tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14096207085650528492024-02-20T18:23:37.775-08:00Rurality - linking the global and local in rural livingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger322125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-51814305523475036382010-11-19T01:27:00.000-08:002010-11-19T01:33:59.108-08:00Next question pleaseIt's been a long time coming but I do recall posting earlier on the planning stages of this now published study. Using a horizon-scanning approach, leading experts and representatives of major agricultural organizations worldwide have prioritised what they feel are the <a href="http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/earthscan/ijas/2010/00000008/00000004/art00001">100 most important questions for global agriculture</a>. The aim is to use sound scientific evidence to inform decision making and guide policy makers in the future direction of agricultural research priorities and policy support. Much food for thought here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-75458750124417940252010-09-10T01:45:00.000-07:002010-09-10T02:09:17.513-07:00Progress? Whose good news counts?Habitat <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">species</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">loss</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">continues</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-error">as</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">reported</span> in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">an</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-error">article</span> in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">current</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">issue</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <em>Science</em>, <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/329/5997/1272"><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-error">Despite</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Progress</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" class="blsp-spelling-error">Biodiversity</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" class="blsp-spelling-error">Declines</span></a>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" class="blsp-spelling-error">Of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" class="blsp-spelling-error">course</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" class="blsp-spelling-error">this</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" class="blsp-spelling-error">matter</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> grave <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" class="blsp-spelling-error">importance</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" class="blsp-spelling-error">should</span> serve <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" class="blsp-spelling-error">as</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" class="blsp-spelling-error">clarion</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" class="blsp-spelling-error">call</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_27" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" class="blsp-spelling-error">conservationists</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" class="blsp-spelling-error">everywhere</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_30" class="blsp-spelling-error">especially</span> in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" class="blsp-spelling-error">lead</span> up <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" class="blsp-spelling-error">forthcoming</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_34" class="blsp-spelling-error">CBD</span> meeting in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_35" class="blsp-spelling-error">Japan</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_36" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_37" class="blsp-spelling-error">god</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_38" class="blsp-spelling-error">knows</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_39" class="blsp-spelling-error">we</span> do <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_40" class="blsp-spelling-error">need</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_41" class="blsp-spelling-error">examples</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_42" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_43" class="blsp-spelling-error">cases</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_44" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_45" class="blsp-spelling-error">progress</span>. <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_46" class="blsp-spelling-error">But</span> <em>Science</em> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_47" class="blsp-spelling-error">might</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_48" class="blsp-spelling-error">want</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_49" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_50" class="blsp-spelling-error">take</span> time <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_51" class="blsp-spelling-error">and</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_52" class="blsp-spelling-error">ask</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_53" class="blsp-spelling-error">few</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_54" class="blsp-spelling-error">of</span> the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_55" class="blsp-spelling-error">expelled</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_56" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chagos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_57" class="blsp-spelling-error">Islanders</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_58" class="blsp-spelling-error">whether</span> the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_59" class="blsp-spelling-error">fact</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_60" class="blsp-spelling-error">that</span> "in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_61" class="blsp-spelling-error">May</span>, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_62" class="blsp-spelling-error">United</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_63" class="blsp-spelling-error">Kingdom</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_64" class="blsp-spelling-error">designated</span> the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_65" class="blsp-spelling-error">Chagos</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_66" class="blsp-spelling-error">Archipelago</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_67" class="blsp-spelling-error">as</span> the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_68" class="blsp-spelling-error">largest</span> marine <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_69" class="blsp-spelling-error">reserve</span> in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_70" class="blsp-spelling-error">world</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_71" class="blsp-spelling-error">setting</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_72" class="blsp-spelling-error">aside</span> 544,000 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_73" class="blsp-spelling-error">square</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_74" class="blsp-spelling-error">kilometers</span>" <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_75" class="blsp-spelling-error">is</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_76" class="blsp-spelling-error">actually</span> the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_77" class="blsp-spelling-error">good</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_78" class="blsp-spelling-error">news</span> it purports to be. <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=stealing+a+nation&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&rlz=#q=stealing+a+nation&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&prmd=iv&source=univ&tbs=vid:1&tbo=u&ei=-vOJTKllyaw4yfaIzwo&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCMQqwQwAA&fp=e58c26fa10861af6">I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_80" class="blsp-spelling-error">am</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_81" class="blsp-spelling-error">sure</span> a <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_82" class="blsp-spelling-error">few</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_83" class="blsp-spelling-error">will</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_84" class="blsp-spelling-error">beg</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_85" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_86" class="blsp-spelling-error">differ</span></a> on the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_87" class="blsp-spelling-error">fact</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_88" class="blsp-spelling-error">they</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_89" class="blsp-spelling-error">now</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_90" class="blsp-spelling-error">have</span> the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_91" class="blsp-spelling-error">world</span>'s <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_92" class="blsp-spelling-error">largest</span> marine <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_93" class="blsp-spelling-error">reserve</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_94" class="blsp-spelling-error">to</span> go <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_95" class="blsp-spelling-error">with</span> the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_96" class="blsp-spelling-error">world</span>'s <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_97" class="blsp-spelling-error">largest</span> <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_98" class="blsp-spelling-error">military</span> base.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-3777822228068564502010-09-02T03:07:00.000-07:002010-09-02T03:14:49.357-07:00The Malthus MonstersI am continually irked when I visit the Times online with its constant prompts for subscription on every news item clicked. This is nothing compared to the feelings I had about the grossly crass and unsavoury musings of Matthew Parris on rural dwellers in his article "If you want to save the planet stop breeding" in Saturday's edition of the Times. Unfortunately I can't link to the story itself because of the pay wall hassles but Robin Smith has taken him to task on his blog, <a href="http://gco2e.blogspot.com/2010/08/most-stupid-person-fo-week-matthew.html">Real Reform</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-38587684833511160642010-09-01T00:04:00.000-07:002010-09-01T00:08:30.157-07:00Healthy Parks, Healthy PeopleFollowing the successful inaugural Healthy Parks Healthy People (HPHP) congress in April hosted by Parks Victoria in Melbourne, Australia this initiative, focussed on the health benefits of contact with nature is continuing to expand. A new website, HPHP central, is to be launched in September and the HPHP Global team welcomes your contributions such as articles, research papers, case studies or tips on how to adopt the Healthy Parks Healthy People philosophy into your organisation. Please send contributions to <a href="mailto:contribute@hphpcentral.com">contribute@hphpcentral.com</a>. The Proceedings from the HPHP congress are now <a href="http://www.healthyparkshealthypeoplecongress.org/proceedings">available</a>. More than 70 videos from the conference have been posted on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/hphpcongress">YouTube</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-1077349414711652402010-08-31T23:57:00.000-07:002010-09-01T00:00:05.532-07:00Bringing agriculture and health back togetherHere we