Paris, 27 September 2004
EFITA newsletter / 177 / European Federation for Information
Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment
Internet via satellite (in French)
See: http://www.acta-informatique.fr?d=5783
Geotraceability
5 October 2004 - France - Auch
See: http://www.efita.net?d=5193
Call for papers: EFITA / WCCA 2005 Joint Conference
+ The 5th Conference of the European Federation for Information Technology
in Agriculture, Food and Environment and
+ The 3rd World Congress on Computers in Agriculture and Natural
Resources
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal, 25 - 28
July 2005
See: http://www.agriculturadigital.org/efitaandwcca2005
4 th ECOTOX Conference - Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecotoxicology and Risk Management
2-3 December - Darmstadt (Germany)
See: http://www.akademie-fresenius.de/newframeset.php?MainTopic=Veranstaltungen&Topic=biozide&Content=AktuelleVeranstaltungen
ICT for Agriculture : Opportunity, Innovation, and Profit (ISITA
Workshop 2004)
28 October 2004 - Keadeen Hotel, Newbridge, Co. Kildare - Ireland
Guest Speaker-Facilitator: Ian Houseman, Deputy Head of ADAS International
> ISITA Workshop 2004
Following the success of the ISITA Workshop2003, we are repeating the workshop
setting again this year with an invited audience. Participants will be invited
from farming and farm business sectors and agencies: Software providers, educators/trainers,
farming groups, IFA, ACC, ICMSA, Macra na Feirme, ICSA, ICA, LEADER Companies,
Department of Agriculture, Information Society Commission, e-Government agri-industry,
ACA, ASA, IFAC, Technical and Business Services (Teagasc), Agricultural Contractors
Association, Co-operatives, private practices, Banks, etc.
The event will employ a workshop format. Attendees will form into working groups.
A number of key issues will be introduced by the Facilitator and used to stimulate
discussion in the groups. Additional issues will emerge from the discussions.
Participants will be assigned to co-ordinate the working groups and to record
the discussion points and outcomes with a view to their publication. Each group
will report its findings to the meeting for discussion.
The ISITA Workshop 2004 will discuss a range of themes, which comprise a balance
sheet of where Irish farming and agribusiness use of ICT is today and where
it may be going in the future:
- Entrepreneurism and eBusiness
- Future Scoping on Regulations
- Mature phase of software/data services layer
- eCommunity
- Farmer experiences
- Northern Ireland, European and International dimensions
> Entrepreneurism and eBusiness: How do leaders in the farming and agribusiness
sectors use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to advantage? What
are the best farmers, organisations, and agribusinesses doing with the technology?
For example, using government eServices, transferring customer data, trading
online, using mobile phones for group purchase etc.
> Future Scoping on Regulations: What impacts are the FISCHLER reforms likely
to have on farming; how will ICT help farming and agribusiness to adapt to change;
how can Government, business, and software companies help the sector during
the transitional period? Will new regulations mean more traceability and documentation;
will the paperwork increase; can ICT help farmers and agribusiness manage through
regulatory change?
> Mature phase of software/data services layer: Are we moving from software
provision to services provision, automated data capture, centralised data storage,
etc? Will the existing service layer develop further; will a data services layer
develop in the farming and agribusiness sector; how will software companies
evolve into the future; how will farmers respond to an increasingly digital
interaction?
> eCommunity: Are farming and rural communities in Ireland part of the "information
poor". Have we allowed a digital divide to marginalise farmers and rural
people? Or have computer courses for farmers, community training initiatives,
community business programs, and public access to technology worked. Can we
learn any lessons from local initiatives; is there any difference between the
information society in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland? Can we
learn from wider European and International experience?
> Farmer experiences with technology: What feedback are we hearing from farmers
at different levels of ICT use (non-user, novice, user, accomplished)? Do farmers
see ICT as an issue they need to address, are they waiting for someone to provide
training and help; do they rely on family members, Teagasc, and others to use
technology on their behalf? Are our farmers being left behind; what experience
have they of interacting over phone, email, web etc with Co-Ops, DAF, ICBF,
Teagasc etc?
