Paris, 7 July 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants
Subject: EFITA 2001 newsletter / 13

WANTED: contacts in California!

Agronomist graduated in 1996, I already have a post graduate diploma before beginning a Ph.D. in Agronomic sciences. I am looking for contacts in the agricultural industry in California.
Contact: Gwen Pariset
mailto:pariset@inapg.inra.fr

3rd ECPA - Third European Conference on Precision Agriculture - Montpellier, France, June 18-20, 2001

-----> Conference Aim
The European Conferences on Precision Agriculture are held every two years in a different country of Europe. The first one was organised in Warwick (United Kingdom) in 1997. The second happened in Odense (Denmark) in 1999.

They are organised by a European program committee made of scientists coming from different countries, and from different professional societies, covering biological and technological disciplines.
The aim of the 3rd Conference is to be a multidisciplinary scientific and technical forum for exchange of ideas, knowledge and experience between scientists, researchers, industry, agro-advisors and farmers working on precision agriculture themes.
A multidisciplinary conference is a unique opportunity to combine biological and technological expertise, innovation in the field of agriculture, remote sensing, geographic information systems, positioning techniques, sensor technologies, advanced technology equipment for precision operations with relevant development in other disciplines.

-----> Conference Format
The emphasis of the Conference will be on high quality scientific contributions. The Programme committee will ensure the maintenance of scientific standards. The programme will consist of presentations and activities for researchers and practioners :
- Keynote sessions - presentation by leading scientists, politicians andagri-business people on current key issues
- Oral and poster sessions
- Panel discussions and conference closure

-----> Scientific and Technical Themes
The multidisciplinarity challenge will be covered in the programme and the proceedings by the following matrix of themes. Presentations will be allocated to sessions combining one or more of these themes.
1 - Spatial and temporal variability, data acquisition, analysis and interpretation 
See web site
2 - Spatial technology and agro-environment management
See web site

-----> Presentations may be of the following types:
- Oral
- Workshop presentation/discussion
- Poster
- Virtual reality

-----> Organisation
- Call for contributions and abstracts
Papers, posters, and computer demonstrations are requested for all the listed subject areas and related fields.
- Participants, who wish to make presentations are requested to send an abstract of between 300 and 600 words, by September 30, 2000, at the latest. Abstract should emphasise the title, objective, content, and type of the presentation together with the name, full address and e-mail of the authors.
They should be sent by e-mail to: ecpa@ensam.inra.fr 

-----> Acceptance of presentations
Presentations will be selected based on the abstracts. Acceptance of abstracts will be notified to authors by November 15, 2000
By submitting an abstract, authors implicitly agree to have their papers published in the proceedings.
Full papers should be submitted by December 31, 2000 (maximum 4 A4 pages including figures). They will be assessed by the scientific committee prior to acceptance in the proceedings. A paper will be published in the proceedings only if one of its authors will have taken an early registration.
Successful authors will also be invited to submit a more complete version of their paper to the refereed journal, Precision Agriculture. Special issues of IT will be published soon after the conference.
Late paper registrations, for poster presentation only, will be accepted until May 15, 2001 (with a 2 A4 pages extended abstract directly distributed to conference participants).

-----> Important dates
September,30 2000                  Abstract submission
November,15 2000                   Notification for acceptance 
December,31 2000                   Full papers
March,31 2001                      Early registration 
May,15 2001                        Poster paper registration
June, 18-20 2001                   Conference

-----> Program Committee
CHAIR : Prof. F. Sevila - France (2001 Conference Chairman)
Secretary : Dr S. Christensen - Denmark

Prof. J. de Baerdemaeker - Belgium
Dr N. Bjugstad - Norway
Prof A. Fekete - Hungary
Dr D. Goense - The Netherlands
Dr H. Haapaala - Finland
Dr J. Jakobsen - Denmark (1999 Conference Chairman)
Mr P. Juerschik - Germany
Dr E. Molto - Spain
Dr G. Rabatel - France
Dr J. Stafford - UK
Dr J. Staputis - Lithuania
M. L. Thylen - Sweden
See: http://genie.ensam.inra.fr/agroTIC2001/3events.htm
Contact: ecpa@ensam.inra.fr

Call for Papers - European Seminar - E-Commerce and Electronic Markets in Agribusiness and Supply Chains - Situation, Developments, Implications 
February 14-16, 2001, Bonn, Germany

in collaboration with:
- European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment (EFITA)
- European Forum for International Trade in Agribusiness (EFITRA)

Organization: Prof. Dr. G. Schiefer,
Dr. R. Helbig, Dipl.Ing. U. Rickert

----> Background and Objectives
Agriculture, Agribusiness and the Food Industry are confronted with new developments in communication and marketing technology which may pose threats or opportunities.
Internet, e-commerce and electronic markets characterise developments which will have a fundamental impact on business efficiency, transaction costs, marketing processes and the structure of the agribusiness sector and its trading components.
It facilitates the organisation and management of supply chains, simplifies the establishment of new trading links and reduces the entry barriers into markets.
The seminar intends to discuss the methodology of concepts, problems, implementation alternatives, and possible consequences for the sector. By the time of the seminar, there should be sufficient empirical evidence and experiences from case studies to provide support for first reviews of developments and in-depth discussions of development directions.

----> Participants
The developments are a challenge to scientists from different disciplines like, e.g., agricultural economics, informatics, marketing, institutional economics, etc. They need to integrate their views into comprehensive development views and development concepts. The seminar intends to provide a platform where these groups can meet.

Seminar Program
The seminar will feature paper presentations, discussion groups and computer demonstrations. The program will be determined by an international program committee.

----> Topics

The seminar is open for all topics around 
1. E-commerce, the organisation of electronic trade platforms and electronic marketing support for regional, national or international trade in agribusiness and
2. the economic and structural consequences of the development for services, policy and enterprises in the sector.
They may include discussions (in general or with a focus on implementations in agribusiness) on the following subjects (examples):
(a) information and service portals, electronic communities, virtual enterprises
(b) the transformation of traditional market infrastructures into an emerging e-commerce infrastructure of the sector
(c) experiences in (or concepts for) the organisation of electronic market places or e-commerce infrastructures in general or within supply chains.
(d) future roles of traditional trading companies and market institutions
(e) new ways in customer relationship management and producer-consumer-interaction
(f) e-commerce and globalisation
(g) any other subjects related to the main theme.
Call for papers and Demonstrations
Participants who intend to contribute through the presentation of a paper or the demonstration of computerised prototypes are requested to send an abstract (preferably by e-mail) of not more than 500 words in English by August 31, 2000 to the address listed below. Authors of accepted abstracts will be informed by September 30, 2000. Deadline for full papers is November 30, 2000. All papers will be reviewed for publication in the seminar proceedings.

----> Date and Location
This 3-day seminar will last from about noon, Wednesday, February 14, 2001 until about noon, Friday, February 16, 2001. It will be held in Bonn (Germany) at a small conference center, which has a number of rooms at modest prices. Additional rooms will be available in city hotels.

----> Language
The official language of the seminar will be English.

----> Organisation and Costs
The seminar will be organised by the business management unit (chair of business management, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Schiefer) of the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Bonn.
The costs for the seminar are DM 350,--.( for members of EAAE and EFITA) and 420,-- (for non-members). This covers registration fee, refreshments, lunches and dinners during the seminar, a copy of the proceedings volume, but not accommodation.

----> Important Dates
Deadline for submission of abstracts: 
August 31, 2000
Notification of acceptance: September 15, 2000
Deadline for submission of full papers: 
November 30, 2000
Deadline for final registration: November 30, 2000

----> Pre-registration
Further information on the seminar, registration, and accommodation alternatives will be sent to all those who have pre-registered. To ensure accommodation at the center, participants should pre-register not later than August 31, 2000 and finalize their registration by November 30, 2000

----> Address for the submission of abstracts and for further information:
Prof. Dr. G. Schiefer, ILB-UF, University of Bonn Meckenheimer Allee 174, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
Phone: +49-228-733500, Fax: +49-228-733431
E-mail: schiefer@uni-bonn.de

Here's a little part of US history, which makes you go hmmmmmmmm. Coincidence? 

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.
Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

The names Lincoln and Kennedy each contain seven letters.
Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.
Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both were shot in the head.

Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's secretary was named Lincoln.

Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners.
Both successors were named Johnson.
Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln was born in 1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy was born in 1939.

Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are comprised of fifteen letters.

Booth ran from the theater and was caught in a warehouse.
Oswald ran from a warehouse and was caught in a theater.
Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the kicker,
A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.
A week before Kennedy was shot, he was in Marilyn Monroe.

Paris, 19 July 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants
Subject: EFITA 2001 newsletter / 14

EFITA2001 deadline for submitting abstracts: September 30 2000 

Have a look at:http://genie.ensam.inra.fr/efita2001
or             http://genie.ensam.inra.fr/agroTIC2001/3events.htm
Contact: Prof. Francis SEVILA
mailto:sevila@ensam.inra.fr

The Role of the Village in the 21st Century - Crops, Jobs, and Livelihood

15. - 17. August, EXPO 2000 Exhibition Area, TCM - International Congress Center, Hannover, Germany 
The Global Dialogue: ”The Role of the Village in the 21st Century: Crops, Jobs and Livelihood” will be held as a three-day event (15. ­ 17. August 2000) within the framework of the EXPO 2000 - World Exposition in Hannover. What is the future for rural areas of the world and their inhabitants? Is the future of the villages the mega cities? A common prejudice is that people of rural areas in the 21st Century are backwards, inflexible or even hostile towards technological innovations. The Dialogue The Role of the Village intends to show that, in the 21st century, such assumptions are wrong. The Dialogue brings together an international group consisting of village and city representatives, scientists, workers specialized in rural development, politicians and business leaders. The discussion will focus on four principal themes: What impact will new technologies, especially biotechnology and information technology, have on the rural economy? How can the sustainable use of natural resources - cautious and adapted strategies for consumption of energy, water use and the management of land - be encouraged? What political framework will both guarantee that basic needs are met and cultural and institutional values are safeguarded to make rural areas more attractive? And going beyond the village as a unit, the Dialogue will consider urban-rural linkages. Questions will be discussed such as what are patterns of employment, migration, infrastructure and transport that govern the relationship between town and country. 
All interested may join the Global Dialogue and participate actively in the Dialogue!
See: http://www.zef.de/gdialogue/
Contact: Detlef Virchow - Center for Development Research - Global Dialogue EXPO 2000
mailto:gdialogue.zef@uni-bonn.de

Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC)

I would like to know if they are any bodies in the rest of Europe like AICC?
See: http://www.aicc.org.uk/default.asp
Contact: Allen SCOBIE
mailto:a.scobie@scottishagronomy.co.uk

Beijing International Symposium on Intelligent Agricultural Information Technology (ISIAIT)

See: http://www.cashq.ac.cn/cise/ISIAIT.html
Contact: Cuiling LAN
mailto:dic-cise@cashq.ac.cn

WANTED: Information!

I am contacting you on behalf of the Distance Learning Network of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, IICA (H.Q. San Jose, Costa Rica).  

I am a marketing consultant based in Hilversum, The Netherlands, whose major duty is to develop business relationships with European Universities focusing in agribusiness. 

The purpose of IICA's Distance Learning Network is to disseminate agribusiness knowledge throughout the Americas by the means of videoconferences and other multimedia technologies.  At this particular stage, I am interested in knowing if you are currently developing any efforts related to Distance Learning.