go, the solution to our agriculture, health and nutrition problems. <a href="http://www.scidev.net/en/opinions/bringing-agriculture-and-health-back-together.html">Bringing agriculture and health back together</a>! When exactly were they together to begin with? But a solution is on hand and coming to a corner shop near you soon, courtesy of the LCIRAH and the CGIAR. Somehow I don't think so. The shortcomings of "fragmented development landscapes, language barriers and silos" have been with us so long now. Other sectors have tried to address the same issues without little success. These disconnects are really ingrained and systemic and I have no idea how we might extricate ourselves from such ways of thinking and working. That's not to say there are individuals and organisations working not working actively in these areas. There is much great work going on in terms of organisational learning but sadly much of it is marginalised and far from mainstream when considering these types of problems and issues. Maybe others know what the solution might be. If you have any ideas maybe you can visit the SciDev website and this article and make your views known. Others already have and hurray to Tom Hennessy for his plug on local and indigenous foods.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-58955508216046800972010-08-17T18:24:00.000-07:002010-08-17T18:27:34.173-07:00Where would you like to see more agricultural funding directed<a href="http://blogs.worldwatch.org/nourishingtheplanet/part-1-where-would-you-like-to-see-more-agricultural-funding-directed/">Nourishing the Planet </a>blog has an interesting discussion going on the above topic. Some of you may have come across the discussion already, it has been linked to by our friends over at the Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog putting forward the case for a significant role for ABD.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-24836049926692123602010-02-10T00:49:00.000-08:002010-02-10T01:15:17.387-08:00Robbing hoodsRichard Curtis and Bill Nighy have teamed up in a new film urging the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/09/tobin-tax-nighy-curtis-film">Tobin tax </a>on bankers. About time, Bill Nighy could sell me a rubber hammer and glass nails any day of the week, even a long wait. Go on spread the link.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-69342116377204020332010-01-01T15:54:00.000-08:002010-01-01T16:00:42.285-08:00Opportunities for family farmingEarlier I posted on ILEIA's The Future of Family Farming conference. You can find a brief report of the conference <a href="http://familyfarming.typepad.com/leisas_farm/2009/12/family-farming-new-opportunities-for-agriculture.html">here</a>, with more to follow. ILEIA have also announced their new publication, <a href="http://familyfarming.typepad.com/leisas_farm/2009/12/ileia-launches-new-look-magazine-farming-matters.html">Farming Matters</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-60563724512185617802009-12-16T04:44:00.000-08:002009-12-16T04:54:01.848-08:00On the frontline: community based adaptation to climate change<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DfcB7b0htZ8/SyjYOmM1tPI/AAAAAAAAAfc/oIq5b4hlKGU/s1600-h/PLA.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 128px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 181px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415816297197188338" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DfcB7b0htZ8/SyjYOmM1tPI/AAAAAAAAAfc/oIq5b4hlKGU/s320/PLA.jpg" /></a><br /><div>The people at IIED who are responsible for Participatory Learning and Action have just brought out a timely issue on <a href="http://www.iied.org/pubs/display.php?o=14573IIED">Community-based adaptation to climate change </a>and there are a number of excellent articles related to agriculture and climate change. I haven't had time to read it all but the article by Stepen Sherwood and Jeffrey Bentley descibing a process through katalysis (an extension of the farmer field school approach) to assist farmers learn about and adapt to climate change is particularly interesting. There is much more. I wonder how many of these stories got told at COP15. Excellent publication with lots of ideas.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-8469281629035039412009-12-16T00:16:00.000-08:002009-12-21T03:55:37.498-08:00Good COP, bad COP?<div>With 30,000 people applying for accreditation, and an estimated 5,000 media, global meetings finally reached 'stadium rock' proportions and most likely took on the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jul/10/u2-world-tour-carbon-footprint">carbon footprint of a U2 tour</a>. However, given the miserable outcomes there will be few calls for an encore, although the long and winding road will go on for sometime to come.<br /><br />It certainly didn't go well for agriculture and the small farmers of this world. Of course, there was the <a href="http://www.agricultureday.org/">Agriculture and Rural Development Day </a>at the COP15 and the joint statement <a href="http://www.agricultureday.org/ARDD_Joint-Statement.pdf">Beyond Copenhagen: Agriculture and Forestry Are Part of the Solution </a>calling for among other things climate negotiators to agree on the early establishment of an agricultural work program under the SBSTA. No idea where or how that ended up. I expect it got abandoned in the hair-splitting and horse trading, the sport of politicians. Here is what the folks over at <a href="http://agro.biodiver.se/2009/12/where-is-agriculture/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AgriculturalBiodiversityWeblog+%28Agricultural+Biodiversity+Weblog%29">Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog </a>had to say, including Cary Fowler of the Global Crop Diversity Trust.