Paris, 3 August 2009


EFITA newsletter / 422 / European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment


To read this newsletter on the efita.net web site...
See: http://www.efita.net?d=6479


Since I was thinking to stop editing this newsletter and maintaining this mailing list, most of you missed two excellent jokes in English…
Please find them at the end of my newsletter in French (> 27000 subscribers):
See: http://www.acta-informatique.fr?d=7818
See: http://www.acta-informatique.fr?d=7819


Hi Guy – good to see it is still happening!!
Contact: Andy OFFER - Andy Offer Consulting Ltd and sheep grower!
E-mail: andy(a)whylehouse.co.uk


Water versus Wine
There must have been a bit alcohol mixed with the calculations!?
If we drink 1 kg water per day and have an uptake of 1 kg E. coli at the end of the year, then it should be almost 3g of bacteria per day.
I would survive 3g of alcohol, but who would survive this amount of E. coli?? (even if its fresh material and no dry matter :-)  )
Prost! // Cheers!
Contact: Hartmut
E-mail: grimm(a)uni-hohenheim.de


ICT for Rural Livelihoods: A Knowledge Map (from ICT Update)
The Knowledge Map builds on and updates existing research, adds new evidence and experience from the field, maps the current state of knowledge in the area, and recommends a way forward both in the international community´s framing of the issues and in urgent priorities for further research and experimentation. The Knowledge Map is designed to address the priority knowledge needs of policymakers, donors and other key stakeholders.
See: http://www.ict4rl.info/HomePage


Rural 21: Focus on ICT in rural areas (from ICT Update)
New communication technologies have been successfully integrated in developing countries and have really revolutionized everyday life. The majority of the urban population has access to the internet. Numerous countries have well developed mobile telephone networks. But this does not apply to rural areas. People there benefit little or not at all from information and communication technologies (ICTs), either because of their low purchasing power or because the remoteness of the areas in which they live makes ICT connections very costly. This issue of Rural 21 focuses on the still untapped potential of ICT in rural regions and shows many interesting examples of novel solutions.
See: http://www.rural21.com/archive2008-06en.html


A new project is in the area of Precision livestock farming that includes the utilisation of sensor and other information technology tools
BrightAnimal is a two year EU-funded co-ordination and support action project co-ordinated by the AIDC European Centre of Excellence, It will address the potential of Precision Livestock Farming to contribute to a more efficient and profitable livestock industry, the optimum use of resources, improved animal health and welfare and to sustainability in agriculture.

BrightAnimal will not initiate new research into PLF. Instead it will conduct a world-wide review of existing research, PLF practices and standards with a view to making recommendations on how PLF can be made more accessible to small and medium-sized producers.

We shall be looking in particular at the application of PLF techniques in dairy cattle, pigs, laying chickens/eggs and fish. We shall be producing Good Practice Guides for these sectors plus a  practical "hands-on" book on PLF which producers can use in their everyday work.

Precision Livestock Farming techniques and technologies have the potential to bring significant benefits to consumers as well as producers. However, these will not be realised unless PLF  becomes effective and acceptable to the primary producer – and this will be a main focus of the BrightAnimal project.
See: http://www.brightanimal.eu/page.asp?pageid=12
See: http://www.getfarming.com.au/pages/farming/articles_view.php?fId=9200020090723115527
See: http://www.sardi.sa.au
Contact: Thomas BANHAZI
E-mail: banhazi.thomas(a)saugov.sa.gov.au


Charlie was responsible for taking up the offerings at a local church…

One Sunday, after the service, the priest counted the money and found there was less than anticipated, given the size of the congregation.

He took Charlie aside and questioned him.

Charlie said that he did not take any of the offerings.

The priest questioned him again and again and Charlie continued to insist that he did not take any of the offerings. So, the priest told Charlie to get into the confessional, which he did.

The priest then asked him again, "Charlie, did you take any of the offering?" This time, Charlie replied, "I can't hear you."

The priest asked Charlie the same question several times and Charlie would always reply, "I can't hear you."

Finally, the priest yelled, "CHARLIE, DID YOU TAKE ANY OF THE OFFERING?"

Again, the reply was, "I can't hear you."

The priest was now beginning to get angry, so he came out of the confessional and said to Charlie, "Trade places with me and you can ask me a question."

So, they traded places and Charlie asked, "Is it true that you and my wife are having an affair?"

To which the priest replied, "By golly, you're right, you can't hear in here"

Contact: Alecos TRINGIDES
E-mail: tringos(a)logos.cy.net


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