Please let me know a little bit about what you are doing in this domain.
Contact: Romeo Solano Roca, Marketing Consultant
IICA Distance Learning Network
mailto:rsolanoroca@yahoo.com

FOL Networks in UK

FOL Networks (formerly known as Farming On-Line) are providers of specialist e-commerce and Internet services for agricultural businesses. For the past four years they have been combining their strengths in two distinct areas, e-commerce and farming, to the benefit of clients drawn from every part of the agricultural marketplace. The company's experience of Internet technologies in agriculture provides businesses with relevant industry solutions for e-commerce activity.
FOL Networks also provides a neutral on-line community for the agricultural business, where farm business users are able to view the latest business information for decision support, as well as engage in e-commerce for agricultural inputs and outputs. Currently named FOL and shortly to be renamed 'FOL Agriculture' the web site is currently averaging over 1.5 million page downloads a month and has a registered user base of over 17,000. The site is shortly to be enhanced to reflect a period of major site development.
See: http://www.folnetworks.com/

MODELUS'2000 "Modelling for a Sustainable Development"

Estoril, Portugal the 11th to 14th October 2000
See: http://www.irradiare.com/modelus2000
Announcement and Call for Contributions:
See: http//www.taguspark.pt/irradiare/modelus2000

British Crop Protection Council Conference- Pests and diseases 2000

Brighton (UK) - 13 - 16 November 2000
See: http://www.bcpc.org
mailto:conference@bcpc.org

Crop Protection Compendium

This CD-ROM contains information on crops, pests, diseases, weeds and natural enemies from around the world. It contains over 5000 images and distribution maps. More information can be found on PEST CABWeb on the Crop Protection Compendium homepage.
See: http://pest.cabweb.org/cpc
Contact: Vicki COTTRELL - Product Manager - CABI Publishing 
mailto:v.cottrell@cabi.org

Strategies for the future: a Systems Approach to Scenario Planning by Richard Bawden - Michigan State University and The Institute of Systemic Development

A One-day Workshop on 11th September 2000 at the Open University, Milton
Keynes, UK
Working out desirable and feasible strategies for the future is important for most of us, whether we are working in organisations in the public or private sectors or whether we are working in communities concerned with development. Formal management tools offer considerable assistance in this regard.
Sadly however, such tools are often reduced to little more than temporary and somewhat superficial ‘fads’ simply because they are adopted in isolation from each other, and because their theoretical and philosophical foundations are rarely explored, let alone embraced. Nowhere is this more obvious than with corporate and institutional approaches to strategic development.  
An opposite problem is sometimes associated with community groups, environmental groups, and NGOs, which often do not use sophisticated tools of management that could be very useful to them for their own future development.
In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to learn about, as well as how to use, two of the most powerful approaches to strategic development currently available, in a manner that facilitates a profound integration between the two. 
The workshop will be particularly useful for people working in small and large organisations as well as community groups, who experience the circumstances in which they work as complex. These approaches can help with long term planning and operating in rapidly changing social and cultural contexts. 
Using a combination of brief presentations, hands-on exercises that draw heavily on personal work experiences, and open discussions, Professor Bawden will lead participants through a unique experiential event which aims to illustrate both the practical use of, and the thinking behind, the integration of:

Systems thinking with Scenario planning
Each of these two approaches to strategic development by themselves has a history of effectiveness across a wide range of situations. When integrated together however, they combine to achieve very powerful outcomes. Only recently have procedures for their integration been developed into manageable practices, and it is to some of these that participants will be exposed during this very practical, yet theory-informed, workshop. 

Location and times
The workshop is being held at the Open University in Milton Keynes, which has easy access to motorway links and to British Rail (directions will be available on registration). The day starts with check-in and coffee at 9.00 and finishes at 5.00. 
Contact: Jacqueline EISENSTADT
mailto:j.eisenstadt@open.ac.uk

TOMMY COOPER classics (1)

So I rang up my local swimming baths. I said 'Is that the local swimming baths?'
A voice said 'It depends where you're calling from.'

Apparently, 1 in 5 people in the world are Chinese, and there are 5 people in my family, so one of them must be. I know it's not me, so it's either my mum or my dad. Or my older brother Colin. Or my younger brother Ho-Cha-Chu.
But I think it's Colin.

Two fat blokes in a pub, one says to the other "your round." The other one says "so are you, you fat bastard"

Two cannibals eating a clown. One says to the other "Does this taste funny to you?"

Two prostitutes standing on a street corner. One says to the other, "have you ever been picked up by the fuzz?" The other replies, "No, but I've been swung around by the tits"

Paris, 26 July 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants
Subject: EFITA 2001 newsletter / 15

News from EFITA2001 organisation

EFITA 2001 in Montpellier - France (18-21 June 2001) is actively prepared by a group of French dedicated folk from AFIA (the French society for EFITA), and by the EFITA main officers. 

A scientific committee is being installed by Jerome Steffe, vice-President of EFITA, and Chairman of this EFITA2001 Scientific Committee. Out of the last EFITA Conferences, we have just listed with him a first list of themes of Symposia, which could be organised in Montpellier. These are listed below.

We need approvals, critics or suggestions to go further on in our organisation. Especially we need candidates to help organising these symposia, and make them full of good contributions, a	nd vivid with a lot of discussions. Which means that they should be well targeted on up-to-date and relevant subjects, with participants interested to show their work or ideas, and public ready to contribute or to criticise. You can contact either Jerome Steffe at j-steffe@enitab.fr or me at sevila@ensam.inra.fr

PLEASE DO NOT FORGET THAT WE HAVE A FIRST DATE ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, WHERE ABSTRACTS OF PAPER PROPOSALS SHOULD BE SENT TO US THROUGH THE INTERNET: SEE: http://genie.ensam.inra.fr/efita2001

More practical details on the conference will be made available beginning of September 2000 (including costs), as final offers for our organisation will be processed. We keep trying to cut down all costs, taking into account the privilege to be on the Mediterranean shore third week of June in a town like ours in Montpellier full of nice cultural and other touristical events and opportunities. It is definitely an enjoyable place to be at that time of the year, including to discuss science!

Welcome to all of you to jump in our preparation work, and later in our conference. Professor Francis Sevila - Montpellier 2001 Conferences manager

List of themes of symposia for the EFITA 2001 conference (as on July 26th, 2000)
- Asian issues for Information Technologies in Agriculture
- Decision support system in animal production
- Data acquisition
- Decision support system in plant protection
- Decision support system for public policy planning
- Technical consultancy and IT
- Development and IT
- The Internet and technical/financial decision support systems
- Sustainable agriculture and IT
- E-Commerce and Electronic Markets for Agrifood sector
- Economics and management of agricultural IT
- Education and training in information technologies
- Geostatistics
- Computerised management of rural space
- Industry and services for agricultural IT
- The design and integration of IT
- Software and communication for farm management
- Models for plants and animals
- Communication networks for the rural world
- IT and know-how in agronomics
- Standardization of IT
- Teledetection and management of natural resources
- Chain management

Contact: Prof. Francis Sévila 
mailto:sevila@ensam.inra.fr

DINA 1991-1999 activities report

This report, which demonstrates the remarkable achievements of the Danish DINA network, is available.
Contact: Mögens FLENSTED-JENSEN
mailto:dina@dina.kvl.dk

PLANT-Plus by DACOM (NL)

- Diseases forecasting (potatoes, onions, leek, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, carrots) and diseases maps
- Weather stations, rainfall images and spraying conditions
- Crop plan and crop recording
- .../...
See: http://www.dacom.nl/
mailto:plantplus@dacom.nl

AGRICOMPASS, the first online (Italian) market for agriculture input in Europe

A fundamental need for actors of the agriculture input sector is the careful management of the costs, still saving the service required. Today Internet allows connecting with different geographical realities, instantly, destroying the commercial boundaries.
In a steady market - such as the one of the agriculture’ products, as sow, agrochemical products, fertiliser and others - it is necessary to adopt a new approach meeting the customers' requirements and holding under check one’s own costs.
In order to contribute to the solution of this problem, a new reality is born from Italy, oriented toward the European market: AGRICOMPASS.
Thanks to AGRICOMPASS, retailers and agriculture’ goods manufacturers Firms will be able to connect each others simultaneously and, from different geographical areas, they may:
- optimise the supply-chain
- transact at the fair price
- find efficient opportunities to manage their surplus

AGRICOMPASS aims at becoming the principal meeting point of the European operators: producers firms and retailers, wholesalers and retailers for the agriculture input sectors” declares Claudio Pivi, founder and Managing Director of the society.
On the web site, fully operative from September 2000, you may find two different sections: the first dedicated to e-commerce B2B (market place) - where all the operators will be able to participate for free, exchanging surplus with the maximum benefit for all members. Besides this, reserved sections will be available where firms may get in touch with other operators, to optimise the procurement management. 
AGRICOMPASS will act as broker, acquiring and reselling the commodities, among buyers and sellers, guaranteeing in such a way the transaction from a banking point of view. AGRICOMPASS will supply logistic support through dedicated operators.
In other words, thanks to Claudio Pivi’s business idea and new technologies, a new distributive channel it’s born.

In the second section you may find services related to the marketplace activity as:
- logistic management
- agrochemicals database
Furthermore you’ll find other online services, dedicated to the operators:
- Information 
- Forum and other activities on the Web
- Dedicated consultants

AGRICOMPASS is an independent society, based in Milan, that will be focused to satisfy the needs of the actors of the supply chain of the agriculture input. Logistics experts and legislative consultants complete the staff.
AGRICOMPASS is a project that uses the acceleration services of Biz2000 Marketing Venture, an Internet incubator and management consulting firm for the Net-Economy.

AGRICOMPASS is the first and – at the moment - the only web-site dedicated to the agrochemical sector. AGRICOMPASS is:
- A virtual place where to meet and exchange experiences, increasing the general knowledge on the ‘hot’ issues of the sector.
- A place in the Internet, where one will be able to find specialist and highly professional services. In other words, it is going to become the compass that will drive the agro-navigators in the vast sea of the Internet.

Schematically, advantages for participants are:
1. Economic advantage
For sellers
• Better stock-rotation
• Safety of the payments

For buyers
• Find products in the right moment 
• Advantageous prices

For producers
• Cutting commercial costs
• Possible supply’s segmentation

2. Guarantee
• Data confidentiality
• Anonymity
3. Dedicated to the sector
• Selected information
• Dedicated services
See: http://www.agricompass.com
Contact: Simona GUFFANTI
mailto:sguffanti@biz2000.it

TOMMY COOPER classics (2)

An 83-year old woman decided that she'd seen and done everything, and the time had come to depart from this world. After considering various methods of doing away with herself she came to a conclusion. The quickest and surest way would be to shoot herself through the heart. The trouble was, she wasn't certain about exactly where her heart was, so she phoned her doctor and asked him. He told her that her heart was located two inches below her left nipple. So she shot herself in the left kneecap.

A blind bloke walks into a shop with a guide dog. He picks the dog up and starts swinging it around his head. Alarmed, a shop assistant calls out: 'Can I help, sir?' 'No thanks,' says the blind bloke. 'Just looking.

"So I was getting into my car, and this bloke says to me "Can you give me a lift?" I said "Sure, you look great, the world's your oyster, go for it...'

"You know, somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on the windscreen, it said 'Parking Fine.' So that was nice."

So I went to the dentist. He said "Say Aaah." I said "Why?" He said "My dog's died.'

"So I got home, and the phone was ringing. I picked it up, and said 'Who's speaking please?' And a voice said 'You are.'