</div><div> </div><br />While hundreds of activists demonstrated to ‘<a href="http://www.viacampesina.org/main_en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=843&Itemid=75">change the food system, not the climate’</a>, the Ecologist suggests that <a href="http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/381184/copenhagen_could_lead_to_increase_in_intensive_farming.html">Copenhagen could lead to increase in intensive farming</a>. The Ecologist goes on to discuss the implications of <a href="http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/other_comments/376739/agriculture_copenhagens_blind_spot.html">missing out on agriculture </a>as part of the deal and why <a href="http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/381883/copenhagen_peasant_farmers_can_save_the_planet.html">small-scale farmers </a>should be part of this. The LEISA's Farm blog did a nice job of navigating through the <a href="http://familyfarming.typepad.com/leisas_farm/2009/12/copenhagen-finding-your-way-through-the-megabytes-of-text.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2F1227623754s1344%2Fleisas_farm+%28LEISA%27s+Farm%29">'megabytes of text' </a>to highlight the relevant issues and organisations campaigning for agriculture at COP15. There was also useful coverage of agriculture and climate change over at the <a href="http://www.agrobiodiversityplatform.org/blog/">Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research</a>. While not commenting specifically on outcomes of agriculture and COP15, USC Canada also did a nice job of consolidating some useful resources on <a href="http://usc-canada.org/2009/12/11/food-farming-and-climate-change/">food, farming and climate change</a>. While the CGIAR's <a href="http://cgiarclimatechange.wordpress.com/">Rural Climate Exchange </a> provided an up-to-date thread of issues and debates.<br /><div><br />Personally I was disappointed that someone like Paul Collier was able to get up at an IIED funded event (<a href="http://www.iisd.ca/climate/cop15/dcd/">Development and Climate Day</a>) and call for <a href="http://www.iisd.ca/download/pdf/sd/ymbvol99num6e.pdf">GMOs as a solution for climate change </a>impacts to agriculture in Africa while Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made one of the best statements of the week, "If the climate was a bank, a capitalist bank, [the West] would have saved it by now."<br /><br />While all the bickering was going on it as been business as usual for thousands of communities the world over on the <a href="http://rurality-danh.blogspot.com/2009/12/in-frontline-community-based-adaptation.html">frontline of climate change </a>on a daily basis, because they certainly can't wait for the <a href="http://rurality-danh.blogspot.com/2009/12/commentary-on-international-agriculture.html">international circus </a>to come to their aid. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-13853340689462606442009-12-15T07:24:00.000-08:002009-12-15T07:28:30.901-08:00The Future of Family FarmingPeople are gathering from all over today for LEISA's <a href="http://www.foffdebate.org/">Jubilee </a>conference in the Hague. More than 200 participants have registered to join the conference. Full updates will be posted on the <a href="http://familyfarming.typepad.com/leisas_farm/">LEISA Farm blog </a>in the coming days so be sure to visit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-42975253923730327542009-12-15T03:55:00.000-08:002009-12-15T06:06:01.610-08:00The answer is out there, Neo, and it's looking for you<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DfcB7b0htZ8/SyeRRJ-s-xI/AAAAAAAAAfU/JgwFPHkfRY8/s1600-h/NaturesMatrix.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415456800859028242" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DfcB7b0htZ8/SyeRRJ-s-xI/AAAAAAAAAfU/JgwFPHkfRY8/s320/NaturesMatrix.jpg" /></a><br /><div>One of the more interesting books I came across in 2009 was <a href="http://www.earthscan.co.uk/?tabid=55505">Nature's Matrix </a>by Ivette Perfecto, John Vandermeer and Angus Wright. The book makes a strong case for working with small farmers and social movements to strengthen the quality of the agricultural matrix that surround the increasing fragments of natural habitat, an argument that eloquently counters the traditional conservationist agenda which often views agriculture as harmful and farmers and local communities to be excluded at all cost. In the words of the Earthscan website blurp,<br /><br /><blockquote>Landscapes are frequently seen as fragments of natural habitat surrounded<br />by a 'sea' of agriculture. But recent ecological theory shows that the nature of<br />these fragments is not nearly as important for conservation as is the nature of<br />the matrix of agriculture that surrounds them. Local extinctions from<br />conservation fragments are inevitable and must be balanced by migrations if<br />massive extinction is to be avoided. High migration rates only occur in what the<br />authors refer to as 'high quality' matrices, which are created by alternative<br />agroecological techniques, as opposed to the industrial monocultural model of<br />agriculture. The authors outline new knowledge about the science of ecology, current<br />debates about agriculture (and biodiversity especially in the tropics) and the<br />role of new and powerful rural social movements such as <a href="http://viacampesina.org/main_en/">Via Campesina </a>and these<br />general tendencies can come together to give us a new paradigm for<br />biodiversity conservation.<br /></blockquote>This might be a new paradigm for conservationists but I think there are many in the agriculture and agrobiodiversity community who have been saying for sometime now that the 'quality' of the agricultural matrix, and those who look after it, are a sustainable solution to biodiversity conservation and the bridging or linking of managed and natural landscapes. Let's hope the traditional conservation sector sits up and takes notice. Don't hold your breath! Having said that the book certainly adds weight to the case for biodiverse agro-ecosystems and there are many opportunities here for the agrobiodiversity community to add susbstantial case studies to complement the somewhat limited examples that appear in this book.