Mexico eradicates Mediterranean fruit fly
Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fishing and Food (SAGARPA) has declared the country free of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, in a development that is expected to ease trade restrictions and boost the produce industry. The declaration will positively impact on 1.8 million hectares of growing land for some key agricultural crops –…
Behind the scenes of Plantwise plant clinics in Uganda
PhD student, Andrew Tock, of the Warwick Crop Centre, has spent three months monitoring Plantwise plant clinic success in Uganda as part of a BBSRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership. During this time, he kept a research diary (video above), describing his experiences in Uganda and the day-to-day work of plant doctors in the field. To read…
The 2014 Global Hunger Index and how Plantwise countries are faring
The 2014 Global Hunger Index, now available from the International Food Policy Research Institute, Welthungerhilfe, and Concern Worldwide, shows a steady decrease in hunger in most developing countries.
Backstopping visit to Bangkok, Thailand
As the last part of our data management trip, Claire and I headed to Bangkok for the 11th and 12th of September. We joined a group of plant doctors and farmers at the plant clinic/rally in Nong Kung village, Suppaya district, Chainat province. We saw a demonstration on biocontrol, looked through pamphlets and information available to…
Data management training in Phnom Penh, Cambodia – looking back on a successful trip!
In the first week of September, 2014, Claire Beverley and I went to Cambodia for three days to run data management training and a cluster meeting, along with our colleague Jeremy Ngim from the CABI Malaysia office. The presentations were given in English and translated into Khmer, which was a neat experience for all. We got…
Elaborando recomendaciones sobre plagas en Costa Rica
English summary follows Costa Rica es uno de los Ăşltimos paĂses que se agregĂł en la metodologĂa de Plantwise. Del 10 al 12 de setiembre 2014, se realizĂł en San JosĂ© un taller para la elaboraciĂłn de GuĂas de manejo de plagas que se llaman “Listas Verde y Amarilla”. Los participantes eran expertos en entomologĂa,…
Update: Plant Health News (30 Jul 14)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the effects of typhoons in Taiwan and China, a new strategy for almond irrigation in California and a crackdown on fake seed sellers in Kenya. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
Managing plant pathogens by enhancing ecosystem services
From the 8th-12th April experts met in Bellagio, Italy to develop a strategy to mitigate the effects emerging plant diseases are having on crops in sub-Saharan Africa. Among these experts were Plantwise staff. A major theme throughout the conference was ecosystem services and how agricultural biodiversity can enhance the provision of these services, creating resilient agro-ecosystems. Click on the…
Invest in prevention: save money, save lives, save livelihoods [Video]
This video from the Food Chain Crisis Management Framework of FAO shows how investing in prevention of pests and diseases before they are present in a region can save money and livelihoods in the long term.
Marginalised issues in food security: Oxford Food Security Forum 2014
A blog by Léna Durocher-Granger and Rachel Hill On 4th May we attended the Oxford Food Security Forum’s Annual Conference. The conference aimed to address some of the topics in food security research that have become excluded or marginalised.