Paris, 9 August 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants
Subject: EFITA 2001 newsletter / 16

EFITA2001 / ICT FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTIONS
A new associated pre-event for the Montpellier conferences, 18-21 June 2001 

In the framework of the next EFITA 2001 conference, CTIFL, the French professional technical institute dedicated to fruits and vegetables productions, is pleased to announce the following workshop:

ICT for fruit and vegetable productions

Friday, 15, June, 2001 - Balandran experimental station 
BP 32 - F-30127 BELLEGARDE - 

(Bellegarde is a Mediterranean little town near Nîmes and Montpellier ; participants may want to enjoy this attractive and historical area of the Roman world, close to the sea shore, during the certainly sunny week-end of June 16-17)

Programme: among other topics...
+ Crop protection models
+ Web services (database of images, of crop protection chemicals)
+ Greenhouse software for control and supervision
.../...
Contact: Jean-François SAMIE - IT and documentation department
mailto:samie@ctifl.fr

An interesting visit of M. Lei Tian to ACTA Informatique

1. Smart sprayer (L. Tian & J. Reid)
This research integrated a real-time machine vision sensing system with an automatic herbicide sprayer to create an intelligent sensing and spraying system. To increase the herbicide delivery accuracy, each spray nozzle was controlled separately. The integrated system was tested to evaluate its effectiveness and performance under varying field conditions. With the current system design and using 0.5% weed infestation as the control zone threshold, herbicide savings of 48% could be realize

2. Agricultural remote sensing (L. Tian)
Our approach is to introduce new sensing technologies to evaluate and validate remote sensing for field variability identifications. With support form the NASA Commercial Remote Sensing Program (CRSP), we developed a general-purpose ground-based sensing system to collect high-density ground truth data for the site-specific and time-specific validation of remote sensing as a field characteristic mapping tool for major crop production. We have built a low-altitude high-resolution aerial imaging system. Using an airborne high-resolution digital camera and a real-time image processing and pattern recognition system, we have investigated some fundamental problems related to new high-resolution remote sensing techniques. While satellite remote sensing systems can only fly over a site at a certain time and obtain a spatial resolution of several meters per pixel, our system is near real-time and the ground truth machine can obtain images with much higher spatial resolution. This near-real-time system enables us to relate image patterns to ground truth more closely. More details about the targets have been found through image processing. Our aerial multi-spectral data was successfully used to identify crop nitrogen stressed field areas and predict the corn yield accurately with an R2 value of 0.96. Unlike other methods that only predict for whole fields, our remote sensing data can be used to generate detailed in-field yield variability maps. 

3. Site-Specific Data Management Technology (L. Tian)
Data warehousing and data mining is a new research area for agricultural research. Our goal in this research program is to develop effective technologies to process the massive data set generated by precision farming production and research. I am the principle investigator of an on-going study on agricultural site-specific data management. In this study, we are optimizing both the sensing process and data to knowledge (D2K) conversion process. Automatic and supervised learning processes have been applied on large database of agricultural crop systems. The objectives are to eventually understand the complicated system by means of processing a massive database with the state-of-the-art high performance computing systems. Preliminary results on the automatic learning process for crop systems are very encouraging. The relatively simple back-propagation, feed-forward neural network predicted corn yields with 80% accuracy. With support from NCSA, we will set up a high-tech data management environment for precision farming data mining. 
Conatct: Lei Tian - Professor of Agricultural Engineering - University of Illinois
mailto:lft@sugar.age.uiuc.edu

Hydro Agri has decided to invest in Farmersfield ASA, which is aiming to establish a leading European Web site for agriculture.

Hydro will join the Norway-based company Farmersfield ASA will take an ownership stake of 16 percent before the internet company's planned share issue at the end of May or early in June. 
The Web site www.farmersfield.com is designed to capture a significant part of e-business in the area of European agriculture as well as provide an indispensable source of information for farmers. The total annual outlay for European agriculture is estimated EUR 140 billion. Farmersfield says that part of this will occur on the internet.

Farmersfield has entered into a partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting for consultancy services and is pursuing an agreement with Hewlett-Packard for technical services. In addition to Hydro Agri, the Norwegian agricultural supply company Kverneland ASA has taken a 16.67 percent stake in the site.

"From our point of view, the engagement with Farmersfield first and foremost is regarded as an opportunity to acquire knowledge and practical experience on e-business in agriculture at an early stage," says Knut Ivar Helgaker, who is responsible for e-business in Hydro Agri. "We're taking a small stake in this company without obligating ourselves to sell through Farmersfield. This means that we will maintain all of our sales channels and will continue 'business as usual' in our fertilizer and other inputs."

Symposium "Crop Protection Efficiency in Fruit Growing and Its Impact on Environment and Legislation" followed by the VIth Workshop on "Spray Application Techniques in Fruit Growing"

See: http://www.isk.skierniewice.pl/satfruit.htm
Contact: Ir. Peter Jaeken
mailto:gorsem@ping.be

Pesticides and Agricultural Chemicals

See: http://www.ashgatechem.com/products/pesticides.html

An oldie but a goodie!

An American soldier, serving in World War II, had just returned from several weeks of intense action on the Italian front lines. He had finally been granted R&R and had made it to Southampton, there to board a train bound for a few days in London.
The train was very crowded, so the soldier walked the length of the train, looking for an empty seat. The only seat unoccupied was directly across from a well dressed middle aged lady and was occupied by her little dog.
The war weary soldier asked, "Please, ma'am, may I sit in that seat?"
The English woman looked down her nose at the soldier, sniffed and said, "You Americans. You are such a rude class of people. Can't you see my little Fifi is using that seat?"
The soldier walked away, determined to find a place to rest, but after another trip in vain down to the end of the train, found himself again facing the woman with the dog in the opposite seat. Again he asked, "Please, lady. Can I sit there? I'm exhausted."
The woman wrinkled her nose and snorted, "You Americans! Not only are you rude, you are also quite arrogant. Imagine!"
The soldier leaned against the swaying wall of the train and again asked if he could please it down. The lady said, "Not only are you Americans rude and arrogant, you're also very inconsiderate."
The soldier didn't say anything else. He leaned over, picked up the little dog, tossed it out the window of the train and sat down in the empty seat.
An English gentleman, sitting across the aisle said, "You know, sir, you Americans do seem to have a penchant for doing the wrong thing. You eat holding the fork in the wrong hand. You drive your autos on the wrong side of the road. And now, sir, you've thrown the wrong bitch out of the window!
Contact: Dr. Ehud Gelb
mailto:gelb@agri.huji.ac.il

Paris, 21 September 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants
EFITA 2001 newsletter / 17

e-Commerce at Montpellier congress

I am organising the symposium at Montpellier on e-Commerce and I am seeking papers to include in this session. I already have several papers from the UK but would like to include as much material from outside the UK as possible.

If you wish to be included in the symposium and you have something interesting to say about e-Commerce or e-Business in the agri/food industry in Europe or elsewhere, please let me know. If you have already submitted an abstract to the committee then please let me have brief details (they will pass the paper to me for refereeing). 

If you are thinking about it then please do it today! The abstracts should be with the EFITA committee by the end of September and again, I would like brief details so I can see how the programme is progressing. 

This topic will be a huge attraction at Montpellier, which will give you a good opportunity to present your views. Please email me as soon as you can with your ideas and get your abstracts to EFITA by 30th September!

Contact: Andy Offer, President of BAITA
mailto:andy.offer@adas.co.uk

EFITA 2001 Symposia and co-ordinators

A Asian issues for Information Communication Technologies in Agriculture
Dr. Norihiro Nakamura
nori@aikoku-u.ac.jp

Decision support system in animal production
Anders Ringgaard Kristensen
ark@dina.kvl.dk

Data acquisition
Jan Pohlmann
pohlmann@zadi.de

Decision support system in plant protection
Hermann Bleiholde
hermann.bleiholder@basf-ag.de
Nina Detlefsen
nina.detlefsen@agrsci.dk
Iver Thysen
iver.thysen@agrsci.dk
Technical consultancy and IT
Development and IT

The Internet and technical and financial decision support systems
Guy Waksman
waksman@acta.asso.fr
Jonathan Cook
cbcconsult@hotmail.com
Nina Detlefsen
nina.detlefsen@agrsci.dk
Iver Thysen
iver.thysen@agrsci.dk

Sustainable agriculture and IT
C. Noell
cno@kvl.dk
Jonathan Cook
cbcconsult@hotmail.com
Nina Detlefsen
nina.detlefsen@agrsci.dk
Iver Thysen
iver.thysen@agrsci.dk

E-Commerce and Electronic Markets for Agrifood sector
A. Offer
andy.offer@adas.co.uk
G. Schiefer
schiefer@uni-bonn.de
Dr. Helbig
helbig@uni-bonn.de
R.A.E. Mueller
raem@agric-econ.uni-kiel.de

Geostatistics and georefenced information
Julian Swindel
julian.swindell@royagcol.ac.uk
Arnold Bregt
a.k.bregt@alterra.wag-ur.nl

Optimization in Agriculture, Food Industry and Environment
R. Martin Clouaire
rmc@toulouse.inra.fr

Modelisation in agronomy and environmental sciences
Marc Jaeger
marc.jaeger@cirad.fr

Software and communication for farm management
Bernard Del’homme
b-delhomme@enitab.fr

Communication networks for the rural world
Jonathan Cook
cbcconsult@hotmail.com

Standardization of IT
Hermann Auernhammer
auernhammer@tec.agrar.tu-muenchen.de

Farm Accounting and FADN
Krjin Poppe
K.J.Poppe@LEI.DLO.NL

Chain management
Gerhard Schiefer
schiefer@uni-bonn.de
George Beers
G.Beers@LEI.DLO.NL
Adrie Beulens
ajmbeulens@edict.nl

ICT Adoption (Why are ICT-application adoption rates by farmers so low)
Ehud Gelb
gelb@agri.huji.ac.il

New AFIA team

Guy Waksman, President
Francis Sevila, Secretary
Jérôme Steffe, Vice-president
Jean-Marc Ferrero, Treasurer

Irish Society for Information Technology in Agriculture

ISITA is publishing a new and interesting newsletter
Contact: Mick HARKIN
mailto:harkin@iol.ie

Development of the liste-afia in France

Started in July 1997       20 subscribers
January 1998              300 subscribers
July 1998                1000 subscribers
January 1999             1250 subscribers
July 1999                2350 subscribers
January 2000             5900 subscribers
July 2000                7400 subscribers
September 2000           8100 subscribers
Contact: Guy Waksman
mailto:waksman@acta-informatique.fr

eBusiness and eWork 2000

Madrid, Espagne - 18 - 20 October 2000
See: http://www.ebew.net

Application of Modelling as an Innovative Technomogy in the Agri-Food Chain

Palmerston North, New Zealand, 9 - 13 December 2001
See: http://www.model-it.massey.ac.nz

Global Forum on Agricultural Research

See: http://www.fao.org/NARS/

Next AGRIMMEDIA activities by ACTA Informatique

13 October: Virtual meeting through the web with an on-line survey organised with Jean-Paul SEJOURNE (jpsejourne@aol.com)
- 14 November: How did IT, Internet and other multimedia tools change the jobs of trainers and advisors?
- 20 February: E-commerce:, technical, juridical and organisational aspects (within SIMA Paris show of Agriculture).

Scottish people

Donald MacDonald from the Isle of Skye went to study at an English university and was living in the hall of residence with all the other students there. After he had been there a month, his mother came to visit him.
 "And how do you find the English students, Donald?" she asked.
"Mother," he replied, "they're such terrible, noisy people. The one on that side keeps banging his head on the wall and won't stop. The one on the other side screams and screams all night."
"Oh Donald! How do you manage to put up with these awful noisy English neighbours?"
"Mother, I do nothing. I just ignore them. I just stay here quietly, playing my bagpipes."
Contact: Mick HARKIN
mailto:harkin@iol.ie

Paris, 27 September 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants

EFITA 2001 newsletter / 18

EFITA conference: call for abstracts (URGENT!)

The Third EFITA conference will be organised next June, 18-21, 2001, in Montpellier - France.

Participants, who wish to make a refereed and possibly oral presentation are requested to send an abstract of between 300 and 600 words, by September 30, 2000.
Abstract should emphasise the title, objective, content, and type of the presentation together with the name, full address and e-mail of the author(s). They should be sent by e-mail to: EFITA@ensam.inra.fr

You will find more detailed information on our website:
http://genie.ensam.inra.fr/EFITA2001

Please remember important dates for the conference:
November, 15 2000          Notification for acceptance
December, 31 2000: Full papers
March, 31 2001: Early registration
May, 15 2001: Poster--nonrefereed presentation registration
June, 18-20 2001: Conference

We would congratulate you if you feel that you should disseminate this newsletter around you in your office, inside your organisation, in your country, in your professional networks!

