Paris, 20 March 2006


EFITA newsletter / 251 / European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment


Point of view (in Fr-English): Statistics
In the last issue of my electronic newsletter in French, I regret to have less subscribers (>25 000) than the most important French agricultural newsletter (38 000).
In 2000, 132000 French farms had a computer used for farm management. Thus we can imagine that there are around 260 000 farms equipped with a PC today, i.e. nearly 50 % of French farms. It is a pity not to have updated figures.
See: http://www.acta-informatique.fr?d=6338
Contact: Guy WAKSMAN
Email: waksman(a)acta-informatique.fr


Do not forget to tell your friends, colleagues and enemies to subscribe this newsletter and…
…if they read French, to subscribe the "Du cote du web et de l'informatique agricole" newsletter.
See: http://www.efita.net
See: http://www.acta-informatique.fr


The Top of the Morning and a happy Saint Patricks Day to you one and all. And for St Patrick's sake - get roaring drunk!
See: http://www.acta-informatique.fr
Contact: Mick HARKIN
Email: harkin(a)iol.ie


"Safety First" - New competencies for a competitive European Agricultural Machinery Industry
30 March - GROSS-UMSTADT, near FRANKFURT/MAIN - Germany
See: http://www.dlg.org/en/press/press_office.html?struts=publicArtikelDetail.do&artikelId=459&spracheId=2&kategorieId=1&bereich=News
Contact: Malene PICKLES
Email: m.pickles(a)dlg.org


The Rural Citizen: Governance, Culture and Wellbeing in the 21st Century
5 - 7 April 2006 - PLYMOUTH
See: http://www.ruralfuturesconference.org/


Anuga Foodtec
4 – 7 April - KÖLN - Germany
See: http://www.anugafoodtec.de


Information systems in sustainable agriculture, agro-environment and food technology
20-23 September 2006 – VOLOS – Greece
The dead line for the abstracts' submission is 31st of March.
See: http://haicta2006.users.uth.gr
Contact:  Stergios TZORTZIOS
Email: stzortz(a)agr.uth.gr


An EU Strategy for Biofuels
The EU is supporting biofuels with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, boosting the decarbonisation of transport fuels, diversifying fuel supply sources, offering new income opportunities in rural areas and developing long-term replacements for fossil fuel.
See: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/biomass/biofuel/index_en.htm


New MSc/MRes in Rural Development, due to start in September 2006
This new full-time programme builds on ten years of experience in the University of Plymouth with part-time Masters courses, including Rural Development, Rural Tourism and Agricultural Business Management. The new programme is a 12-month full-time course, intended for a combination of recent graduates and mid-career professionals looking for further academic development.
The program aims to develop an understanding of rural development as a process which integrates activities relating to the economy, environment, society and culture in balancing the needs of people and planet. While having a strong theoretical grounding, the course is geared to developing abilities to engage directly with rural development issues. It will cater for a mixture of students from UK, Europe and other world regions, with an emphasis on transfer of ideas and practices between people from different cultures.
See: http://www.geog.plym.ac.uk/ruralfutures/
Contact: Martyn WARREN
Email: mwarren(a)plymouth.ac.uk


International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
See: http://www.inchem.org/pages/icsc.html


The Farm Animal Breeding and Reproduction Technology Platform (FABRE-TP)
See: http://www.fabretp.org/content/view/21/43/


GMO Compass
This website project is financially supported by the European Union within the European Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme. GMO Compass is the work of independent science journalists. The European Commission and other EU agencies are not responsible for the content of this website.
Voir : http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/home/


Commission adopts animal welfare action plan
On 23 January, the European Commission adopted concrete measures to better protect the welfare of animals from 2006-2010.
See: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/health_consumer/dyna/consumervoice/create_cv.cfm?cv_id=173


Avian influenza in Europe: the EU takes action
Avian influenza H5N1 has now been confirmed in wild birds in nine Member States of the European Union and in commercial poultry in France
See: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/health_consumer/dyna/consumervoice/create_cv.cfm?cv_id=169


Alternative medicine = no flu!!
Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married.
She was admired for her sweetness and kindness to all.
One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea.
As he sat facing her old pump organ, the young minister noticed a cut-glass bowl sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water. In the water floated - much to his astonishment - a condom!
When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat.
The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange content, but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist.
"Miss Beatrice", he said. "I wonder if you would tell me about this?" pointing to the bowl.
 "Oh, yes" she replied, "Isn't it wonderful?"
"Wonderful", queried the pastor, askance.
"Well", she said, "I was walking through the park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it moist and that it would prevent the spread of disease.
Do you know, I haven't had the flu all winter?"
Contact: Mick HARKIN
Email: harkin(a)iol.ie


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