Châtenay-Malabry (FR - 92290), 16 April 2012


EFITA newsletter / 561 - European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment


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Contact: Guy WAKSMAN
E-mail: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net

ICT for old people like me (it is in German. The young women offered an iPad to his grandfather and ask him whether her gift pleased him)
See: http://biertijd.com/mediaplayer/?itemid=33329


Smart Agrimatics: Plenary opening session
13 - 14 June - PARIS
In this opening session relevant backgrounds from the three organizing projects agriXchange, ICT-agri ERANET and SmartAgriFood will be presented by leading key note speakers:
- The architecture of the Future Internet and its implications for the Agri-Food sector - Adrie Beulens (Wageningen University, The Netherlands, member of the Architecture Board of the Future Internet Pulic Private Partnership program)
- Data objects and information exchange for whole chain traceability - Steve Holcombe (Pardalis, United States, catalyzer of the Whole Chain Traceability Consortium™ a/k/a @WholeChainTrace)
- Public-Private Partnerships for ICT and Robotics in agriculture – value chain analysis - Niels Goetke (Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation, Denmark, overall responsible for ICT-agri)
The session will end with a general introduction into the conference and its workshops by Sjaak Wolfert (LEI, part of Wageningen UR, scientific project coordinator of agriXchange and SmartAgriFood)
See: http://www.smartagrimatics.eu/


A last efita newsletter (2 April) is dealing with Geospatial data. Perhaps is my input relevant for the readers…
An important item of the last Efita newsletter is Geo-media and Geospatial data in education.
I would like to point out that in the community enormous amount of data is offered at no cost.
In my website, we make many Google Maps with own data. We also make many maps with data that is offered by the "community".
Our website was developed in Joomla. A simple google maps plugin allows us to make numerous maps - mostly based on a KML file.

>>> You can see the Google Maps plugin on:
http://tech.reumer.net/Google-Maps/Documentation-of-plugin-Googlemap/

>>> Some examples of maps developed with content offered by the "community"
Climate change in climate hotmap.
Explore the signs of global warming on this map or Google Earth. The evidence of climate change includes heat waves, sea-level rise, flooding, melting glaciers, earlier spring arrival, coral reef bleaching, and the spread of disease.
http://www.2travel2.nl/English/climate-change-in-climate-hotmap.html

>>> Map of the world with various data.
This vision of Maps-For-Free is to offer relief maps and a lot of additional layers which can easily be integrated into existing Google map projects.
http://www.2travel2.nl/English/map-of-the-world-with-various-data.html

>>> Wine regions in the world
This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
http://www.2travel2.nl/English/wineregions-in-the-world.html

>>> Global Undersea Fiber Cables - on a Google Map
Landing Points for all the undersea fiber cables plus estimated paths connecting them. From Greg's cable maps. Cable is a schematic representation of the connectivity.
http://www.2travel2.nl/English/global-undersea-fiber-cables-on-a-google-map.html

>>> Where can to find th free Geospatial Data
Online Worldwide Spatial Data:
http://libraries.mit.edu/gis/data/datalinks/worlddataweb.html

Contact: René HUSKEN
Mél : r.husken(a)geo-t.nl


WG 4.2.3 (working group of the International Association of Geodesy): Geodetic technologies in Precision Farming
Within the International Association of Geodesy a new working group has been established end of last year. As chairman of this working group I am looking for interested colleagues sharing their experiences and research on precision agriculture technologies. The working group should include interdisciplinary research contributions on:

- Precise positioning and orientation of agricultural land-machinery and acquisition devices (such as geo-sensor networks, unmanned airborne vehicles, field robotics etc.).

- Precise navigation and guidance for intelligent agricultural vehicles capable of automating tasks.

- Precise mapping, interpretation of space-time heterogeneities in the field, derivation of agricultural application maps.

- Web-based data infrastructures and services used in agricultural environment.

Based on your publication record this could also be a group of interest for you. Thus, I would like to invite you to become a member of this group. If you are interested please return a short notice. I will inform you about further activities and events. A conference on this topic is foreseen for summer next year. I would also appreciate if you can distribute this email to your colleagues working in this area.

For further information on the IAG and its objectives some short notes:

The IAG (International Association of Geodesy, www.iag-aig.org/) is a scientific organization in the field of geodesy. It promotes scientific cooperation and research in geodesy on a global scale and contributes to it through its various research bodies. It is an active member of the International Association of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) which itself is a member of the International Council for Science (ICSU). The IAG has a long and distinguished history that goes back to 1862. The main objectives of the IAG are:

- to promote the study of all scientific problems of geodesy and to encourage geodetic research

- to promote and coordinate international cooperation in this field, and promote geodetic activities in developing countries;

- to provide, on an international basis, for discussion and publication of the results of the studies, research and work indicated above.