For other information on the numerous and important events organised around the EFITA2001 conference, please see our website:
http://genie.ensam.inra.fr/agroTIC2001/3events.htm

Buying and/or selling of agricultural products in Asia

We are proud to announce the soft launch of an Asian based world wide Internet commerce platform for buyers and sellers of agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, pulses, flowers, foliage, herbs, spices, rice and grains. We are certain you will find our site to be one of the most user friendly and professional sites on the net today. We are acting as a neutral service provider for buyers and sellers from around the world that wish to meet online in a hassle free manner.
See: http://www.freshfromtheweb.com
Contact: Amphol Traisathit
mailto:research@freshfromtheweb.com

Web site FarmChina

FarmChina is the first and only B to B website in China specialising in agricultural products. It provides an e-commerce platform to connect buyers and sellers in China with their partners abroad.
You can register free to obtain agriculture business news and import/export data, post your buy/sell product information, create your company web pages free of charge to introduce your company. Have your page translated into Chinese, and posted on the Chinese version web site for a small translation and hosting fee. Moreover, you can find distributors or sale agents through our Deal Making service.
FarmChina has been chosen as a Stackyard SuperSite and is featuring as "Site of the Month" for August 2000.
See: http://www.farmchina.com
Leonard Mao
mailto:maolh@farmchina.com

Dutch farmers and the Internet

The Dow Jones news agency is indicating that 45 % of Dutch farmers are connected to the web and that the national farmers' union, LTO, is developing a site mainly focused on news for its 100,000 members.
See: http://www.agriwide.nl 
See: http://www.agriholland.nl
See: http://www.agroveiling.nl
See: http://www.e-farm.nl

2nd TeleRegions Network Conference:" IST and Advanced Networks for Regional Development ", 12-13 October 2000, Venice

Conference venue: Venice International University VIU,
Isola di San Servolo, I-30100 VENICE

Every year TeleRegions Network organises a conference to facilitate the exchange of best practises developed by regional projects in the field of information society technologies. The previous conference took place in 1999 in Tanum, Sweden and was attended by more than 300 decision-makers from all over Europe.

This year the TRN Conference will take place in Venice, Italy. The provincial government of Venice and a number of major IT-companies support the conference.

The main objectives of the Conference are to:
- Enable regional and urban decision-makers and planners to learn about the best practices and experiences resulting from projects of the Framework Programme of Research and Technological Development Activities of the European Commission 
- Debate the regulatory, technological, and cost-benefit aspects of regional telecommunications networks in an increasingly liberalised environment. 
- Allow all the participants originating from the EU and Associated countries to exchange experiences with their counterparts facing similar needs and problems.

This conference is a major opportunity to better understand:
- How Information Society Technologies are improving the regional development; 
- How regional and metropolitan area networks are evolving towards integrated broadband and mobile networks to better serve their user communities; 
- How decision-makers from the public and the private sector will have to adapt their future strategies to take full advantages of emerging services and advanced networks. 
The conference will last two days and will consist of two plenary sessions and six parallel sessions (see programme enclosed). It will deal with subjects like Mobile and Integrated Services, e-Government, Electronic Commerce, Healthcare, Education and Training, Transport and Environment, New Jobs and New Methods of Work, etc. In the plenary sessions, besides the keynote speeches, there will be a presentation of how telematics is helping regional development, giving examples of successful projects and a vision for the future.
See: http://www.regione.veneto.it/teleregions/

Review of modelling applications in developing countries

Matthews, R B, W Stephens, T Hess, T Mason, & A Graves (2000). "Applications of crop/soil simulation models in developing countries". Report commissioned by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), August 2000.
See: http://www.silsoe.cranfield.ac.uk/mig/
Dr Robin Matthews
Institute of Water and Environment
mailto:
r.b.matthews@cranfield.ac.uk

Believable!

Bill and Hillary are driving in rural Arkansas and pull into a service station for gasoline. This guy comes out and starts pumping gas, looks into the car and recognises Hillary. They immediately have an animated conversation about their schooldays together and how good it all was.
When they're back out on the highway Bill turns to Hillary and enquires about the gas attendant. Hillary tells him that the guy's name is Bob Smith, that he was a childhood sweetheart and that they had a serious romance in high school.
"Well", says Bill, "aren't YOU the lucky woman that you married me and not Bob"
"Hows that?" enquires Hillary
"Well" says Bill (again) with his boyish and captivating grin "you're now married to the President of the United States - the most powerful man in the world - and Bob only pumps gas"!
"I think you've got that the wrong way around Bill" smiles Hillary.
"How come" says a somewhat perplexed Bill.
"Well Bill, look at it this way" responds Hillary patiently, "if I had married Bob he'd have become President of the United States - and you'd have been pumping gas"!
Contact: Mick Harkin
mailto:harkin@iol.ie

Paris, 5 October 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants

EFITA 2001 newsletter / 19

The third EFITA Conference is scheduled for June, 18-21, 2001, in Montpellier - France. The details are available at http://www.efita.org and http://genie.ensam.inra.fr/EFITA2001 - including the full list of the symposiums to be held.

The conference provides us with a welcome multi-country, multi disciplinary opportunity to evaluate major issues - among them "ICT adoption in agriculture". It will be studied in a dedicated symposium and evaluated in others. The rationale - as elaborated in the Second EFITA Conference in Bonn was:

"If the benefits of ICT in agriculture are so clear, measured and quantified why are farmers and the agricultural sector so slow in adopting applications?"

Some answers and discussions are available in EFITA PAPERS at http://www.efita.org and other publications, including specific EUNITA reports. An interesting perspective is a comparison with the 4th International Congress for Computer Technology in Agriculture held in 1992 in Versailles entitled: "Farm Computer Technology in Search of users".

We will attempt at the Montpellier conference to identify major adoption inhibitors and suggest remedial recommendations. You are invited to take part in this effort - with ICT defined as broadly as you see fit.

Your personal participation/involvement can take various forms -
a. Present a session/symposium paper on ICT Adoption (details below);
b. Present a short (10 minute) review of a relevant case study, a position paper, etc;
c. Participate in a discussion group and/or a panel;
d. Collect data;
e. Participate in a reiteration of the Bonn questionnaire (re below);
f. Help to summarise discussions, presentations;
h. Join a future project based on specific summaries;
i. Disseminate this appeal to your colleagues;
j. SUGGEST ADDITIONAL IDEAS!!!

The scientific committee had decided to finalise the conference details with consideration of the responses received. With this in mind please indicate your interest, possible contribution and preferences for the symposium focused on ICT adoption, ICT adoption aspects in the conference and other symposia. Since time is short and competition for subject-time growing your response is necessary as soon as possible.
Contact: Ehud GELB
mailto:gelb@agri.huji.ac.il

Use of the internet in the agricultural market-place is developing rapidly in the UK...

...and this should have an impact in France. FOL Networks (formerly Farming On-Line) is the leading provider of customised Internet services for agri-business across Europe. It enables existing relationships with customers, suppliers or internal departments to develop online, at the same time it allows new trading relationships and ways of trading to be initiated online. Such services produce cost savings, productivity gains or increased sales benefits for customers who include Shell Agriculture, British Sugar and Cargill. FOL Networks has just appointed a Frenchman - Bernard Auxenfans - as its Chief Executive Officer. His main role will be to put FOL Networks on the European and international map, providing e-business solutions for agri-business. The company has already implemented successful solutions for over 200 companies, and connects 24.000 farmers representing 55% of the UK's farmed area.
See: http://www.folnetworks.com or http://www.farming.co.uk

Milk quota from the magazine CONNECTIS

Milkquota is an online marketplace run by FOL, the agricultural ecommerce group, in association with UK farm business consultant Andersons. The site enables farmers who produce more milk than is their right under the UK quota system to buy spare milk quota from other farmers. The site acts as an agent, finding and handling the best deal to suit the buyer. Trades can also be placed by telephone.
See: http://www.milkquota.com

ITC company in NL: Q-Ray ICT Consultancy & Software engineering

Q-Ray is active in ICT consultancy and software engineering.
Q-Rays consultants advise customers about information planning infrastructure, system design, realisation and implementation of software applications. Q-Ray is specialised in tailor made ORACLE and Microsoft based applications and produces state of the art information systems, including Internet technology. Other products are library systems (OLIB) and Internet and Intranet applications. 

Our customers are medium to large companies and organisations in the agri-(food-)business or professional services. For the Dutch agri-(food-) business Q-Ray is leading in Chain Performance Systems.
The professional service sector gets its services from Q-Ray by project management systems, customer relation management, competence development and management information systems.
Contact: Hans STOOP
mailto:stoop@q-ray.nl

European Meteorological Society

See: http://www.emetsoc.org

To Create, Track and Manage Web Based Training and Presentation very quickly with AKUTER™ Editor and AKUTER™ Server

iTraining Services launches AKUTER™ Editor and AKUTER™ Server a do it yourself Web Based Training solution.
AKUTER™ Editor is more than an authoring software, it is an ideal platform to deploy your company's training and communication. With AKUTER™ Editor, you never have to program or use specific technical features. Every step is intuitive and led by seeing the result at anytime. When ready, AKUTER™ builds a directory structure with all your contents, you decide to deliver on the Internet, your Intranet or on CDROM.
AKUTER™ Server is a Browser Based Enterprise Training System. It allows building a company wise training architecture, tracking and recording all users' data and administrating your Company's Training system.
See: http://www.itrainingservices.com
Contact: Didier G. Bourgeot
mailto:
dbourgeot@itrainingservices.com

All those wasted years - "JOKE"! (Mike HARKIN got this mail a few months ago)

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Paris, 12 October 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants

EFITA 2001 newsletter / 20

Wanted: information about quality control of agricultural production using machine vision and image understanding

I am a post graduate student at the Department of Automation at the University of Rousse - Bulgaria. My research and scientific interests are in the following field: quality control of agricultural production using machine vision and image understanding. 
I would like to establish scientific contacts with colleagues working in the same field and I also would like to better know their experience and scientific achievements.
I am looking for articles for quality control of bulbs (or tubers) on tulips, garlic, onions, seed-onion and fruits, especially, with using of machine vision and image understanding.
Contact: Elitsa Kuleva 
mailto:ekuleva@ru.acad.bg

Fenweb project

Fenweb is an East Anglian Objective 5b project, developed by Cambridgeshire County Council and part-funded by MAFF and the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund.

It offers internet services, advice, training and support to farms, diversification enterprises and other rural businesses in and around Fenland.
See : http://www.fenweb.net

Farming the Internet Conference
This conference will look at the opportunities that the internet offers to agricultural and horticultural businesses, especially those considering diversification. It will include contributions from farmers already using the technology to develop their businesses; it will look at where both suppliers and customers see the future; and will give an insight into some of the practical problems to be overcome in getting the best from the technology.

Date: 2nd November 2000 Time: 9.30 - 4.50
Venue: The Maltings, Ely, Cambridgeshire

Participants will have the opportunity during the day to attend 2 of the following seminars. These are designed to give opportunities to explore issues with people already using the technology in a variety of ways.
A.  Promoting local sales (Paul Robinson-Waterland Organics)
B.  Marketing organic produce (Annette Ward, Organics Online)
C.  Traceability over the internet (Rob Tarrant, Foodtrak)
D.  Farm tourism (Margaret Langton - Norfolk and Suffolk Farm Holiday Group
E.  Direct marketing pork (Steve Hart-Perfect Pork)East Anglia Food Link
Contact: Rosemary Jones
mailto:eafl@gn.apc.org

Irish Society for Information Technology in Agriculture (ISITA)

Friday 17 November 2000: Fourth Conference of the Irish Society for Information Technology in Agriculture: "IT Partnership for Successful Agriculture"
Green Isle Hotel, Naas Road, Dublin 22

Final Programme
- Welcome address: Frank O'Mara, President of ISITA
- Opening Address: Mary O'Rourke, TD, Minister for Public Enterprise

--> Section 1: Delivering services to farmers and the rural community
Chairperson: Pat O'Rourke, President, ICMSA
- Using IT to deliver services to farmers - Philip O'Reilly, Dept of
Agriculture
- Questions and answers
- Teagasc and the Farmer - Pat Murphy, IT Specialist S. Region, Teagasc
- IT Training in the Rural Community - Susan Gallagher, Wicklow Information Network (WIN)

--> Section 2: e-Business in Agriculture and Food
Chairperson: Dr. E.G. O'Riordan, Head, Grange Research Centre, Teagasc
- Supply Chain Partnerships in Agriculture and Food - Seamus Mulconroy, Anderson Consulting
- IT enabling meat production partnerships - Denni O'Brien, IT Manager, The KK Club
- Dairygold online - Virtual Farm Management - Kevin Doody, Manager, Dairygold Online Services
- Conclusion
Mick Harkin, ISITA Secretary
mailto:harkin@iol.ie

e-Commerce developments in Nordic agriculture

PC ownership and internet connectivity among Nordic (Finland, Norway & Sweden) farmers is high, especially in comparison with the rest of Europe. Most farmers use these IT functions for business purposes. But this does not necessarily mean that true e-commerce is taking place.

