Plant Health Rallies to help control West Indian fruit fly in Grenada
Two Plant Health Rallies have recently been held in Grenada to raise awareness of the West Indian Fruit fly and promote the control of this pest using fruit fly bait stations. The rallies, which were organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, were aimed at local farmers with the…
Plantwise in Pakistan and its opportunities to share knowledge
In June 2014, Dr Aamir H Malik, CABI Country Coordinator for Pakistan, Cambria Finegold, Head of Project Development for the Plantwise Knowledge Bank and Julien Lamontagne-Godwin, Plantwise scientific officer, organised a workshop in Islamabad that united major stakeholders in the Pakistani plant health system. These included the departments of Extension and Adaptive Research, Pest…
Plantwise in Suriname
Blog post by Shamela Rambadan and Abigail Rumsey In May last year, discussions began with the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (LVV) to start up a Plantwise programme in Suriname. By December, 22 plant doctors had completed Module 1 of the Plantwise ‘How to Become a Plant Doctor’ training course. In January 2014,…
The world’s last meal- what does a homogenous global diet mean for food security?
You’d think, from the vast variety of international cuisines that line our high streets and supermarket shelves, that globalisation was widening the global palate. Recent evidence suggests it’s just not the case. As the global diet narrows, concerns are growing for the world’s food security and the ecological implications of setting up a ‘global monoculture’. A recent PNAS study found that…
Tackling food insecurity with mobile technologies
It is important for farmers in developing countries to have access to the best agricultural information available to prevent crop losses and boost food security and wider livelihoods. Under the Plantwise programme, CABI helps local governments and extension workers set up plant clinics where farmers can come for unbiased and practical agricultural advice helping them to “lose less and…
Finding ‘a way forward’ at Sri Lanka’s national Plantwise forum
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC_iGco5z-E&w=560&h=315] Over 60 stakeholders from Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector came together in the hilltops over Kandy in Sri Lanka recently to exchange experiences and discover strategies for implementing the Plantwise model on the ground. Video also available on Vimeo here. Coming from extension, research, private enterprise, academia and policy-making, attendees at this national forum…
Direct2Farm reaches 4 million farmers in India
The Direct2Farm (D2F) project, run by CABI, provides mobile information services to farmers in India. Two D2F initiatives in India that use voice-based systems to communicate with farmers, mKisan and IKSL, have now cumulatively reached over 4 million farmers. The use of mobile technology allows extension messages to reach isolated communities that have few means…
Plantwise 2013 Highlights
As we move into the New Year and all that 2014 has to offer it seems like a good time to review some of the achievements of 2013. Here are a few of the Plantwise highlights of 2013!
Plant health system developing well in Zambia
Since the launch of Plantwise in Zambia last year, much progress has been made to build capacity within the national plant health system. In collaboration with the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), CABI staff have successfully trained crop officers and extension staff from the Department of Agriculture, ZARI, and Self Help Africa on ‘how to…
Good news for Ghana’s plant health promoted this National Farmers’ Day
National Farmers’ Day is a day set aside to commemorate the contributions of farmers and fishermen to the national development of Ghana. Combined, these industries account for over 45% of the country’s annual GDP. At this year’s official Farmers’ Day ceremony at Sogakope in the Volta region, Plantwise and partners will take the opportunity to…