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…
Plant Health Rallies: Giving Rwandan agronomists the tools to inform the public
In November 2013, three members of the CABI Plantwise team (Dr Noah Phiri and Peter Karanja of the Nairobi office, and Julien Lamontagne-Godwin of the UK office) visited Musanze in the Northern zone of Rwanda. 12 participants from the Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB) were trained in techniques to inform the surrounding rural communities on serious…
The Rotterdam Convention: safeguarding human and environmental health from hazardous chemicals and pesticides
Contributed by Melanie Bateman CABI, Switzerland This year marks the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Rotterdam Convention, which aims to: Promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm; Contribute to the environmentally sound use…
2014: The International Year of Family Farming
Plantwise welcomes a new year with a renewed focus: ‘The International Year of Family Farming’ has begun. The UN General Assembly declared 2014 as the official year to draw attention to policy and practices which support livelihoods of smallholder farmers worldwide. That means this year is dedicated to the 2 billion+ people who depend on…
Plantwise Malawi Officially Launched
Contributed by Roger Day and Noah Phiri, CABI in Africa [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dApT6tvehT4&w=560&h=315] Top national agricultural officials and CABI representatives gathered in Malawi recently to officially kick-off Plantwise operations, marking a new chapter for plant health development in the country. With one small snip, Dr Wilfred Lipita cut the ribbon to officially launch the programme. Dr Lipita…
CABI takes home NEF Award for Innovation with Plantwise
INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS, LONDON- On Thursday 5 December, CABI received an Innovation Award at the 10th annual National Engineering Foundation (NEF) Innovisions Conference, in recognition for its landmark global food security programme, Plantwise. Hosted by NEF and presenters from the BBC, the Innovation Awards were established to celebrate ‘game-changers’ proven to be the very best…
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…
CABI and IPPC Technical Working Group meets in Rome
This past week, the Technical Working Group (TWG) between the IPPC Secretariat and CABI, including its Plantwise programme, met at FAO Headquarters in Rome to review the progress made since they convened last January to identify the areas of common interest and possible joint activities in the future. Given the different but complementary nature of…
See Xanthomonas bacteria infecting a tomato plant [Video]
If you’ve ever wondered what exactly happens when a disease infects a plant, watch this video. This detailed animation shows Xanthomonas bacteria infecting a tomato plant, causing bacterial spot disease. For more information about Xanthomonas in plants, and how to control it, visit the Plantwise Knowledge Bank.
Three little locusts
These little chaps might be small but can cause incredible harm to crops. Take a look at what CABI and Plantwise are doing to protect farmer’s livelihoods. www.Plantwise.org