The Nordic region can be characterised as one of large areas, thinly populated by farmers, with many of the business and social handicaps associated with remoteness. This situation should lend itself to the development of IT systems, and use of the internet.

Nearly all Swedish farmers have a PC, not least because they must – by law – keep detailed farm accounts, something which is nearly impossible without a PC and relevant software. Over 60% of Swedish farmers have an internet connection. Finland is at a slightly lower level. In Finland over 50,000 out of 80,000 farmers have a PC, with the figure being well over 80% for larger farmers (50 hectares plus). About 50% of farmers have an internet connection. Many use this for accounting and banking purposes. In Norway roughly 75% of farmers have a PC and, of those, 50% have an internet connection.

These are impressive figures, but what is the internet used for in these countries (apart for e.mail)?

Business use of the internet is variable. There appears to be extensive use of news and weather information. Prices and product specifications are made available on some sites, and catalogue or auction-style sales are offered. But use of these facilities seems limited so far. For example, less than 10% of the total number of Finnish farmers use the internet to make purchases (though the large majority are confident that use will grow).

Examination of the various web-sites seems to confirm this.

The main players appear to be the farmers’ and farm co-operatives’ organisations. They use their web-sites to provide a range of useful information and communication services for their members (and most farmers are members).

Thus, Finland’s MTK (www.mtk.fi), Sweden’s LRF (www.lrf.se) with its excellent links to the relevant government, advisory and academic sites, and their counterparts in the Federation of Norwegian Agricultural Co-operatives via their portal (www.landbruk.no) all offer a large range of services and links. In some cases they include types of commercial service. For instance, MTK’s magazine Koneviesti has a digital market place for used machines (www.viestilehdet.fi).

In Sweden the LRF site – already 4 years old, getting 100,000 hits per week and in a new stage of development - gives members the ability to trade on-line, though it seems this trade is primarily within the co-operatives’ own supply structure. There is also the challenge of ensuring the content is attractive enough to encourage customers to use the range of facilities.

A feature of agricultural supply within the Nordic region is the important role played by farmers’ organisations in the whole agricultural production chain.

For instance, according to a 1997 study, market share of co-operatives for farm inputs is 40-50% in Finland, and around 75% in Sweden. For some sectors such as dairy products the figures are higher - 94% and 99% in Finland and Sweden respectively. It is perhaps not surprising that ‘neutral’ e-commerce has not taken off swiftly. Nevertheless, it is happening though it may only be embryonic at present. Here are some examples of market places from Finland and Norway.

The most popular addresses for Finnish internet markets are: www.agrimarket.fi for farm commodities); www.valtra.com (tractors); www.K-maatalous.fi (also commodities); www.avena.fi (grains); www.agronet.fi (mainly for extension services). The latter, is funded by the six major agricultural organisations.

In Norway we see the emergence of Farmersfield (www.farmersfield.no) and Farm Friend (www.farmfriend.no). The former is backed by machinery manufacturer and supplier Kverneland, PriceWaterhouseCoopers and by Norsk Hydro. They have expansion plans in Europe, however it remains to be seen whether the e-commerce facilities they advertise will develop fully (the UK web-site explains that the e-commerce service is still under development). Farmers’ co-operatives can be expected to develop their own e-commerce sites in the next months.

In Sweden demand for a neutral source of market information is now being met by the private company Agronomics (www.agronomics.se). They are seeking to marry this with an agronomic advice service for their farmer customers.

It is difficult to find the reason why e-commerce has not yet properly taken off. One argument is that Nordic farmers, despite their familiarity with the latest IT technology, are still not keen to give credit and other personal details on-line and therefore to enable real commerce.

This picture was confirmed at an international dairy conference held in Helsinki in the summer. There was general agreement that the most prevalent aspect of e-commerce in the food industry is in advertising and product information. Customer service and reduced costs would only come in the future.

A measure of e-commerce development can perhaps be found in the number of internet services for agriculture still provided for free (the vast majority in the Nordic region). To be able to charge for services implies that farmers (or other clients) must believe they will benefit from significant added value.

This may lie in the provision of not only news and information, price catalogues and communications systems, but such data married to the ability to trade and, above all, maintain a trading relationship between suppliers and clients. E-commerce, reduced to driving prices and margins down, may not survive. However, internet-based systems allowing trading partners to negotiate on the basis of price, advice and after-sales service, may have a future as they can add to the power of the internet to existing business relationships.

Recent surveys in the US seem to confirm this – farmers have stated that their businesses are built on relationships. The implication is that they wish to have a complete service, which incorporates those relationships, rather than a means to beat down input prices.

Development in internet use in the Nordic region's agricultural sector is rapid. By next spring surveys will probably show a very different picture. They may even show the main players crossing national frontiers. But that brings in another challenge – language.
Contact: Bruce ROSS
mailto:bruceross1@compuserve.com

The Evolution of a Programmer 

High School/Jr.High 
        10 PRINT "HELLO WORLD" 
        20 END 

First year in College 
        program Hello(input, output) 
        begin 
           writeln('Hello World') 
        end. 

Senior year in College 
        (defun hello 
        (print 
        (cons 'Hello (list 'World)))) 

New professional 
        #include 
        void main(void) 
         { 
          char *message[] = {"Hello ", "World"}; 
           int i; 
           for(i = 0; i < 2; ++i) 
             printf("%s", message[i]); 
           printf("\n"); 
         } 

Seasoned professional 
        #include 
        #include 
         class string 
        { 
         private: 
          int size; 
           char *ptr; 
         public: 
           string() : size(0), ptr(new char('\0')) {} 
           string(const string &s) : size(s.size) 
          { 
           ptr = new char[size + 1]; 
           strcpy(ptr, s.ptr); 
           } 
           ~string() 
          { 
           delete [] ptr; 
           } 
           friend ostream &operator <<(ostream &, const string &); 
           string &operator=(const char *); 
          }; 
         ostream &operator<<(ostream &stream, const string &s) 
         { 
           return(stream << s.ptr); 
         } 
         string &string::operator=(const char *chrs) 
         { 
          if (this != &chrs) 
           { 
            delete [] ptr; 
          size = strlen(chrs); 
          ptr = new char[size + 1]; 
             strcpy(ptr, chrs); 
          } 
           return(*this); 
        } 
         int main() 
         { 
           string str; 
           str = "Hello World"; 
           cout << str << endl; 
           return(0); 
         } 

System Administrator 
        #include 
        main() 
        { 
          char *tmp; 
          int i=0; 
          /* on y va bourin */ 
          tmp=(char *)malloc(1024*sizeof(char)); 
          while (tmp[i]="Hello Wolrd"[i++]); 
          /* Ooopps y'a une infusion ! */ 
          i=(int)tmp[8]; 
          tmp[8]=tmp[9]; 
          tmp[9]=(char)i; 
          printf("%s\n",tmp); 
        } 

Apprentice Hacker 
         #!/usr/local/bin/perl 
         $msg="Hello, world.\n"; 
         if ($#ARGV = 0) { 
           while(defined($arg=shift(@ARGV))) { 
             $outfilename = $arg; 
             open(FILE, "" . $outfilename) || die "Can't write $arg: $!\n"; 
             print (FILE $msg); 
             close(FILE) || die "Can't close $arg: $!\n"; 
           } 
         } else { 
           print ($msg); 
         } 
         1; 

Experienced Hacker 
         #include 
         #define S "Hello, World\n" 
         main(){exit(printf(S) == strlen(S) ? 0 : 1);} 

Seasoned Hacker 
         % cc -o a.out ~/src/misc/hw/hw.c 
         % a.out 

Guru Hacker 
         % cat 
         Hello, world. 
         ^D 

New Manager 
         10 PRINT "HELLO WORLD" 
         20 END 

Middle Manager 
         mail -s "Hello, world." bob@b12 
         Bob, could you please write me a program that prints "Hello, 
         world."? 
         I need it by tomorrow. 
         ^D 

Senior Manager 
         % zmail jim 
         I need a "Hello, world." program by this afternoon. 

Chief Executive 
         % letter 
         letter: Command not found. 
         % mail 
         To: ^X ^F ^C 
         % help mail 
         help: Command not found. 
         % damn! 
         !: Event unrecognized 
         % logout 

Thanks to: lebihan@acta-informatique.fr

Paris, 19 October 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants

EFITA 2001 newsletter / 21

Archives of the efita2001 newsletter (with all excellent jokes from Mick HARKIN)

To get the efita2001 messages, you can send a message to 
majordomo@acta-informatique.fr
without any subject and the content of which is:
get liste-efita2001 liste-efita2001.0001
get liste-efita2001 liste-efita2001.0002
get liste-efita2001 liste-efita2001.0003
get liste-efita2001 liste-efita2001.0004
get liste-efita2001 liste-efita2001.0005
get liste-efita2001 liste-efita2001.0006
get liste-efita2001 liste-efita2001.0007
get liste-efita2001 liste-efita2001.0009
get liste-efita2001 liste-efita2001.0010
end

Crop Protection Efficiency in Fruit Growing and Its Impact on Environment and Legislation

January 29, 2001 - Leuven, Belgium, followed by the VIth Workshop on "Spray Application Techniques in Fruit Growing" (January 30-31, 2001)
See: http://www.isk.skierniewice.pl/satfruit.htm
Ir. Peter Jaeken
mailto:gorsem@ping.be

Decision support systems in plant protection in conjunction with EFITA 2001 in Montpellier.

See: http://www.efita.org/efita2001/dss/default.asp
Contact: Iver THYSEN
mailto:iver.thysen@agrsci.dk

Economics and management of agricultural IT in conjunction with EFITA 2001 in Montpellier

Right now I am organising this symposium: I am in search for papers/oral presentations. Very welcome are position papers and/or papers dealing with (examples)
- case studies related to the theme, 
- empirical studies related to the theme, 
- how to evaluate benefits of IT
- how to integrate software modules into IDSS (integrated decision support systems)
- how to organise data exchange across software modules
- how to standardise interfaces 
and other related themes. Please understand the symposium theme in a broad sense. Questions of IT adoption issues (related to the symposium theme) 
may be addressed as well!
Deadline for abstracts: 15. Nov. 2000
Size: 200 to 500 words
Contents: Title, authors, addresses, email and content
Contact: peter WAGNER
mailto:peter.wagner@epost.de

The European Whitefly Studies Network web site

See: http://www.jic.bbsrc.ac.uk/hosting/eu/ewsn
Contact : Ian Bedford
mailto:
whitefly@bemisia.freeserve.co.uk

Occasional information about European e-Work activities

See: http://www.egroups.com/invite/eW2

European e-Work Awards ceremony in Brussels at the Sodehotel-Woluwe, Friday November 3rd, 2000.

