Paris,
24 May 2010
EFITA newsletter / 462 / 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=6780
Point of view: Internet by satellite costs less than 20 € per month in
France (plus installation cost: 400 € often subsidised by local authorities)
In France, we have around:
- 20 millions xdsl broadband Internet connections
- 400000 Wimax Internet connections
- 50000 Wifi connections
- 20000 satellite connections (512 KB / 3.6 MB)
44 % of rural people have a connection that is slower than 2 MB. This is the
reason why the satellite offers should meet a real success in rural areas.
See: http://www.acta-informatique.fr?d=8144
(in French only)
Contact: Guy WAKSMAN
E-mail: waksman(a)acta-informatique.fr
Rural Tourism International - Training Network
General Assembly 26th of May 2010, Athlone, Ireland combined with a Training
Workshop Androgagy on the 27th of May 2010 and the Irish accreditation of
Train-the-Trainers course "entrepreneur in rural tourism".
See: http://www.ruraltourisminternational.org
Contact: Carolien van der Laan
E-mail: C.vander.Laan(a)Eceat-projects.org
2010 World Congress of CIGR: Final Program Now Available
14 – 15 June 2010 – QUEBEC - Canada
The final program of the XVIIth World Congress of CIGR is now available.
See: http://www.bioeng.ca/cigr2010/docs/CIGR2010-final-program.pdf
The program includes 506 oral presentations and 239 poster presentations scheduled
on June 14, 15 and 16, 2010. Participants from more than 50 different countries
are expected at the Congress. In addition, the program includes plenary sessions
where well-known speakers will discuss the role of engineering and technology
to improve the environment and methods to produce more efficiently agricultural
products and healthy food.
See: http://www.bioeng.ca/cigr2010/registration
Farm Animal Imaging Days Update
16 – 18 June 2010 – RENNES - France
In partnership with AgroCampus Ouest, IFIP organizes FANI Days in Rennes,
from June 2010 16th to 18th , Farm Animal Imaging
Days, an International Congress on imaging applied to the knowledge of livestock.
The FAnI Days include three events: a workshop on June 16th, a congress on
June 17th and a seminar on June 18th.
Scientific Congress program is now avaible online on FAnI website http://www.ifip.asso.fr/fani/progam1.html
The FAnI Congress places oneself in the continuity of the successful 2009
edition in which a half day was dedicated to CT applications in live animals
and meat technology. The 2010 edition keeps the framework of different farm
animal species (cattle, swine, poultry, sheep…) at the following stages: live,
carcass and meat. Furthermore, the FAnI Congress covers the different imaging
modalities, in particular CT and MRI. Imaging techniques find their applications
in various domains: animal welfare, genetic and reproduction research, farming
management, meat quality improvement, carcass and muscle classification. This
will contribute to exchange experiences between species, imaging modalities
and expertise fields. Oral presentations will be followed by questions.
Contact: Gérard DAUMAS & Mathieu MONZIOLS
E-mail: gerard.daumas(a)ifip.asso.fr, mathieu.monziols(a)ifip.asso.fr
Platform for Agrobiodiversity Research
See: http://www.agrobiodiversityplatform.org
Research from Sri Lanka Online
See: http://www.sljol.info
Research for Development
See: http://www.research4development.info
Crop Wild Relatives Global Portal
See: http://www.cropwildrelatives.org
Institut de recherche pour le développement
Voir : http://www.ird.fr
Sustainable Aquaculture Research Networks in Sub Saharan Africa
See: http://www.sarnissa.org
Virtual Library of Biology
The Virtual Library of Biology is a project of the University Library
"Johann Christian Senckenberg", Frankfurt/Main (DE) in cooperation
with other libraries and biological organisations. This portal offers rapid
access to biological literature and information.
