Paris, 12 October 2009


EFITA newsletter / 432 / 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=6708


WANTED: Information on CAP subsidy claims through the Internet
My question: In your country, what about the number / the proportion of farmers using the Internet to transmit their CAP subsidy claims?
Our Dutch friends gave us relevant information (see the EFITA Newsletter 428)
See: http://www.efita.net?d=6704
To see what is possible or not in France, we absolutely need data and information from your countries. Please help!
Contact: Guy WAKSMAN
E-mail: waksman(a)acta-informatique.fr


This EFITA sponsored e--book has recently been updated. The e-book is freely available via: http://www.efita.net > E-Book EFITA…

From Luis Gurovich – Chile to Ehud Gelb
Thanks to Guy Waksman's newsletter, I got the information on the updated version of your book in Ag - ICT. I downloaded every chapter and already read those updated. There are several new ideas and concepts. Congratulations on this successful endeavour and thanks for illustrating us on the subject again.
I dare ask for your permission to provide my students with a digital copy of your book. I think its reading should be mandatory in the training of future Ag Engineers, who will be 100% productive as professionals 10 years from now.
Dr. Luis A. GUROVICH - Profesor Titular - Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile
E-mail: lgurovic(a)puc.cl
See : http://www.puc.cl/~lgurovic


Agritechnica 2009: Five Gold Medals and 28 Silver Medals for Innovations
10 - 14 November 2009 - HANOVER
- Agricultural machinery manufacturers aim to inspire the markets with innovations. Of over 300 innovations shortlisted for an award, an independent jury has selected five innovations for a gold award and 28 innovations for a silver award. More.
- Agritechnica 2009: Cinque medaglie d'oro e 28 medaglie d'argento per le Novità. More.
- Agritechnica 2009 : Cinq médailles d’or et 28 médailles d’argent pour les Nouveautés. More.


Water Scarcity - Winter School 2010 on "Analysing, mapping and evaluating spatio-temporal water scarcity problems
1 - 11 February 2010 - SALZBURG, Austria
The International Winter School Water Scarcity is dedicated to the theme of "Analysing, mapping and evaluating spatio-temporal water scarcity problems" and is hosted by Salzburg University's Centre for Geoinformatics.
See: http://www.uni-salzburg.at/zgis
In a set of lectures, group works and practical courses will focus on the climatological, hydrological and socio-economic processes and functions inherent in landscapes across Europe related to water scarcity.
Participants will gain an overview of planning procedures (data acquisition, data preparation, data processing, and result interpretation) and acquire skills to apply the respective theory. They will learn how to implement an early warning system against water shortage based on existing operational methodologies (e.g. Meteorisk) and to characterize main anthropogenic and naturally defined surface water and groundwater systems.
Participants will be guided from "simple" discipline oriented approaches to more sophisticated multidisciplinary, holistic methods aiming at an integrated assessment of water management and planning.
See: http://www.edu-zgis.net/ss/waterscarcity2010
E-mail: waterscarcity(a)edu-zgis.net


8th New Ag International Conference & Exhibition
24 - 26 March 2010 - MIAMI
Registration to the 8th New Ag International Conference and Exhibition is now open.
See: http://www.newaginternational.com/miami/miami.html
New Ag International has joined forces with the International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) to co-organize on Tuesday 23rd March, 2010 at the same hotel a 1-day International Conference on Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers.
See: http://www.newaginternational.com/2010ifabrochure.pdf


Scientific and Technical Information and Rural Development - Highlights of Innovative Practices (Call for papers)
26 – 29 April 2010 – MONTPELLIER (FR)

The renewed worldwide interest in agriculture and questions dealing with food crises increase the need for quality information for actors in rural development. Bringing their knowledge and know-how, the Scientific and Technical Information Specialists can contribute to providing this information.

The congress organized by the International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists (IAALD) and Agropolis International will ensure fruitful exchanges between information specialists and actors of rural development. With this aim in view, the Congress committees prepared a stimulating programme and attracted an impressive list of high level keynote speakers. Through keynote presentations, oral presentations, a poster session as well as parallel workshops, the Congress participants will explore how scientific and technical information is playing a key role in rural development, now at the top of the agenda of international development.

>>> Expected contributions
Researchers, information professionals, members of farmer organizations,  publishers, stakeholders involved in the generation, management, or  dissemination of knowledge in the area of agricultural sciences and  technologies are invited to submit proposals for oral presentations or  posters.

Papers must address one of the following themes:
. Innovative learning processes
. Information services, the need for a continued redefinition
. Communication and Information exchange for multiple stakeholders
. Information systems for structured and integrated information
. Information products and services as public policy enablers
See: http://iaald2010.agropolis.fr/program/program
>>> Abstract Submission
Those wishing to present a paper or a poster should register and submit their abstract in English (maximum 300 words) to the following address:
See: http://iaald2010.agropolis.fr/conference/call-for-papers/submission


GKC: International sharing of knowledge
GKC (Green Knowledge Cooperative) wants to cross the borders, which includes sharing educational resources.
Students are increasingly being trained to work in the international job market. So why can’t a student from Portugal make use of video material compiled in Greece or the Netherlands? During the Joint International Agricultural Conference in Wageningen in early July this year, the GKC OPK programme team (Making Public Knowledge Available) took the first step towards international cooperation by organizing a network session. Surprisingly, alongside the need for educational resources and documents, there also appears to be a need for information about people and organizations. More information is available in Actueel on the website of the Green Knowledge Cooperative.
See: http://www.groenkennisnet.nl/gkcrd/3308.htm
Contact: A. MEIJER
E-mail: anneke.meijer(a)gkc.nl


Ghana Agricultural Information Network Collaboration Using ICT
GAINS acts as the referral centre for information requests on agriculture. It also links electronically with eighteen participating libraries and information centres of agriculture-related research institutes. The objective is to provide effective and efficient information delivery to 150 researchers and extension workers by giving them the opportunity to access, share, and publish agricultural information on a web platform.
See: http://www.gains.org.gh


Once upon a time, a guy asked a girl: "Will you marry me?" The girl said, 'NO!'
And the guy lived happily ever after and rode motorcycles and flew hang gliders and went fishing and hunting and played golf a lot and drank beer and scotch and had tons of money in the bank and left the toilet seat up and farted whenever he wanted.
The end.


Blonde
A blind cowboy wanders into an all-girl biker bar by mistake. He finally finds his way to a stool and orders a cup of coffee. He sips his coffee for a minute or two then hollers "hey, anybody wanna hear a blonde joke?'

The bar falls quiet but then in a husky voice, the woman next to him says, 'Before you tell that joke, Cowboy, I think it is only fair, given that you are blind, that you should know something. The bartender is a blonde girl with a baseball bat and the bouncer is a blonde girl. Not only that, but I'm a 6-foot, 165-pound blonde woman with a black belt in karate and the woman sitting on the other side of you is blonde and a professional weightlifter. The lady sitting at the table right behind you is a blonde and she drives truck. 'Now, think about it. Do you really want to tell that joke?

The blind cowboy thinks for a second, shakes his head, and mutters, 'No... not if I'm gonna have to explain it five times.'


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