Core partner France Telecom and supported by the European Commission 
See: http://www.etw.org/2000/html/Awards/invite.htm

Some examples of agricultural web-sites offering e-commerce possibilities in addition to and other on line information services

-> United Kingdom

* www.folnetworks.com (including www.farmline.com)

The best ISP in UK agriculture is FOL Networks' FOL Agriculture service (also known as Farming On-Line). The new web-site has been up and running since the summer. There is a wide range of services, including various possibilities for e-commerce, news services, and web design and other technical support. One sophisticated product is their milk quota trading service - milkquota.com. There is a large number of links to other sites, the latest of which is Terra (fertilisers etc) and including other major players such as Allied Grain, Kemira, Zeneca, British Sugar and ACT.

FOL Networks now has approx. 25.000 subscribers and is the major player in the UK market-place. As a company with about 5 years' operations in the market-place it is very experienced in internet terms.

* www.fwi.co.uk

This is the web-site of the major UK agricultural magazine Farmers Weekly. It offers an auction market facility - fwi-exchange - basically farmer to farmer though the number of trades actually made is unclear.

* www.farmgate.co.uk

This the web-site of the publishing company Miller Freeman's agricultural magazine. As with fwi a farmer to farmer auction is offered. Apparently a catalogue-style sales service will be offered this autumn ("farmgate transact").

* www.farmshop.net

This site sells allows produce sales direct from the farm to the consumer.

Other sites include those of individual companies and associations. 
Several companies, for example www.globalfarmers.com and www.farmersfield.com, have sites, which promise interesting possibilities for the future (eg.e-commerce). Agrifirst (of France) and Farmpartner (of Germany) are also expected on the UK market.

-> Germany

* www.farmpartner.com

This seems to be the only site operating comprehensive services at national level. It is a private company backed by banks and venture capital funds and was started a few months ago. It offers a product auction service, for example for machinery and cereals. Farmpartner has expanded into France in recent weeks.

* www.farmworld.de

Backed by a major machinery dealer, and concentrates on machinery sales (though it could expand). There is limited access to the on-line sales auction for machinery. Spare parts are sold via a catalogue-style service.

* www.agriexchange.de

It covers both inputs and outputs but is regionally-based (Bavaria).

* www.hsr-vertrieb.de

Also regionally-oriented (north-east Germany, the hsr standing for hanse-saater-rostok) and concentrated on seeds and fertilisers.

* www.raiffeisen.com

This is the co-operative organisation's web-site, just becoming active. It operates nationally, but includes the regional operations of the various co-operatives in the Länder.

* www.landhandel.de

This is the web-site of a private "dealer" organisation, also becoming active.

There are many more web-sites in operation, though not claiming to offer e-commerce.

* Norway

* www.farmersfield.com

farmersfield seems to be the biggest operator and has ambitions to expand elsewhere in Europe. It is based at Kverneland, the major machinery manufacturer in Norway. Norsk Hydro/Hydro Agri is involved. It has yet to become really active.

* www.farmfriend.com 

Again this web-site is not really active.

Conclusion: there are many sites, but the majority is more talk than action when it comes to actively offering e-commerce possibilities. I would be interested in any information others have on the same subject.

Contact: Bruce ROSS
mailto:bruceross1@compuserve.com

First Indian National Conference on Agro Informatics (NCAI)

Venue: Dharwad - Dates: 3-4, June 2001.

Organised by Indian Society of Agricultural Information Technology (INSAIT)
University of Agricultural Sciences Campus, Dharwad ­ 580 005, Karnataka.
INDIA.

The Conference will be held in Bangalore from 3-4, June 2001 and will be organised by INSAIT. INSAIT, a non-profit organisation, was launched during August 2000, at Dharwad, Karnataka, INDIA.
The main objectives of the society are: 
1) To promote agricultural information technology for the benefit of Indian Agriculture.
2) To serve as an effective link between information technology and agriculture/allied industries for achieving sustainable growth in agricultural sector.

Objective of the Conference
To provide a common platform for farmers, agricultural technologists, IT professionals, agri business entrepreneurs and policy makers to evolve strategies for food and livelihood securities.

Themes of the conference 
1) IT applications in planning and development of sustainable agro ecosystems.
2) GIS applications in resource management.
3) Precision farming technologies.
4) Modelling of cropping/farming systems.
5) DBMS as a tool in agricultural information services.
6) DSS and Expert Systems
7) Socio-economic issues of agricultural IT.
8) Network based transfer of technology.
9) e-Agribusiness.

Registration fee: Members of INSAIT Rs. 800/-. Non-members Rs. 1,000/-.

Deadlines:
1) Sending participation form   : 30th November 2000.
2) Submitting of abstracts      : 31st December 2000.
3) Submitting of full papers    : 31st January 2001.
4) Registration                 : 1st March 2001.

Contact: Dr. V.C.PATIL
mailto:vcpatil@usa.net

You have just received the "IRISH VIRUS".

As we don't have any programming experience, this Virus works on the honour system. Please delete all the files on your hard drive manually and forward this Virus to everyone on your mailing list.

Thank you for your co-operation.
Contact: Mick HARKIN
mailto:harkin@iol.ie

About the EFITA 2001 mailing list

The liste-efita2001 mailing list is dedicated to the preparation of the EFITA 2001 congress, which will be held in Montpellier (South of France) on 18-20 June 2001. Please note that you can use this moderated list to announce any event / product / web site / joke… related to IT in agriculture and send me all e-mail addresses of people, who might be interested in the EFITA2001 congress.
See: http://genie.ensam.inra.fr/agroTIC2001/3events.htm
If you do not wish to receive our messages, please, send me a message at:
mailto:waksman@acta-informatique.fr

Paris, 24 October 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants

EFITA 2001 newsletter / 22

EFITA 2001

We already got more than 120 abstracts. Please send the abstracts of your contribution as soon as possible...
See: http://genie.ensam.inra.fr/agroTIC2001/3events.htm

E-Commerce and Electronic Markets in Agribusiness and Supply Chains - 75th European Seminar of the EAAE

February 14-16, 2001, Germany
See: http://uf.ilb.uni-bonn.de/eaae/index.html

APDTICA : International Seminar "Digital Agriculture" (Sorry: it is a little bit too late)

26 October 2000 - 14:00 - Pavilhão de Exposições - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - Lisboa - Portugal

14:00: Opening
Eng. Carlos Amaral (Presidente of the Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrárira)
14:30: Information Technology Adoption in Agriculture
Ehud Gelb (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Israel)
15:00: Information and Communication Technologies in Agricultural Research
Guido Bonati (Instituto Nazional di Economia Agraria, Italy)
15:30: Internet based Farm Extension / Advisory Services
Ian Houseman (ADAS International, United Kingdom)
16:00: Coffee break
16:30: Information and Communication Technologies in Farm Management
Guy Walkman (Association de Coordination Technique Agricole, France) 
17:00: New Information and Communication Technologies in the Brasilian Agriculture
Arthur da Silva (Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brasil)
17:30: Information and Communication Technologies in Agri Chains: Challenges for the Future
George Beers (Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Netherlands)
18:00: Launching of APDTICA - Associação Portuguesa para o Desenvolvimento das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação na Agricultura 
Organizing Committee - Pedro A. Pinto, Miguel C. Neto e Luis M. da Silva (Instituto Superior de Agronomia); António C. Pinheiro (Universidade de Évora); Francisco Mira (Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária); José Pedro Salema (FZ Agro-Gestão)
18:30: European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment and International Events
George Beers (EFITA President)
Guy Waksman (Association de Coordination Technique Agricole, France)
Arthur da Silva (Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brasil) 
See: http://agricultura.isa.utl.pt/apdtica/

List of agricultural web sites (in English) published in a paper edited by the EC

Retail exchanges
http://www.global-netxchange.com
http://www.novapoint.com
http://www.foodtrader.com
http://www.freemarkets.com
http://www.suppliermarket.com

Logistics and Transport
http://www.levelseas.com
http://www.gocargo.com,
http://www.quoteship.com

Livestock Auctions
http://www.cattleofferings.com
http://www.breednet.com
http://www.farms.com

Fertiliser
http://www.ifi.ie
http://www.gouldings.ie/

Feed
http://www.bibbyireland.co.uk/
http://www.gpfeeds.co.uk/
http://www.bocmpauls.co.uk/feedsecure/index.htm
http://www.homefarm.com/hfg

Flower Market
http://www.farmfreshflowers.com
http://www.onlink.net/~discount/discount.htm

Producer Sites
http://www.britishsugar.co.uk

Fish Auctions
http://www.pefa.com
http://www.seafoodreport.com/

Nut and rice & wine, fruit
http://www.agex.com/
http://www.wineryexchange.com/jsp/index.jsp
http://www.efruitinternational.com/

Veterinary Supplies
http://www.americanlivestock.com,
http://www.directag.com/directag/buydirect/animal/0,1568,,00.html

Agricultural Chemicals
http://www.eharvest.com/agchemical/

Fuel
http://www.dennispetroleum.com/petroleum.cfm

Machinery
www.renault-agriculture.com
www.terre-net.fr
www.tractomarket.com
www.matagrinet.com

Equipment
http://www.agri-supply.com
http://www.farmequipmentauctions.com/

Land
http://www.landandfarm.com/

Insurance
http://www.rcis.com

Loans
http://www.amconline.co.uk/

Quota Auction 
http://www.milkquota.com

Legal services
www.foodtrader.com

Banking
http://www.Barclays.com

Official Publications
http://www.nfu.org.uk/ http://www.hgca.co.uk/,
http://www.maff.gov.uk
http://www.oecd.org
http://www.wto.org
http://www.fwi.co.uk
http://www.hoards.com/
http://www.Agrihelp.com
http://www.Farmline.com

Market information / research
http://www.AgCentralOnline, http://www.agex.com/,
http://www.forester.com

Weather information
http://www.rpl.com.au/farming/,
http://progressivefarmer.com/weather/default.asp

Library, Links & Chat
http://www.AgCentralOnline
http://www.cannylink.com/agriculture.htm
http://www.cattleauctionsusa.com/links.htm
http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/2000/links.htm
http://www.agcentralonline.com/
http://www.rural.org/Farmers_Guide/Agriculture/Ag_Companies.htm

Advice / Research
http://www.lic.co.nz/index.html
http://www.AgrNet.ie
http://www.directag.com/directag/expert/
http://www.fwi.co.uk/live/markets/mlcfront.html
http://www.cattlemail.com/
http://www.AgriNet.ie
http://www.maff.gov.uk
http://www.AgriNet.ie
http://www.AgriNet.ie
http://www.AgCentralOnline
http://www.amconline.co.uk/amc/html/home/frameset.html
http://www.farms.com/
http://www.farmline.com/folclub/fol.asp
http://www.Foodtrader.com
http://www.agex.com/
http://www.123Ag.com
http://www.Rooster.com/
http://www.Agrinet.com
http://www.rpl.com.au/farming/
http://www.@gricultureOnline
http://wwwXSAg.com
http://www.Farmbid.com
http://www.DirectAg.com
http://www.Agribuys.com
http://www.sleeping-giant.ie/agriweb/index.html
http://dsa-isis.jrc.it

Enhancing consumer confidence
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/press_communication/feira.htm_(Lisbon)
http://www.agforum.org/presentations.html
http://dsa-isis.jrc.it/ECF/index.html (eConfidence Forum)
http://www.gbd.org/ (Global business dialogue)
http://www.bain.com/capabilities/eiu.html (Company Report)
http://barn.ccta.gov.uk/eforum/e-envoy.nsf (e-forum)

Australian and American people

An Australian is having his coffee, croissants, bread, butter & jam, when an American man, chewing gum, sits next to him and starts an unwanted conversation.
American:  "You Australians eat the whole bread?"
Australian:  "Of course"
American (blowing bubble with his gum):  "We don't. In the States, we only eat what's inside.  The crusts, we collect in a container, recycle them, transform them into croissants and sell them to Australia.
American: Do you eat jam with the bread?"
Australian:  Of course
American (Chuckling and crackling his gum between his teeth): We don't. In the States we eat fresh fruit for breakfast, put all the peels, seeds and leftovers into containers, recycle them into jam and sell it to Australia.
Australian:  "Do you have sex in America?"
American with a big smirk: " Of course we do"
Australian: "And what do you do with the used condoms?"
American: "Throw them away of course"
Australian:  "We don't.  We put them in a container, recycle them, melt them down into chewing gum and sell it to America"
Contact: Mick HARKIN
mailto: harkin@iol.ie

