : FAO as a knowledge organization
Note:
The report of the Independent External Evaluation (IEE) of FAO was considered by the FAO Conference in November 2007. An immediate plan of action will be considered by a Special Session of the Conference in the latter part of 2008.

How can software used in e-health in Africa be useful in agriculture?

Jorn Braa of the University of Oslo is the coordinator of the EU-funded (Framework Programme 6 on ICT) BEANISH project: Building Europe Africa collaborative Network for applying IST in the Health care sector.

The objectives are to build Collaborative Networks between countries in Africa and between Africa and Europe on:

• Applying IST (ICT) in health care for improved health services
• Share learning and best practices in Health Information Systems
• Share development and application of Free and Open Source SW
• Capacity building

He explains how the open source software (DATA WAREHOUSE approach) is perfectly adaptable to e-agriculture Africa.

African languages technology offers new opportunities for farmers' queries

Ms. Wanjiku NGANGA of the University of Nairobi believes that the latest developments in speech recognition and African languages technology will bring forth new promissing applications in the use of mobile telephones for agricultural extension services.

Active research groups on those issues need be supported:

• to improve the technological side of database queries in f.i. Kiswahili,
• to research how language technology can mediate the query (for example on diseases which affect a particular crop),
• to have database queries translated from national languages,
• to have an SQL transformation of this,
• to have the system retrieve what the farmer would want
• to translate the text-based query back into Kiswahili
• to have the query played back to the farmer in his language

Ms.Nganga gives the example of banana farmers in Kenya who use an Instant Voice Recognition (IVR) system to ask his question. The system plays back the response in Kiswahili to the farmer.

She recognizes that language technology is very challenging and that a lot of work still needs to be done. Many present applications are SMS based. The language aspect is bringing things a step further: "We can reach farmers regardless of their local expertise in different languages"

She finally elaborates on the present collaboration between the MIT and the UNBI on training for mobile phone programming and how to develop a number of new applications for the mobile phone.