See: http://www.vifabio.de
CABI eBook
See: http://www.cabi.org/default.aspx?site=170&page=1016&pid=2211
CABI Compendia interactive encyclopaedias
See: http://www.cabi.org/default.aspx?site=170&page=1030
ICT Update Issue 54, April 2010: Mapping (Technical Centre for Agricultural
and Rural Cooperation)
Anyone with access to the internet can find free high-resolution satellite
images and web 2.0 applications to create and customize maps. Rural communities
can document natural resources in their surroundings that are important to
their livelihoods. Farmers can plot out and measure the exact size of their
land. And indigenous peoples can assign the traditional names to rivers and
mountains in their area. They no longer have to rely on, or accept, the maps
that were previously only produced by specialists, governments and international
institutions.
> ‘Perhaps the greatest value of community mapping comes from the actual
process of creating the map.’ Dr Jon Corbett, assistant professor of community
culture and global studies, University of British Columbia, Canada.
See: http://ictupdate.cta.int/en/regulars/perspectives/(issue)/54
> ‘Using SMS, various web mapping applications can collect reports from
previously inaccessible situations.’ Brian Herbert, a software engineer with
Ushahidi.
See: http://ictupdate.cta.int/en/regulars/Q-A/(issue)/54
> Agricultural researchers throughout Africa are using the latest technology
to develop a digital map showing the properties of soil across the continent.
Farmers will be able to get detailed information on soil fertility in their
area.
See: http://ictupdate.cta.int/en/Feature-Articles/Farming_from_the_ground_up
> A project in Ethiopia uses GPS-enabled PDAs to map roads in the country.
Accurate road data helps NGOs, extension services and farmers to plan their
transportation needs.
See: http://ictupdate.cta.int/en/Feature-Articles/On_the_right_road
> As geographic information technologies become easier to use – and misuse
– a group of experts has developed a training kit to improve the practice
of community-based mapping.
See: http://ictupdate.cta.int/en/Feature-Articles/A_guide_to_good_practice
> Communities in Cameroon use participatory mapping methods to support
their claim to disputed land. The maps they produce lead to informed negotiations
between the parties.
See: http://ictupdate.cta.int/en/Feature-Articles/Directing_the_discussion
Wine and Olive Oil traceability in Baleares Islands
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_HolN-iwzI
Contact : Anne-Laure DEBRIX
E-mail: adebrix(a)ibit.org
Chutzpah (See eg Wikipedia for explanations…)
Bill Gates advertised for a new chairman of Microsoft Europe.
5,000 candidates assembled in a large hall.
One of them was Maurice Cohen, a little Jewish man who was born in Tunisia.
Bill Gates thanked the candidates for coming, but asked all those who were
not familiar with the JAVA program language to leave.
2,000 rose and left the room. Maurice Cohen said to himself: 'I do not know
this language but what have I got to lose if I stay? I'll give it a try!"
Bill Gates then asked all those who have no experience in managing teams of
more than 100 people to leave.
Another 2000 people left. Maurice Cohen said to himself: 'I have never managed
anybody, but myself but what have I got to lose if I stay? What can happen
to me?'
Then, Bill Gates asked all candidates who don't have outstanding academic
qualifications to leave. 500 more people removed themselves. Maurice Cohen
says to himself, 'I left school at 15, but what have I got to lose if I stay?
So he stayed in the room.
Finally, Bill Gates asked all of the candidates who do not speak the Serbo-Croatian
language to rise and leave.
498 people got up and left the room. Maurice Cohen says himself, 'I do not
speak Serbo-Croatian, but what the hell!? Have I got anything to lose?
Maurice, himself alone with 1 other candidate; everyone else had gone.
Bill Gates joined them and said, 'Apparently, you are the only two candidates
who speak Serbo-Croatian. I'd like to hear you converse with one another in
Serbo-Croatian.'
Calmly, Maurice turned to the other candidate and says to him, Baruch Ata
Adonai.'
The other candidate answered: 'Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam.'
Contact: Israel KITRON
E-mail: noga96(a)yahoo.com
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