Paris, 28 November 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants

EFITA 2001 newsletter / 23

EFITA 2001

We already got more than 110 abstracts. Please send the abstracts of your contribution as soon as possible...
See: http://genie.ensam.inra.fr/agroTIC2001/3events.htm

Ag Chem Forum

12-15 March 2001 - The Barbican - London
See: http://www.agchemforum.com

New agricultural supply trade site in the UK

Voir : http://www.a-trade.co.uk

IBAS: Internet based farm extension /Advisory Services

Since the late 1970’s ADAS has been involved in the development and delivery of electronic information services to farmers and others engaged in the agricultural sector. Early experiences were based on simple videotex technologies and aimed at providing a range of information to farmers and growers. In 1990 this activity ceased because the costs of providing the service could not be recovered from the users or the service providers.
During the late 1990’s, interest in Internet technologies developed strongly and a joint venture service called the Rural Business Network was launched by ADAS, the National Farmers’ Union and the Country Landowners Association. This met with limited success as a private network based on subscriptions and it was later transferred to the Internet. The site can be accessed free and is to be found at www.rbnet.co.uk
The site is made up of a number of user group areas, each with information of particular interest to that group. ADAS has a large number of groups, some of which are for ADAS only use and others which are shared with clients. ADAS technical and business information is disseminated to clients through this means.
In 2000, ADAS, along with United Business Media, launched an Internet service for farmers and agribusiness called Farmgate. This service was designed to provide on-line trading, the purchase and sale of goods and technical and financial information. This service was aimed at the increasing numbers of farmers who were using computers in their business and the rising interest in the Internet. The service, which was launched at the Royal show in July, can be found at www.farmgate.co.uk
Ian Houseman - ADAS
mailto: Ian.Houseman@adas.co.uk

Linking Environment And Farming

The LEAF handbook for integrated farm management - A practical guide for the adoption of integrated farming - 84 pages - £5.00)
See: http://www.leafuk.org

Wine Club

www.wine-alley.com is a virtual Club for all those interested in wine in both a professional and personal capacity.
On the site you can talk to others about wine, buy and sell and have access to the best professional sources.  Already we have more than 3700 members!  By the end of the year we confidently expect this to swell to 10,000.
Club members use the Newsgroup of www.wine-alley.com to exchange information and experiences.  Only the other day someone asked how much a certain rare wine was worth, I asked for more information about the grape variety, which doesn't grow in France. Currently there have been more than 688 questions and replies.
There is also the small ads column.
Among the 15 adverts placed this week there have been some really good deals including a magnum of 1945 Pichon Lalande and a 1947 Cheval blanc!
Let me make it clear - www.wine-alley.com itself does not sell or buy wine: we simply offer our members the facilities for making their own arrangements.
www.wine-alley.com is also a site supplying information in real time, particularly the latest news from winegrowers and makers via the French Press Agency (AFP).  We also have a database of more than 21,000 wines with information supplied directly to the site by winegrowers co-operatives and specialist magazines.
See: http://www.wine-alley.com
François Xavier BODIN
mailto:fx.bodin@winealley.com

AGRELMA, an agricultural market place developed in Italy

Since October 2000, AGRELMA is present on the Internet. AGRELMA is a Telematic Stock Exchange for agrifood products. The preliminary marketing study of this e-commerce market place was realised thanks to the support of the European Commission DG XIII.

AGRELMA is divided into two areas:
- a Telematic Stock Exchange of agrifood products, which is reserved to subscribers
- an European Show of Agriculture, which is a free area

In the reserved area, the Telematic Stock Exchange enables direct contacts between operators of the agrifood sectors, and in particular: Fruits and Vegetables, Wine, Oil, Cheese, Cereals, Meat, Fish, Plants and Flowers,

The following advantages for the offerers are:
- Widening of their market
- Possibility of not having to undergo speculations, possible, instead, on reduced markets 
- Higher returns achievable 
- Opportunity to sell beforehand the products 

And for the buyers: 
- Immediate satisfaction of their needs, with greater choosing power
- Increasing of the number of their suppliers
- Possibility to face better the moments of great market demand 
- Reduction of costs 

For the processing industries, with anticipated purchases, the possibility to improve the planning of production and to face eventual greater and not foreseen requirements of the market. 
All in a reserved environment.

In its “logistics” section, AGRELMA supports transportation with: 
- Indicative transport costs 
- Service of sample forwarding 
- Indications of specific hauliers interested in the sector 
- Insertion of load orders on the European Freight Exchange  

In its area free to all Internet navigators, but visited mostly by agrifood operators, AGRELMA offers the following opportunities 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

In the “Show Room” section the agrifood producers can present their firms and their products with catalogues and price lists, increasing their exposition and visibility in the entire world with the pages dedicated to them or by sending visitors to their site, if it already exists.

In the section “Agricultural machines and equipment”, suppliers can present their firm and products with photos and catalogues.

In the “Seeds and Fertilisers” section, offerers can show their firms and the quality of their products.

In the “Agritourism” section, producers that operate in the agritourism sector can present their firm and services that will be consulted by everybody that wants to plan touristic tours or residences in nature.

In the “Services" section, professional organisations may present themselves and communicate to their members about their initiatives.

Specific hauliers or interested in the agrifood sector can insert their logo and characteristics of their firm and give information on the speciality and destinations.
Professional consultants can present the assistance that they are able to give to the firms of the various sectors. 
Insurance companies can present their policy conditions and give indications for the telematic stipulation.
Banks can show their offers particularly dedicated to the sector.
Demands and offers of seasonal or full-time work can be inserted and read by all.

The “On-line sources” section enables to look at Community's, national, and regional measures, relative to agrifood productions, and quality norms.

Series of useful “links” permit to know market quotations of world stock exchanges and currency exchanges, as well as weather forecasts.

See: http://www.agrelma.com
Contact : Roberto GRUSOVIN
mailto:grusovin@agrelma.com

" Letter of Recommendation " to Human Resources Dept.
To Whom It May Concern:

Bob Smith, my assistant programmer, can always be found
hard at work in his cubicle. Bob works independently, without
wasting company time talking to colleagues. Bob never
thinks twice about assisting fellow employees, and he always
finishes given assignments on time. Often, Bob takes extended
measures to complete his work, sometimes skipping coffee
breaks. Bob is an individual who has absolutely no
vanity in spite of his high accomplishments and profound
knowledge in his field. I firmly believe that Bob can be
classified as a high-caliber employee, the type that cannot be
dispensed with. Consequently, I duly recommend that Bob be
promoted to executive management, and a proposal will be
executed as soon as possible.
Regards,
Project Leader

KEEP READING...

Shortly thereafter, the HR Department received the following memo from the Project Leader:
Sorry, but that idiot was reading over my shoulder while I wrote the report sent to you earlier today. Kindly read only the ODD numbered lines for my real assessment.

Contact: Mick HARKIN
mailto: harkin@iol.ie

Paris, 5 December 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants

EFITA 2001 newsletter / 24

Details of the EFITA 2001 conference - Prof. Francis SÉVILA

1. Call of proposal for refereed full papers will be close on December 15th!
It took a significant amount of time, after the official deadlines, for paper proposers to finally send us their proposal. We will be finally closing the call for proposals on December 15th. We have now a list of 130 abstracts arrived in our files...
We are processing them with our different partners from the EFITA network, and together with Jerome STEFFE, our conference scientific manager. We will send the acceptance decisions to authors very soon.
Full papers, maximum 6 pages, will be due on Monday, January the 29th for refereeing and corrections. We need to send our files for printing by April 30th: with such a schedule, we are lucky to work only with Email transmission of files!
Please do not forget that colleagues wanting to present their work can also use the abstract proposals schedule (deadline May 15th) with a 2 pages abstract published in a book of abstracts, and a poster presentation at the conference.

2. Cost figures
Cost for the EFITA 2001 conference are as follows:

Members of one of the EFITA national societies:
Before April 30th: 2700FF (approx. 410 EUROS)
After April 30th: 3000FF (approx. 460 EUROS)

Non members:
Before April 30th: 3000FF (approx. 460 EUROS)
After April 30th: 3300FF (approx. 510 EUROS)

Students:
1500FF (approx. 230 EUROS)

This price includes:
* Access to the EFITA 2001 conference, with morning and afternoon coffee breaks;
* Books of proceedings of full refereed papers of the EFITA2001 conference (except for the student fees);
* Two get-together evening and night dinning parties (see program below of the Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th evenings);
* Access to the two joined parallel events (3ECPA European conference on precision agriculture: we have received 180 papers for this conference), and the AgroTIC commercial forum (we are expecting between 50 and 90 commercial firms to show their products on stands, commercial speeches, products demonstrations, and users comments);
* A book of the abstracts for the EFITA 2001 and 3ECPA conferences;
* Proceedings of full papers on a CD-ROM, common for the EFITA2001 and the 3ECPA conferences.

On January 15th we will distribute through Email and our web site, the registration form for the conference and the reservation form for the hotels.

3. Special events
We have decided to design our conferences special events around the attractive place we will be in, and the probable fabulous weather of these longest Mediterranean nights that we have here on the third week of June. 

The conference centre is in the middle of the Montpellier medieval and very active tourist place. This is why we have decided not to include lunches in the conference events. We will send all of you outside in the Mediterranean ambience at lunchtime. More than a hundred restaurants are at walking distance: small or big; cheap or less cheap; outside under tree shade terrace type or under medieval arches or in shopping mall; in the middle of narrow medieval streets; international or very French; Mediterranean foods; sandwiches; etc. All these restaurants are among the cheerful crowd of this pedestrian downtown area.
We will manage the conference schedule in order to have a little bit more time for lunch than usual (which means earlier and later working times!- but these days are the longest in the year!).

On Monday evening we will have first a concert at the XII-century huge Montpellier Cathedral: a choir is preparing this whole year, in order to sing for us, the "Requiem" of Gabriel Faure, with the music of the Cathedral organ. We expect to record this concert in order to make a CDROM distributed to everybody). Then, we will jump to our campus to have a dinning and wine tasting and drinking party among our Mediterranean gardens, with student music, songs and plays around us. Our Agricultural University is also the biggest place in France for teaching and research for grape production and wine processing.

On Tuesday evening, we will have a fascinating night, on a farm of the Camargue marshes area, with young bulls training ("ferrade") by cowboys teams ("gardians"), with cow racing in the farm arena (we look for candidates to catch the flower between the cow horns!), and gypsies songs and dances. Full Mediterranean dinner will be served among these events in this very attractive Camargue farm.

We will also be proposing accompanying persons tourist program (we try to negotiate not too expensive prices).

We are working quite hard to make the EFITA2001 a memorable event, both scientifically and personally.

Contact: Francis Sévila 
mailto:sevila@ensam.inra.fr

Symposium "Economics and management of agricultural IT" in conjunction with EFITA 2001 in Montpellier

It is still possible to send abstracts (for oral presentation)! 
Very welcome are position papers and/or papers dealing with (examples) 
- case studies related to the theme, 
- empirical studies related to the theme, 
- how to evaluate benefits of IT 
- how to integrate software modules into IDSS (integrated decision support systems) 
- how to organise data exchange across software modules 
- how to standardise interfaces and other related themes. 
Please understand the symposium theme in a broad sense. 
Questions of IT adoption issues (related to the symposium theme) may be addressed as well! 
Deadline for abstracts: 15. Dec. 2000
Contact: Peter WAGNER
mailto:peter.wagner@epost.de
See: http://www.weihenstephan.de/ui/efita/index.html

Know your rights

The Intellectual Property Rights Helpdesk is a European Commission pilot project to assist EU-funded Research and Technological Development (RTD) contractors with Intellectual Property (IP) related issues.