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-72626987201385624572009-12-14T09:38:00.000-08:002009-12-15T06:16:48.342-08:00Feed the world, Bob and Bono need not applyThere has been a spate of articles in the popular press recently about <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427353.500-four-ways-to-feed-the-world.html">ways </a>and <a href="http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14915144">means </a>to feed the world but I recently came across a series of articles in the <a href="http://www.monthlyreview.org/index.php">Monthly Review </a>which I think provide a much better narrative, and all downloadable for free. They are:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.monthlyreview.org/091123pretty.php">Can ecological agriculture feed nine billion people?</a> by Jules Pretty<br /><br /><a href="http://www.monthlyreview.org/090831holt-gimenez.php">From food crisis to food sovereignty </a>by Eric Holt-Gimenez<br /><br /><a href="http://www.monthlyreview.org/090810altieri.php">Agroecology, small farms, and food sovereignty </a>by Miguel Altieri<br /><br /><a href="http://www.monthlyreview.org/090817rosset.php">Fixing our global food system</a> by Peter Rosset<br /><br />Some of the above articles are part of a special issue the magazine ran on <a href="http://www.monthlyreview.org/julaug2009.php">agriculture and the food crisis </a>in July/August 2009 which is worth checking out. Nice magazine, why not subscribe and support their good work.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-46674640633072937532009-12-10T04:34:00.000-08:002009-12-15T06:27:09.841-08:00A commentary on international agricultureUma Lele reviews John Shaw's recent book Global Food and Agricultural Institutions and among her conclusions has this to say,<br /><br /><blockquote><blockquote><p>The institutions Shaw reviews includes multi-lateral organisations such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Bank, the World Food<br />Programme, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. His book does not include bi-lateral organisations such as USAID, US Foundations and Land Grant Universities. Despite a largely common membership there is a lack of coordination among the organisations he reviews.<br /><br />Can true and effective global cooperation in food and agriculture materialise? Uma Lele argues that the challenges are great and the topic is complex and mired in the larger issues of the aid architecture. This reality has three dimensions, only one of which is mentioned in the book:<br /><br />1. Vast changes in the international aid architecture in the Post World War II period, particularly in the last 15 years, combined with a decline in long term assistance to food and agriculture, imbalanced allocation withinand across sectors, misallocation, and decline of capacity of bilateral aid agencies concomitant with increased bilateralisation of multilateral aid.<br /><br />2. Growth in the number of international organisations and programmes, mission creep in the mandates, and changing legitimacy of traditional international organisations with overlaps, gaps, competition as well as cooperation in the ever growing galaxy of aid agencies and programmes, and,<br /><br />3. The dynamics between and among developed and developing countries influencing global policy and strategy.<br /><br />Realistically speaking developing countries cannot wait for the international organisations to get their act together, or to be led by them, she concludes.</p><p><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><p></p><blockquote></blockquote><p>Read more <a href="http://www.ids.ac.uk/go/news/food-agriculture-development-and-the-role-of-international-institutions">here</a>.</p></blockquote></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-35396773920017339582009-12-09T08:30:00.000-08:002009-12-09T08:35:28.047-08:00Why we left our farms to come to Copenhagen"Tonight is a very special night for us to get together here for the opening of the assembly of the social movements and civil society at the Klimaforum. We, the international peasant movement La Via Campesina, are coming to Copenhagen from all five corners of the world, leaving our farmland, our animals, our forest, and also our families in the hamlets and villages to join you all." Read <a href="http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/2682">more</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-25900277146345579912009-12-07T03:34:00.000-08:002009-12-07T03:40:30.020-08:00Agriculture and CopenhagenCOP15 at Copenhagen gets underway today and agriculture issues will take centre stage on 12 December at the <a href="http://www.agricultureday.org/">Agriculture and Rural Development Day</a>. There is also a possibility of a programme of work on agriculture emerging.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.donorplatform.org/content/view/349/271">ODI</a> highlights that transitions to more sustainable agriculture will mean taking action to: use existing resources more economically; farm more flexibly and ‘resiliently’; switch to conservation approaches to farming from current approaches that degrade resources, and, shift nutritional habits of society’s wealthy populations away from highly resource-intensive diets.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-80945490419786462592009-12-03T04:55:00.000-08:002009-12-07T02:57:32.510-08:00This land is my landThe people over at GRAIN have posted two new presentations worth a look.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.grain.org/o/?id=90">Land Grabbing and the global food crisis </a>and <a href="http://www.grain.org/o/?id=93">Small farmers can cool the planet</a><br /><br />And this is what <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/02/copenhagen-climate-change-james-hansen">James Hansen </a>has to say about COP15 Copenhagen. I rather liked what he had to say about cap and trade.