I like competitions. I thinks prizes spur people. I also think they need to be widely promulgated. Which is why I’m a little ashamed that I didn’t even know that the World Bank’s annual jamboree for low cost solutions for agricultural development is practically over. There’s good money at stake: 100 finalists are hoping to be one of the lucky 25 who will share a $4 million pot. Winners will be announced tomorrow, Friday, and the World Bank’s web site promises a live webcast from 9.30 to 11.00 EDT. 1 Meanwhile, there are loads of video interviews with some of the hopeful aspirants, but because they are Mac unfriendly I’m unable to watch and share my opinions. No matter; maybe some of you would care to predict whether Use of Ancient Legume in Novel Food Products is a worthier project than Turning Prisoners into Farmers.
Nibbles: Banananomy, El Tratado Internacional, Water, Quinoa, Bananamama, Rice, Goats
- Wilson Wong raves about banana name book. We say: “Banana? Plantain? What’s the difference?”
- ¿Hablas español? ¿Quieres aprender sobre el Tratado Internacional? Sigue este link.
- Nice take on food shortages; realistic water pricing will cut waste.
- (North) American farmer loves quinoa.
- Africa’s “banana mama” tells Linda Nordling how winning the YARA prize has been the fulfilment of a lifelong goal.
- IRRI receives $500,000 handout; wonder what the true cost to the donor was.
- “Let’s extensively raise goats in all families.”
A puzzle of African farming
I’m puzzled by a report on SciDev.net about last week’s 3rd African Green Revolution Conference in Norway. Two speakers told the conference that although new technologies have been developed that can increase yields, farmers are not adopting these technologies. The speakers said one reason is that there is no funding to promote these new technologies to farmers, and a Vice-President of AGRA told the conference that AGRA was spending US$50 million to fund a network of agro-dealers that will make the technologies available closer to the farmers and arrange for demonstrations.
Here’s the puzzle: is a network of agro-dealers really the solution? Or would an equal investment in extension services be a better use of the money? Countries tend to be neglecting extension right now, possibly because they are lured by technological solutions that are more glamorous than spreading best practices. What if there were a transnational service that put an army of barefoot extension workers into the countryside? Equip them with a bicycle and some communications technology. Give them access to one another’s experience and a global network of experts. Give them access, too, to those technological developments, if they think those are worthwhile. Maybe even give farmers vouchers that they can exchange for advice.
If the result is improved yields, stability, nutrition and all the rest of it, wouldn’t that be more sustainable than new technologies that — for whatever reason — languish on the shelf?
Nibbles: Health, Figs, Biocontrol, Small, Tomato
- US to spend $2.25 million to find out whether preserving biodiversity could reduce disease. We say “what, no ag? Again?”
- Fancy a fig?
- Mud pot formulation brings unbelievable benefits.
- More small is beautiful: artisanal weed. Via.
- Meet the Tom-Anto.
Nibbles: Desert garden, Funding, Vegetables, Communication, Ecosystem services, Bees, Native grasses, Soil, Raspberries, Ancient ag trade, Soybeans, Ag origins
- “See how beautiful you can make with small water!”
- IRRI redux.
- The problems of vegetable production in Africa, in microcosm.
- “This is a local production, storage and distribution system, a huge exhibit of biodiversity.’’
- PNAS special issue on ecosystem services.
- Bee books.
- Switch to switchgrass.
- More than you probably want to know about earthworms.
- Evil Fruit Lord questions Scotland-China raspberry deal.
- Ancient crop DNA recovered from underwater amphorae. Totally amazing.
- Nutritionist introduces soybeans to Afghanistan.
- Early PNG agricultural site added to UNESCO World Heritage list.