In order to personally assist the RTD community with IP matters, the IPR-Helpdesk has established a FREE Helpline service.

This Helpline is available either by telephone (+352 47 11 11 1) or by e-mail (info@ipr-helpdesk.org) and even direct from our website (http://www.cordis.lu/ipr-helpdesk)

Questions to our team of legal experts can be asked in any official language of the European Union and will normally be answered within two working days, depending upon the complexity of the question. The Helpline deal with a wide variety of IP questions ranging from 'licensing' to 'consortium agreements' and many other 'IP issues' that arise when undertaking research activities.

If you have any IP questions that you would like to put to our team of Legal experts, just pick up the telephone, dial +352 47 11 11 1 or send an e-mail to info@ipr-helpdesk.org and let the IPR-Helpdesk Helpline deal with any IP matters you wish to have clarified.

The Helpline service is just one of the free services of the IPR-Helpdesk, which also includes an extensive multilingual website of more than 7,000 pages of information. Tutorials and guides are also available in a number of EU languages in order to help the RTD community and SME's with specific IP related information.

The IPR-Helpdesk is also organising a series of Seminars and Training Days details of which can be found on our website. Please note if you do not have easy access to the internet then you can request a free copy of the latest IPR-Helpdesk CD-ROM which contains a complete off-line copy of our website and all the tutorials and guides including the esp@cenet tutorial developed by the IPR-Helpdesk to help laypersons understand and use effectively the European Patent Office free esp@cenet database. To order your free copy send an e-mail to promo@ipr-helpdesk.org

See: http://www.ipr-helpdesk.org
Contact: Intellectual Property Rights Helpdesk
mailto:info@ipr-helpdesk.org

Comprehending IT - Take One

An IT guy was walking across the park when another IT guy rode up to him on a shiny new bike. The first IT guy said, "Wow! Where did you get such a great bike?"

"Well", the second IT guy began, "I was walking along yesterday minding my own business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike
to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want." The second IT guy nodded approvingly, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit."

Paris, 13 December 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants

EFITA 2001 newsletter / 25

Next AGRIMMEDIA meetings organised in France

30 January 2001: The "digital gap" between rural and urban people
20 February 2001: e-commerce in European agriculture, within the framework of SIMA, Paris show of agricultural
Fees : 400 FF - Language: French.
Contact : Guy Waksman
mailto:waksman@acta-informatique.fr

ICT Adoption for the Future – the Lessons are here today

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) had and have a profound impact on the agricultural sector. ICT has revolutionised production and enhanced its integration, influenced regional and national organisational structures, shifted economic priorities and established tools to promote rural well being. It is imperative to understand the processes that evolved and identify the agents of change. In fact a better understanding will enable the rural sector as a sector to survive, maintain it’s traditional contribution to society and benefits for all. 
In the early 1960’s IT (alias computer use) in agriculture was characterised initially as “doing the same” but better and faster with e.g. large central computer units and linear programming - thrust on to the agricultural sector by hardware, software and service providers. The impact was initially local and focused on production and management.  Since then ICT evolved - first to do “more of the same”, in additional areas and then “different” things – e.g. iterative modeling. Today we witness specific ICT adaptations - integration of e.g. production and environmental variables; on-line, real-time support of decisions; varied and integrated process control with decision making capability; longer term decision horizon and risk management integration; real-time site-specific spatial knowledge management, with more - and more to come.
ICT facilitated larger decision units e.g. a larger “logical” unit rather than geographical ownership units e.g. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) on regional, national basis and multinational scales. Whereas the IPM concept was not new adopting ICT ensured effectiveness via population modelling, environmental monitoring, real-time information management, universal dissemination and efficient control implementation. The economics were initially formidable and inhibited ICT adoption. The cost effectiveness of ICT and knowledge generation today is a stimulant and within reach of individual producers.
The organisational impact is widespread. We now take for granted e.g. ICT enabled vertical integration of production chains. These have added to the traditional market pattern of “selling what you have” to out of season supply of agricultural products specifically produced to order – within a cross-border, globalized market. The market place itself is changing e.g. the virtual market for flowers and video cattle auctions. 
Additional “organisational” aspects include regional facility integration of e.g. agro-meteorology, education and training facilities, regional R&D - all established to attain the new capabilities needed by all sector participants. Redefinition of the relationship between urban and rural economies, the roles of extension, R&D and services are additional examples of these aspects; national public funding responsibilities e.g. for “agricultural and rural” (regional, wireless?) ICT infrastructure development is another, and more.
Experience indicates that investment in understanding ICT adoption processes is as important as ICT development itself. As an agricultural sector we are expected to define for the future what ICT to request, from whom, what for and for whom. Establishing a mechanism to do so is a critical success factor as are end-user and rural community involvement. These with technological innovation and associations such as the Portuguese Association for ICT in Agriculture will go a long way to enhance the major potential benefits from ICT adoption. 
Contact: Ehud GELB 
mailto:gelb@agri.huji.ac.il

Interested in hedges ?

Have a look at HEDGES, the Web site on Europe's hedges, for a full range of information including Hedges News, a periodically issued newsletter, or the Search section to consult document contributions from various sources.
See: http://www.educagri.fr/hedges 
Contact: Vincent TOURRET 
mailto:
vtourret@association-idf.com

Breaking news: Serbia deploys peacekeepers in USA

BELGRADE - Serbian president Vojislav Kostunica deployed more than 30,000 peacekeeping troops to the U.S. Monday, pledging full support to the troubled North American nation as it struggles to establish democracy.

"We must do all we can to support free elections in America and allow democracy to gain a foothold there," Kostunica said. "The U.S. is a major player in the Western Hemisphere and its continued stability is vital to Serbian interests in that region." Kostunica urged Al Gore, the U.S. opposition-party leader who is refusing to recognise the nation's Nov. 7 election results, to "let the democratic process take its course." "Mr. Gore needs to acknowledge the will of the people and concede that he has lost this election," Kostunica said.
"Until America's political figures learn to respect the institutions that have been put in place, the nation will never be a true democracy."
Serbian forces have been stationed throughout the U.S., with an emphasis on certain trouble zones. Among them are Oregon, Florida, and eastern Tennessee, where Gore set up headquarters in Bush territory. An additional 10,000 troops are expected to arrive in the capital city of Washington, D.C. by Friday.

Though Kostunica has pledged to work with U.S. leaders, he did not rule out the possibility of economic sanctions if the crisis is not resolved soon. "For democracy to take root and flourish, it must be planted in the rich soil of liberty. And the cornerstone of liberty is elections free of tampering or corruption" Kostunica said. "Should America prove itself incapable of learning this lesson on its own, the international community may be forced to take stronger measures."

Contact: Geoff SANSOME
mailto:geoff.sansome@adas.co.uk

Paris, 27 December 2000
From Guy Waksman to liste-efita2001@acta-informatique.fr participants

EFITA 2001 newsletter / 26

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                |  @___oo   (                                         )_
      /\  /\   / (___,,,}_--=                                           )
     ) /^\) ^\/ _)        =__             Best wishes from              )
     )   /^\/   _)          (_            ACTA Informatique             )
     )   _ /  / _)            (           for the new year              )
 /\  )/\/ ||  | )_)            (_                                      _)
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 ||      /    \)___)\             (_                                 __)
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EFITA2001 - Montpellier 18-20 June, 2001

We wish you a happy New Year, and hope to meet you in Montpellier (South of France) next June to discuss the future of ICT for agriculture, food industry, environment and rural areas.
We wish to remind you that this newsletter is not only developed to provide you about information related to the EFITA 2001 congress.
We also hope to collect and disseminate through this newsletter all kinds of information about your new web sites, models, software programmes, extension methods, training tools, experiences... and jokes (to make live funnier!).
See: http://genie.ensam.inra.fr/agroTIC2001/3events.htm

E-commerce in European agriculture - Colloquium SIMA - Paris Agricultural show - Villepinte (F) - 20 February 2001 - 2 p.m to 6 p.m

This 13th colloquium organised by ACTA Informatique with collaboration of French ministry of Agriculture (ENESAD-CNERTA) within the framework of activities initiated through the AGRIMMEDIA project (ESPRIT EU programme), aims at presenting the use of e-commerce in European agriculture.
Testimonies presented during the colloquium will cover organisational, marketing, legal, security aspects of e-commerce, and will show advantages and difficulties met. 
A first part will be dedicated to the situation in Nordic countries, United Kingdom and Germany, and a second part will gather testimonies of French e-commerce service providers.
Thus this colloquium will provide participants with a precise image of the situation of agricultural e-commerce today in France and in Europe.
The archives of the previous AGRIMMEDIA meetings are available at:
http://www.acta-informatique.fr/prodetserv.htm

From 4 January to 30 January 2001, election of the best French agricultural site

The users of Internet services dedicated to agriculture, farm equipment, food industry, and rural areas' activities, are invited to elect their most favoured web sites. They have this possibility by answering the questionnaire at:
http://www.acta-informatique.fr/favoris.htm
The results of this vote will be presented for the above colloquium.
A gift (6 bottles of wine) will be offered to one of the people who will have accepted to participate to the vote and the service elected will be nominated as the "agricultural web site of the year".

ACTA newsletter in French

ACTA is editing a weekly newsletter in French, dedicated to ICT for agriculture and rural areas and called "Du côté du web et de l'informatique agricole". This newsletter has more than 9800 subscribers. It is possible to subscribe this newsletter at:
http://www.acta-informatique.fr
Contact: Guy Waksman
mailto:waksman@acta.asso.fr

Announcement of 1st World Congress of Computers in Agriculture and Natural Resources - Iquassu Falls, Brazil, September 19-21, 2001

We are pleased to announce the organization of the World Congress of Computers in Agriculture and Natural Resources. This significant, history-making event is a joint effort of several international organizations that have been promoting Conferences in the general field of Information and Communication Technology Applied to Agriculture and Agribusiness. The event is sponsored by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) and the Sociedade Brasileira de Informatica Aplicada a Agropucuaria e Agroindustria (SBI/Agro). It is also co-sponsored by many leading international organizations in the field, including EFITA and AFITA. The event will be held in Iquassu Falls, Brazil, September 19-21, 2001.
See: http://wcca.ifas.ufl.edu

Do you know what would have happened...

...if it had been Three Wise Women instead of Three Wise Men?

They would have asked directions,
Arrived on time,
Helped deliver the baby,
Cleaned the stable,
Made a casserole,
Brought practical gifts, and
There would be Peace on Earth.

(Girls don't read this bit, it's all lies!!??)

However, they would also have taken 15 minutes attempting to back their donkeys into a huge parking space,
Left all the Christmas CD's lying around out of their cases,
Only asked directions because of their inability to read a map,
Kicked their shoes off in the stable and left them there for weeks,
Thrown away all the important post that Joseph still needed,
Got into a huff for no apparent reason,
And thought that Herod was a lovely man and the only reason you didn't like him was because you were jealous of his job, and can't a man buy me a drink without you automatically thinking he's some kind of baby murdering mad-man.
God, you're so insecure

Contact: Geoff SANSOME
mailto:geoff.sansome@adas.co.uk

Notice of revocation of independence

To the citizens of the United States of America,

In the light of your failure to elect a President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today.

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories. Except Utah, which she does not fancy. Your new Prime minister (The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.

To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium". Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary". Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up "interspersed".

2. There is no such thing as "US English". We will let Microsoft know on your behalf.

3. You should learn to distinguish the English and Australian accents. It really isn't that hard.

4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys.

5. You should relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.

6. You should stop playing American "football". There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays "American" football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or earing full kevlar body armour like nancies). We are hoping to get together at least a US rugby sevens side by 2005.

7. You should declare war on Quebec and France, using nuclear weapons if they give you any trouble. The 98.85% of you who were not aware that there is a world outside your borders should count yourselves lucky. The Russians have never been the bad guys.

8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 8th will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called "Indecisive Day".

9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are crap and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean.

10. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Contact: Dr. Birgid B. Schlindwein
mailto:schlind@weihenstephan.de