Paris, 24 July 2006


EFITA newsletter / 269 / European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment


The Doha Round and Agricultural Trade: Who are the losers and how can their future livelihoods be improved?
5 – 6 septembre 2006 - WASHINGTON D.C.
On September 5 and 6, 2006 the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Coordination SUD will hold a seminar of to exchange research and policy ideas on the impact of the liberalization measures under discussion in the framework of trade negotiations.
Results of a general equilibrium model commissioned by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace have delineated possible winners and losers from the agricultural liberalization under negotiation in the Doha Round. The report provides a new and more balanced view which shows that the losers might constitute a majority and that the alternatives available to them might be limited. The main author, Sandra Polaski will present the results of this model. A discussion will follow.
A number of protective measures have been proposed to enable the most fragile countries to avoid the worst impacts. But do these measures, which are not yet guaranteed in the framework of the Doha Round, provide sufficient policy space and opportunities to allow the possible losers to find a solution? These measures will be analyzed. A discussion will follow.
At present, most NGOs and organizations of farmers and producers of farm products believe that even though special and differentiated treatment, special products, and a special safeguard mechanism must be supported, these measures will only moderate negative effects. The NGOs propose another approach that the Coordination SUD shares with many organizations and movements. Starting with the analysis of market imbalances, the decline and volatility of prices, the NGOs and farmers’ organizations believe that regulation of the markets cannot be avoided. One or more other approaches will be presented by representatives of NGOs and farmers’ organizations and will be discussed.
This seminar will be attended by about 60 experts and persons involved in agricultural policy.

> Report of the Carnegie Endowment, "Impact of the Doha Round on developing countries: Winners and Losers"
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=18083&prog=zgp&proj=zted

> Coordination SUD Document: "Agriculture: for a regulation of world trade" - Placing development at the centre of WTO negotiations on the Agreement on Agriculture », http://www.coordinationsud.org/article.php3?id_article=2472

> Summary documents of three seminars held before the Hong Kong ministerial conference with the CERI, CIRAD, and GEMDEV to examine the notions of price, market regulation, and the configuration of the participants in the negotiations, http://www.coordinationsud.org/article.php3?id_article=2449
Contact: Julien BAYOU
Mél : bayou(a)coordinationsud.org


RFID Initiative
16 October 2006 - BRUSSELS
See: http://www.rfidconsultation.eu/


15th Conference on Agricultural Work Science
5-6 March, 2007 – VIENNA
The conference is organised by Max-Eyth-Society, Agricultural Engineering in the VDI and the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences in Vienna. It will mark an important step establishing a scientific agenda to help efficiently tackle challenges for work in agriculture.
Experts from industry and research establishments will discuss the means, ways and role of agricultural work science in this context.
Abstracts may be submitted in German or English until 31st July 2006 via http://www.nas.boku.ac.at/7409.html?&L=0&L=1.
Participation of scientists and experts from overseas, especially those from countries in Eastern Europe and outside of Europe will be generously supported.
See: http://www.nas.boku.ac.at/7410.html?&L=0&L=1
See: http://www.ktbl.de/
Contact: Dr. J. FRISCH
E-mail: j.frisch(a)ktbl.de


New wheat weed resistance module for the US (from Crop Protection Monthly)
The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) has launched the Wheat Weed Resistance Management Course. This web-based tool allows growers and advisors to learn the best practices for managing weed resistance in wheat crops.
See: http://www.wheatworld.org/WRMC
See: http://www.crop-protection-monthly.co.uk/


Demand Responsive Transport services (DRT) for rural people
See: http://www.mascaraproject.com/
Contact: Léonard GAY
Email: leonard_gay(a)corkcity.ie


CORE Organic partners are currently preparing a joint, transnational call for research in organic food and farming.
The call is preannounced in the new issue of CORE Organic news. In CORE Organic news, you will also find information on a new book providing a comprehensive of organisation and structure of research programmes within organic food and farming. There are also notes from the public workshop held by CORE Organic, overviews of research issues in the CORE Organic partner countries and much more.
See: http://www.coreorganic.org/corenews/june06/index.html
Contact: Claus Bo ANDREASEN
Email: ClausBo.Andreasen(a)agrsci.dk


Sustainable Use of Pesticides in the EU
See:: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ppps/home.htm
See: http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?
reference=IP/06/981&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en


ECPA expressing concerns about the Commission's proposal to replace Directive 91/414/EEC
See: http://www.ecpa.be/website/page.asp?mi=1&news=15500


Commission's proposal to replace Directive 91/414/EEC
See: http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/protection/evaluation/index_en.htm


¡¡Auxilio!!
Un policía del 911 atiende el teléfono y va anotando el pedido de auxilio:
- ¡Por favor, manden alguien urgente! ¡Entró un gato, aquí, en la casa!
- ¿Qué quiere decir con un gato en casa?
- ¡¡Un gato!! ¿No sabe lo que es un gato? ¡¡Él invadió mi casa y está caminando en dirección a mí!!!
- Pero no entiendo, ¿usted quiere decir un ladron?
- ¡No, carajo! ¡Estoy hablando de un gato, de esos que dicen "miau, miau"!!
- ¿Pero qué tiene que un gato vaya en direccion a usted?
- ¡¡Él me va a matar y ustedes serán los culpables!!
- ¿Quién habla??
- ¡¡Habla el loro de la casa, puta madre!!!!
Contact: I. KITRON
Email: kitron1(a)terra.com.br


Géolocalisation
Incredible! This web site enables to locate mobile phones, your own one and this one of Mick Harkin (without any risk).
You input the number and you know where the person is.
See: http://www.teapetece.com/moviles/
I tested it with my own number.
Contact: Olivier CHAILLOT
Mél : olivier.chaillot(a)wanadoo.fr


Dark ages
According to the Jewish calendar, the year is 5765.
According to the Chinese calendar, the year is 4702.
That means that for 1,063 years the Jewish people went without Chinese food.
These were known as the Dark Ages.
Contact: I. KITRON
E-mail: kitron1(a)terra.com.br


Wedding bells!!!
A lonely widow, aged 70, decided that is was time to get married again.

She put an ad in the local newspaper that read:

HUSBAND WANTED:
MUST BE IN MY AGE GROUP (70's),
MUST NOT BEAT ME,
MUST NOT RUN AROUND ON ME,
AND MUST STILL BE GOOD IN BED!
ALL APPLICANTS PLEASE APPLY IN PERSON.

On the second day she heard the doorbell. Much to her dismay, she opened the door to see a grey-haired gentleman sitting in a wheel chair. He had no arms or legs.

"You're not really asking me to consider you, are you?" the widow said. "Just look at you ... you have no legs!"

The old gentleman smiled, "Therefore, I cannot run around on you!"

"You don't have any arms either!" she snorted.

Again, the old man smiled, "Therefore, I can never beat you!"

She raised an eyebrow and asked intently, "Are you still good in bed??"

The old man leaned back, beamed a big smile and said, "I rang the door bell, didn't I?"

The wedding is scheduled for Saturday....

Contact: Mick HARKIN
Email: harkin(a)iol.ie


About the EFITA mailing list
You can use the efita moderated list (>3000 subscribers) to announce any event / product / web site / joke (!) related to IT in agriculture, environment, food industry and rural areas.
If you do not wish to receive our messages, please see: http://www.efita.net to remove your Email address from our mail list.