<br /><br />"This is analagous to the indulgences that the Catholic church sold in the middle ages. The bishops collected lots of money and the sinners got redemption. Both parties liked that arrangement despite its absurdity. That is exactly what's happening,"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-51538921180759995302009-12-03T02:37:00.000-08:002009-12-15T06:18:19.133-08:00Brains to burnForeign Policy has just published it's list of <a href="http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/11/30/the_fp_top_100_global_thinkers">Top 100 Global Thinkers</a>. I can count the number I would agree with on one hand, well maybe two hands if I'm pushed. I suggest those on the the list who hold dear the neoliberal consensus which has contributed to many of our current global problems, including the recent food crisis and riots and a situation where probably close to half the human race suffer either perpetual hunger and malnourishment or some form of food insecurity, be replaced with the likes of Jules Pretty, Miguel Altieri, Robert Chambers, M.S. Swaminathan, Peter Rosset, Eric Holt-Gimenez, Nils Roling, Gary Nabhan, Pat Mooney to name a few. What's the chances of that?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-37330369088461908762009-05-21T22:52:00.000-07:002009-05-21T23:10:45.979-07:00Biodiversity dayIt is the International Day for Biological Diversity and Ireland has <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0521/1224247033213.html">launched </a>a <a href="http://www.biodiversityireland.ie/">National Biodiversity Mapping System </a>which has been developed by the National Biodiversity Data Centre as a tool for the geographic presentation of observational data on Ireland's biological data. The database currently contains over 400,000 records of 3,721 species.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-9647157511193205142009-05-14T04:45:00.000-07:002009-05-14T04:57:14.137-07:00Taming the wildThere have been many articles describing the increase in foraging for wild plants as a result of the economic downturn. Now a new type of wild entrepreneur is emerging with some top restaurants and chefs paying around 50 pounds a kilo for the likes of wood sorrel. The <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/27/wild-food-foraging-reforesting-scotland">Forestry Commission in Scotland </a>estimate the annual value of wild foraging to be in the ball park area of 21 million pounds and are concerned that it might start to get out of hand. They have launched a campaign to promote a code of practice for foragers as a first step to address this.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-41650215552213421842009-05-11T23:27:00.000-07:002009-05-12T03:48:50.708-07:00Plant it again SamPlans are underway for <a href="http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=16410&channel=0&title=Woodland+regeneration+project+for+N+Ireland">reforestation with native trees </a>in selected areas up north, and Environment Minister Wilson (our very own climate change denier) was called in to plant the very first tree. Celebrities must be taking their summer holidays early. The first replanting will take place close to Derry.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-2812800386651453132009-05-04T08:21:00.000-07:002009-05-05T04:37:39.201-07:00Over-consumers, and unfortunately over here!<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/15/consumption-versus-population-environmental-impact">Over-consumption</a>. Two sides of the same coin. We ought to treat them like <a href="http://familyfarming.typepad.com/leisas_farm/2009/05/eu-farm-aid-to-royals-and-multinationals.html">royalty</a>.<br /><br />Later...and that man who wishes to charge one euro everytime we goo to the loo in mid-air is milking the <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/ireland/article6211668.ece">CAP subsidy scheme</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-9811886248466024612009-04-29T06:43:00.000-07:002009-04-29T06:45:16.500-07:00Happening ThangThe <a href="http://www.realfoodfestival.co.uk/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/">Real Food Festival </a>is happening again at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre from 8-10 May.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-67575952702259579322009-04-27T01:19:00.000-07:002009-04-27T01:29:18.025-07:00Where have all the butterflies gone?Asks <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/27/butterfly-decline-conservation-endangered-species">Patrick Barkham </a>in today's Guardian. I was asking myself the exact same question yesterday morning on a stroll through the Parco Appia Antica. I saw two in a massive park brimming with spring flowers. What I did see a bit more of was somewild plant <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/27/wild-food-foraging-reforesting-scotland">foraging</a> by a more common species.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1409620708565052849.post-62329487141684211602009-04-24T01:20:00.000-07:002009-04-27T07:22:57.142-07:00Orchard erosion<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8015045.stm">Sixty percent of England's traditional orchards </a>have disappeared since the 1950s according to the National Trust with many rare varieties of fruit - some unique to localities - under threat. I am sure it is much the same story in Ireland. All the more reason for initiatives like the <a href="http://rurality-danh.blogspot.com/2009/04/apple-day-to-keep-climate-at-bay.html">400 Fruit Trees Project</a>. For more on apple diversity and apples in Ireland read <a href="http://rurality-danh.blogspot.com/search?q=apples">here</a>.<br /><br />Few days later....more on the vanishing orchards from the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/24/traditional-orchards-biodiversity">Guardian</a>, along with some interesting links.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0