> Northern Ireland, European, and International dimension : What new ICT
developments are underway in Northern Ireland and further afield in Europe.
Are new developments in Europe a source of ideas or potential competitive threats?
Are farmers, advisory services and agribusinesses in the new accession states
of Eastern Europe gearing up to use ICT to take full advantage of EU membership?
> Guest Speaker : Ian Houseman, Deputy Head of ADAS International, will be
our guest speaker and Workshop Facilitator. Ian has over thirty-five years’
experience of extension services in the UK and in western and central and eastern
European countries. Responsibilities included management of an ADAS consultancy
centre, development of information systems, marketing strategy, and market information
systems.
He has carried out a considerable number of projects in the fields of rural
development, extension and advisory services, institution building and marketing
information systems, particularly in Bulgaria, Czech and Slovak Republics, Estonia,
Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, former Yugoslavia
and a number other countries worldwide. He is currently working on two projects,
as manager of the Institutional Support for Sustainable Agricultural Development
project in Uzbekistan, funded by the ADB and, as the rural livelihoods/large
farm-restructuring specialist on the DFID Ukraine Rural Livelihoods Programme.
See: http://www.isita.com/
See: http://www.efita.net?d=5203
Contact: Mick HARKIN
E-mail: harkin(a)iol.ie
Aquaculture in the world
During the last decade the development of aquaculture in the world has been
spectacular. According to the FAO aquaculture production has doubled during
the last fifteen years. Asian countries dominate the market (90% of tonnage)
and China (68%) leads in all categories…
See: http://www.sea-river.com/seanews/count.php?id=3836
New advisory group on the food chain created
A group bringing together notably consumers, the food industry, retailers
and farmers is being created to facilitate consultation and dialogue between
the European Commission and European organisations on food safety policy. The
Advisory Group on the Food Chain and Animal and Plant Health will meet at least
twice a year and consist of up to 45 members from EU-level associations. Reflecting
the Commission's "farm to fork" approach to food safety, the group
will be consulted on a wide range of food policy matters. Additionally, the
Commission intends to create an Internet based consultative forum on food safety
open to all European organisations with an interest in this area of policy.
The new Advisory Group is likely to meet for the first time towards the end
of this year.
See: http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/04/1051&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
A new Fisheries Fund to support sustainable fisheries and diversification
The European Commission has tabled a proposal for a European Fisheries Fund
(EFF) for the period 2007-2013, to help implement measures aimed at securing
sustainable fisheries and diversifying economic activities in fishing areas...
See: http://www.sea-river.com/seanews/count.php?id=3842
WHO's report: World facing "silent emergency" as billions struggle
without clean water or basic sanitation, say WHO and UNICEF
New report warns that vicious cycle of ill-health and poverty could defeat
human development efforts, with children the first to suffer...
See: http://www.sea-river.com/seanews/count.php?id=3844
European Commission publishes analysis of the common market organisation
in fruit and vegetables
See: http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/publi/reports/fruitvegsimpl/workdoc_en.pdf
How business is done!!!
Jack, a smart businessman, talks to his son.
Jack: I want you to marry a girl of my choice
Son: "I will choose my own bride!"
Jack: "But the girl is Bill Gates's daughter."
Son: "Well, in that case..."
Next Jack approaches Bill Gates.
Jack: "I have a husband for your daughter."
Bill Gates: "But my daughter is too young to marry!"
Jack: "But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank."
Bill
Gates: "Ah, in that case..."
Finally Jack goes to see the president of the World Bank.
Jack: "I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president."
President: "But I already have more vice- presidents than I need!"
Jack: "But this young man is Bill Gates's son-in-law."
President: "Ah, in that case..."
This is how business is done!!
Contact: Anne GOUYONs
Mél : anne.gouyon(a)ideforce.com
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