The scientific work of the IAG takes place in Sections, Services, Commissions, and Special Study Groups. Within Commission 4: Positioning and Applications, Sub-Commission 4.2: Geodesy in Geospatial Mapping and Engineering this new working group has been established: WG 4.2.3: Geodetic technologies in Precision Farming
See: http://www.gmat.unsw.edu.au/Wang/IAG-SC4.2/index.html

Conatct: R. BILL (University of Rostock, Germany)
Mél : ralf.bill(a)uni-rostock.de


NCPF & EARN : Precision Farming in U.K and EU
>> We have now launched the National Centre for Precision Farming in the UK based at Harper Adams University College in Shropshire. We will be holding a number of PF related events and technical / demonstration days.

>>> At the beginning of March, the European Robotics Research Network (EURON) invited Eldert van Henten and myself to give a presentation to the euRobotics2012 forum about agricultural robots and create the European Agricultural Robotics Network (EARN). We had a lot of interest from the 'pure' robotic researchers who are very keen to apply their knowledge to the agricultural sector. We are creating a contact list of those people who are interested in the area and welcome members of EFITA to join us.
Contact: Prof Simon BLACKMORE - Head of Engineering
E-mail: simon.blackmore(a)harper-adams.ac.uk
>> Harper Adams University College
See: http://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/
>> Managing Director of UniBots Ltd
See: http://www.unibots.com/
>> Project Manager of FutureFarm
See: http://www.futurefarm.eu/


MEPs' vote ends EU-US row on hormone-treated beef
The European Parliament approved a deal between the EU and both the United States and Canada on hormone-treated beef yesterday (14 March), ending one of the trading powers' oldest disputes.

The case dates back to 1988 when the European Union banned all imports of beef from cattle treated with growth hormones, a move that prompted US and Canadian sanctions of $125 million (€95.7 million) a year on European products from Roquefort cheese to truffles and mustard.

The EU and Washington had agreed in 2009 that the 27-member bloc would keep its ban on hormone-treated beef but that the US would gradually lift its sanctions in exchange for a steep rise in the EU's duty-free import quotas of hormone- free beef.

The volumes of hormone-free beef exempted from taxes were put at 20,000 tonnes that year and are due to be lifted to 48,200 tonnes by August 2012, of which 45,000 tonnes for US beef and 3,200 tonnes for Canadian imports.

The United States lifted its import duties on all targeted European luxury foods in May 2011.

Although EU farmers had feared a surge in imports of North American beef, these failed to materialise as the United States became a net importer of beef after grain that formerly went to animal feed was used to make biofuels.

The EU has insisted its ban on hormone-treated beef, which is largely approved by EU consumers, rests on scientific evidence of health risks, though the United States and Canada reject such evidence.

The main beneficiaries of the lifting of the US sanctions are expected to be Italy, Poland, Greece, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, France and Spain, the EU Parliament said in a statement.

The Council of Ministers still needs to rubber-stamp the decision but it already gave its informal approval, the Parliament said.

Speaking to lawmakers before the vote, EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Cioloş said he hoped the deal would lead to a definitive resolution of the hormone-treated beef dispute at the World Trade Organization.

Cioloş also noted the publication last week of draft rules by the US Department of Agriculture to lift the ban on all EU beef imports, imposed in 1997 in the wake of the BSE crisis. He said he hoped the rules would be finalised "in a timely manner".
See: http://www.euractiv.com/cap/meps-vote-ends-eu-us-row-hormone-treated-beef-news-511523


Senior dating
Dorothy and Edna, two 'senior' widows, are talking.

Dorothy: ''That nice George Johnson asked me out for a date. I know you went out with him last week, and I wanted to talk with you about him before I give him my answer.''

Edna: ''Well, I'll tell you. He shows up at my apartment punctually at 7 P.M., dressed like such a gentleman in a fine suit, and he brings me such beautiful flowers!

Then, he takes me downstairs, and what's there, but a luxury car... A limousine, uniformed chauffeur and all.

Then, he takes me out for dinner... A marvellous dinner... Lobster, champagne, dessert, and after-dinner drinks. Then we go see a show. Let me tell you, Dorothy, I enjoyed it so much I could have just died from pleasure!

So then, we are coming back to my apartment and he turns into an ANIMAL… Completely crazy, he tears off my expensive new dress and has his way with me two times!''

Dorothy: ''Goodness gracious!... So are you telling me I shouldn't go out with him?''

Edna: ''No, no, no... I'm just saying, wear an old dress.''


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