AsiaDHRRA Online

FarmFriday, shares this thought-provoking article from the The Economist about Brazil’s success in developing its vast savannah into one of the world’s great breadbasket. Make sure to read the article comments for some interesting viewpoints.

The increase in Brazil’s farm production has been stunning. Between 1996 and 2006 the total value of the country’s crops rose from 23 billion reais ($23 billion) to 108 billion reais, or 365%. Brazil increased its beef exports tenfold in a decade, overtaking Australia as the world’s largest exporter. It has the world’s largest cattle herd after India’s. It is also the world’s largest exporter of poultry, sugar cane and ethanol (see chart 2). Since 1990 its soyabean output has risen from barely 15m tonnes to over 60m. Brazil accounts for about a third of world soyabean exports, second only to America. In 1994 Brazil’s soyabean exports were one-seventh of America’s; now they are six-sevenths. Moreover, Brazil supplies a quarter of the world’s soyabean trade on just 6% of the country’s arable land.

Continue reading about the The miracle of the cerrado here…

Here’s an interesting graphic outlining a “taxonomy” of the much discussed practice of “poverty tourism”.  Update: Aaron Ausland, the author, has recently updated the graphic which i think added some context and made it more meaningful.

Read more here…

Farm Friday found this bit in the IRRI Knowledgebank about dryers that have gained popularity in usage in SEA. “The dryers featured here are not neccessarily the best technical solution but, because they are accepted by the users, they seem to offer a good compromise between drying cost and benefits in terms of higher quality and weather risk avodiance in their specific settings.”

continue reading about the mechanical dryers here…

Mr. Vu Dangquy, VietDHRRA staff, dropped by the secretariat office yesterday for a brief visit before returning to Vietnam. Quy has just finished his year-long stint with the AWCF exchange program “Capacity-Building for Gender and Co-operatives in Asia” Project funded by the “South-South Exchange Programme” of Fredskorpset (FK) Norway.

With the AsiaDHRRA Secretariat staff

Quy sharing his experiences from the AWCF exchange program

Here’s something to interest you if you’re planning your career path or thinking of embarking on a new line of work. ScienceMag presents a nice overview of career opportunities in the area of food security.

The demand for scientists with expertise in the agriculture/food sector is likely to increase in the next decade, says Celia Caulcott, director of innovation and skills at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. “There are also skills shortages in areas of expertise such as plant and crop breeding, plant physiology and pest management, large animal physiology and health, soil science, and horticulture,” she says.

So opportunities to work in food security are available and likely to increase. Yet the route into such a career starts at a much earlier stage. “You have to ask yourself how you can get into food security,” U.K. science adviser Beddington notes. “There are lots of disciplines relating to food security, and that makes it an attractive career. Yet you have to understand the science as well as how your work is applicable to food producers in tackling a lack of water or their fight against pests.”

continue reading about Careers in Food Security Span Several Disciplines

Download the Synthesis of Deliberations of the Third Meeting of the Farmers’ Forum held in Rome on February 15th-16th 2010

Learn more about the Third Farmers’ Forum here…

What is the Farmers’ Forum?

FarmFriday shares this interesting article by Elizabeth Pennisi in ScienceMag about the scientific community’s efforts in creating “the ideal crop” and “developing new technologies for a better farming future”

Substantial improvements are needed in current crops to achieve higher yields and sustainable farming. To achieve those gains, agricultural companies have turned to robotics and other measures to streamline breeding programs. And researchers are finding creative ways to introduce and use genes. The point is to make a plant that’s tough, productive, and healthful. Here’s a quick look at just some of the most desired plant improvements—and the techniques that might make them possible.

Read the full article here on how scientists are developing new technologies in the quest for the ideal crop…

FrankenThursday brings this worrying article from NPR which says that “A survey of North Dakota has turned up hundreds of genetically modified canola plants growing along roads across the state.” Aint that scary? Apart from safety, health and ecological concerns this has legal ramifications as well, as GMO purveyors like Monsanto has  been known to sue farmers whose fields have been unintentionally contaminated with their GMO plants. Read on for more interesting bits…

The results, presented at the annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America in Pittsburgh, show that the vast majority of feral canola plants in the state contain artificial genes that make them resistant to herbicides. Researchers also found two plants that contained traits from multiple genetically modified varieties, suggesting that genetically modified plants are breeding in the wild.

continue reading about “escape” of  Genetically Modified Canola from Farm Fields….

The Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD)is proud to announce the launching of their first bi-annual e-newsletter in 2010 containing recent events, news and stories about their projects and activities.

Click here to read the newsletter…

Or better yet pay their website a visit here…

TechTuesday shares this fascinating story about how mobile phones are being used to increase literacy among teens in South Africa. Why don’t they just call these books “movel” instead of “m-novel”?

South African teens were happy to give their thumbs a rest for a while and take a break between MXit chats to read the m-novel Kontax, on their cellphones. The m-novel (a novel written to be read on a cellphone) meant that there was finally something on their phones that would make their parents smile rather than frown

Continue reading Mobile literacies – bridging the gap between phone and book.  You can also download the ebook here….

Here’s an interesting read from the http://www.soilassociation.org asserting that those saying we need to double global food production by 2050 are basically using the wrong figures and interpretations.

‘Telling porkies: The big fat lie about doubling food production’, reveals that all those claiming we need to double global food production by 2050, or 50% by 2030, are wrong about the figures, are wrong about what the figures apply to, and are wrong to claim that achieving these figures will mean we will feed the hungry or end starvation.

Peter Melchett, Soil Association policy director, said “Many of those misusing the statistics in the FAO paper to argue for massive increases in food production in both UK and globally, appear to be unaware that they are in effect condemning many in developing countries to ill-health and early deaths, because they assume the spread of our unhealthy, Western diet to developing countries. In addition, these projections assume an increase of over a billion cattle, which would lead to massive increases in emissions of global warming gases.”projecting that meat consumption in developing countries, except China, could double. The scientific paper that the 50% by 2030 claim is based on appears to have been withdrawn by the authors.

Read the rest of this article and download the ebook “Telling porkies: The big fat lie about doubling food production here…

Here’s an interesting news about increasing yield of african rice varieties:

New findings reported by the Africa Rice Center counter the widely held view that African rice, preferred by local consumers for its taste, is inherently lower yielding than Asian rice. They also confirm its remarkable adaptability to harsh growing conditions in Africa and hence its value for developing improved varieties suited to a changing climate.

continue reading about the endangered african rice varieties here….

Phildhrra Mindanao Staff dropped by the AsiaDHRRA Secretariat Office today for a quick look see. They are currently here in Manila for an exposure/learning activity. Earlier in the day,  Ms. Lany Rebagay and Ms. Marlene of the AsiaDHRRA Secretariat presented to them an overview of the shared history and goals of the DHRRAs.

Ms. Lany Rebagay giving a presentation about AsiaDHRRA

Ms. Marlene Ramirez, Asiadhrra SecGen with the Phildhrra Mindanao Staff

The PhilDHRRA Mindanao Staff in the AsiaDHRRA Secretariat office

AsiaDHRRA welcomed Yuyu Rahayu, Lily Noviani, Nanang Hari, Yasfin, Dwi Astuti of Binadesa who just came from a 7-day exposure visit in organic and agrarian reform communities in Bacolod, Negros Occidental in the Philippines. The visit held from July 19-26, 2010 was supported by Misereor and was arranged by the Paghidaet Foundation, a Misereor partner.

We had whole morning of exchange on their experiences and they were also able to meet the rest of our partners here in the PhilDHRRA compound.

The full text of the CSO Statement put forward during the  Investment Forum for Food Security in Asia and the Pacific held in Manila from 7 to 9 July 2010 can now be viewed and downloaded at the CSO Side Event Activity Blog.

The CSO Statement was born out of a very challenging process, given the diversity of perspectives, experiences and nature of CSOs who participated in the CSO Side Event to the Investment Forum  for Food Security.  CSO signatories to the Statement are indicated in the document.

Investments for Food Security in Asia-Pacific: For Whom and For What? – CSO Statement – CSO Side Event, APRC Program

We, representatives from national and regional organizations and cooperatives of small scale women and men farmers, fishers, and indigenous peoples, rural youth and women, and development NGOs in the Asia-Pacific region, wish to present to the delegates of this investment forum organized jointly by Asian Development Bank (ADB), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) the following:

Away from “Business as Usual” Approach
Partnerships and investments to promote food security in the Asia-Pacific region cannot proceed in the “business-as-usual” approach. Our work and study with poor communities consistently show that large scale trade, technology and business practices of large agro-industrial corporations have marginalized and further displaced small holder producers, who lost their access to and control over productive resources and assets.

National and regional policies, particularly in financing and trade, have reinforced these failures and continuing food insecurity in many countries.

Click here to read or download the full statement…..