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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