Posts

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Searching for plant breeding news

I’ve blogged before about FAO’s Plant Breeding News service, a collaboration with Cornell University. It’s a great source of information, but it hasn’t been possible to search the archive. Until now:

We have just installed a Google custom search function in the PBN-L archives webpage. The link appears at the top of the main page. In order to see your search words highlighted in the retrieved documents, click on the “cached” link at the end of the result you are interested in, after the search results appear.

An excellent idea.

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Mapping agrobiodiversity for change

A 13-minute reportage on the Mapping for Change Conference which took place in Nairobi, Kenya on September 7-10, 2005. The reportage features interviews with participatory GIS and 3D mapping practitioners from around the globe and summarizes the process and outcomes of the event. 

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Farmer field schools in Burkina Faso

Farmer field schools are growing in popularity, as a way for farmers and technocrats alike to learn what works and why in real life. From The Rodale Institute, one of the foremost organic organizations in the United States, comes a lengthy feature article about how things operate in Burkina Faso. Relentlessly upbeat, it gives the low-down on the individual farmers who make farmer field schools such a success. An excellent read.

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From the well-digger’s mouth

I like hearing the views of people who know what it is like on the ground, even if — especially if? — they have a strong point of view. I probably don’t come across enough of them.

Wells for Zoë is a small Irish humanitarian organization that helps people in Malawi to dig wells and manage water. After listening to a news item about a conference in Malawi one of the well-diggers felt compelled to set the record straight with a list of recommendations. I don’t agree with all of them, but this is clearly someone who knows the scene there.

What is needed are community-based systems of cooperative family farms, organized to market for local and regional distribution and re-integrating livestock wherever feasible term rehabilitative approach. Malawi needs a systemic approach to both restore its ecosystems and to produce enough food sustainably for its people.

There are lots of specific suggestions too. More of this and less globe-trotting punditry would go a long way towards helping Malawi feed itself.

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Coffee in Rwanda

A recent paper from the Mercatus Center at George Mason University of looks at the specialty coffee industry in Rwanda. Among its conclusions:

  • the specialty coffee industry in Rwanda aids in local poverty alleviation and job creation;
  • the specialty coffee industry provides opportunities for developing business and management skills;
  • the actions of specific coffee entrepreneurs have affected the lives of ordinary Rwandans; and
  • entrepreneurial activities within the Rwandan specialty coffee industry provide Rwandans with opportunities to interact in ways that may promote post-conflict reconciliation.

It is a long read, but with a good cup of Joe by your side the time will fly by.