Giving thanks and lending support for bountiful harvests and good health
Contributed by Melanie Bateman Today, families in the US gather around the table for Thanksgiving, a national holiday to celebrate the harvest and to give thanks in general for all of life’s bounties. The United States is not unique in this custom; many other countries celebrate harvests and mark particular days as occasions for reflection…
EU Evaluation finds Plantwise ‘highly relevant and timely’
“The Plantwise programme is a highly relevant and timely initiative considering the high percentage of crops lost to pest and disease problems, the impact these problems have on especially small farmer livelihoods, and the probability that in the future plant health problems will be enhanced by climate change and globalization.” Download and read the Final…
Assessing risks to make informed decisions for safeguarding the health of humans, animals and plants
Contributed by Melanie Bateman, Integrated Crop Management Adviser, CABI Switzerland For the first time since 2000, the World Trade Organisation hosted an international workshop on developments in pest risk analysis (PRA) in October 2014. The previous workshop was held only four years after the signing of the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement).…
Science and technology at the heart of agricultural development
Reposted from devcooperation.org in celebration of World Science Day By Dr Dyno (J.D.H.) Keatinge, AIRCA Chair and Director General of AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center, and Dr Trevor Nicholls, AIRCA Steering Committee Member and CEO of CABI Science may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of development but…
Plantwise knowledge bank wins Open Data Award for Social Impact
On 4 November, the CABI-led Plantwise programme was announced as the winner of the Open Data Award for Social Impact. This is the latest accolade for this innovative open access platform for knowledge to help farmers lose less of what they grow to crop pests and diseases. Plantwise knowledge bank Global Director Shaun Hobbs accepted…
Combatting the “black spot” on citrus production in Ghana
Contributed by Melanie Bateman, Integrated Crop Management Adviser, CABI in Switzerland Not long ago, farmers in the Ashanti region of Ghana had seen citrus as a potential money-maker but now many are now giving up in despair as pathogens such as citrus angular leaf spot (Pseudocercospora angolensis) and citrus black spot (Guignarida citricarpa) diminish yields…
Pesticides-L mailing list: creating a global conversation on pesticides issues
Written by Melanie Bateman, Integrated Crop Management Adviser, CABI Switzerland As has been mentioned before in this blog, there are a staggering number of chemicals in the world – estimates go as high as 2 million different preparations for sale. This is a lot for regulators in any given country to assess and monitor for…
Next week: Join us for Agricultural Communications drinks in London
Now launching a monthly series of meet-ups in London to bring together cross-sectoral communications professionals interested in issues related to agriculture, food security and nutrition. All those working for non-profits, government institutions, private corporations, start-ups, and academia are welcome. Read news from the recent Global Hunger Index launch and find out more details about this…
Seeking help for her amaranthus crop in India, Sarathambal finds a local plant clinic
A Plantwise experience from Tamil Nadu. Writing and reporting by Kavya Dashora, CABI India 50-year-old Sarathambal lives with her husband and son, in Pooncheri village near Iluppakkorai, in Thanjavur district. The family engages in diversified cropping systems in their 2 acre land, to expand the source of subsistence and income, to increase yield, and to…
Checking in on the MDGs: how have we scored so far?
Established in 2000 by the UN, the eight Millennium Development Goals provide a priority blueprint for ending poverty and meeting the needs of the world’s poorest- and they will hit their deadline in a little over a year’s time. The two questions which are on the minds of many policy leaders and international development institutions:…