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Châtenay-Malabry (FR
- 92290), 23 November 2015
EFITA newsletter / 717 - European Federation for Information Technology
in Agriculture, Food and the Environment
To correspond with me (GW), please use this address: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net
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Call for papers: Workshop "ICT to help on participatory approaches
for the agroecological transition of agriculture" - 12th European
IFSA Symposium
12 - 15 July 2016 - Harper Adams University, UK
Organized by the International Farming Systems Association (IFAS), Europe
group
http://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/events/ifsa-conference/workshops.cfm
http://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/events/ifsa-conference/sub-theme.cfm?id=22
>> Workshop convenors:
- Jacques-Eric BERGEZ, INRA, Toulouse, France, jebergez@toulouse.inra.fr
- Vincent SOULIGNAC, IRSTEA, Clermont-Ferrand, France, vincent.soulignac@irstea.fr
- François PINET, IRSTEA, Clermont-Ferrand, France, francois.pinet@irstea.fr
- Julie GOBERT, UTT, France, julie.gobert@utt.fr
>> Description:
Transition to agroecology is quite often seen as a shift to more knowledge-intensive
farming practices and to enlarge management issues from farm to territory.
Are ICT aiming at gathering, sharing, ordering or even creating information
and knowledge an efficient resource to help on agroecology transition
of agriculture?
Agroecological transition of agriculture requires implementing new farming
practices (from low-diversity- to high-diversity-based), developing
new local social networks either for farmers community to share knowledge
and experience or selling agricultural products (local markets). Participatory
approaches are particularly well suited to support stakeholders in designing
and implementing this transition. ICT may facilitate the construction
of a agroecological transition at local level:
1. Store and record information: exchanges and discussions during workshops
allowing traceability of exchanges and choices, information and data
used during the workshops; thematic maps (eg farming systems and environmental
issues within the territory), directory of innovative farmers, discussion
forums or territory slides; how to store design elements proposed by
actors with respect of their possible conflictual views on the knowledge
and on the territory…
2. Show and visualize data: present and future vision of the territory,
interactively views of the content of knowledge bases, visualization
of the dynamics and exchange networks at workshops, modeling choices,
system analysis dashboards, innovative visualization tools such as 3D
telescope to have the feeling of being on the ground...
3. Structure and equip participatory processes: access to participatory
methods, toolkits to facilitate discussions during participative workshops
for modeling and scripting (repositories, intermediate objects, potential
physical exchanges between players, tools diagnostics, agricultural
or regional projects, computer graphics simulations, method of socio-economic
scenarios of changes), educational materials, modalities and achievements
of a participatory workshop, serious games based on low- and high-diversity
based agroecologisation, virtual meetings...
4. Share and spread knowledge: internally at workshops or broader, synchronously
or asynchronously, direct exchanges between innovators, popularize the
results of observatories
5. Create new knowledge: from mixing the diverse information sources,
experimental knowledge, scientific knowledge, knowledge from farmers,
we explore how participatory methods can be used 1) with “strong” “knowledge
formalization techniques (ontologies, unified modelling language, etc.)
or 2) with “weak” semi-formal techniques (multi-viewpoints knowledge
organisation systems, social semantic web, federated Wiki…).
The workshop aims at debating the technical possibilities and how they
are used by researchers and stakeholders during participatory meetings.
Depending on the number of papers, we will focus on a set of original
proposals followed by subthemes discussion. A general discussion will
aim at drawing innovative points of view.
>> Abstract and paper submission:
Abstract and paper submission procedure can be found here:
http://www.harper-adams.ac.uk/events/ifsa-conference/workshops.cfm
Click on the theme "4. Emergence and application of new technologies"
to obtain further details on the Workshop "4.3 ICT to help on participatory
approaches for the agroecological transition of agriculture"
Please complete the template here/
www.harper-adams.ac.uk/events/ifsa-conference/files/AbstractTemplate_IFSA_2016.docx
fully and submit to: IFSA2016@harper-adams.ac.uk.
The closing date for submission of abstracts is Monday 21 December 2015.
If accepted, you will be asked to submit the full version of the paper
by 29 February 2016 and attend the workshop session at the conference.
Please contact workshop convenors if you have any questions or concerns
relating to workshop sessions.
Contact: IFSA2016(a)harper-adams.ac.uk
For all people
who like to have ennemies!
Improving the
segmentation for weed recognition applications based on standard RGB
cameras using optical filters (in Denmark)
See: http://findresearcher.sdu.dk/portal/da/publications/improving-the-segmentation-for-weed-recognition-applications-based-on-standard-rgb-cameras-using-optical-filters(0bb83ce1-8c9b-48e5-866e-5cfd19559617).html
Internet takes Himalayan village from potato age to modernity
When a landslide created a huge, turquoise lake that cut them off
the world, the farmers of Gulmit were left destitute and unable to sell
their potatoes. Their solution: to drag their Himalayan valley in Pakistan's
far north into the Internet age.
See: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/development-policy/internet-takes-himalayan-village-potato-age-modernity-319588
Next-gen soil sampler
Falcon Soil Sampling introduces high-tech upgrades to its automated
soil sampling machine.
Voir : http://farmindustrynews.com/variable-rate/next-gen-soil-sampler
Big Data and its role in agriculture
See: http://farmindustrynews.com/variable-rate/big-data-and-its-role-agriculture
Agco's Matt Rushing testifies on House Ag Committee about the challenges
and opportunities of collecting data on farms.
Drilling down on John Deere, Climate Corp. deal
Just what did John Deere get out of its purchase today, and how does
Climate Corp. benefit from the Precision Planting spin-off?
See: http://farmindustrynews.com/blog/drilling-down-john-deere-climate-corp-deal
Agritechnica: Another round of tech and ideas
In this gallery instalment we run through some new tools from Claas,
check out a new planter prototype idea and dig into some other tech
tools as well.
See: http://farmindustrynews.com/combines/agritechnica-another-round-tech-and-ideas
Does Deutschland (Agriculture included) do digital?
Europe’s biggest economy is rightly worried that digitisation is
a threat to its industrial leadership.
See: http://www.economist.com/news/business/21678774-europes-biggest-economy-rightly-worried-digitisation-threat-its-industrial
IoT in Agriculture by the "Bosch Start-up Platform"
From asparagus to weeds…
See: http://blog.bosch-si.com/categories/internetofthings/2015/11/iot-in-agriculture/
Maps of French wine-growing regions
Travel to the heart of French wine-growing regions with these 14
maps, compiled by Sopexa on behalf of the French Ministry of Agriculture,
Agrifood and Forestry, in conjunction with the National Institute of
Origin and Quality (INAO) and industry professionals.
See: http://agriculture.gouv.fr/maps-french-wine-growing-regions
Agri-Pulse is your
comprehensive weekly report of the latest in US agricultural information
We take a holistic approach to covering current farming and rural
news and we never miss a beat. The world of agriculture extends beyond
what's growing in your field or living in your barn, and here at Agri-Pulse,
we understand that. We make it our duty to inform you of the most up-to-date
agricultural and rural policy decisions being made in Washington D.C.
and examine how they will affect you – the farmer, the lobbyist, the government
employee, the educator, the consultant and the concerned citizen. We investigate
several aspects of the food, fuel, feed and fiber industries, looking
at the economic, statistical and financial trends and evaluate how these
changes will impact your business. And we provide insight on the people
and players who are making things happen. Farm and rural policy is much
more than just letters on a page and extend far beyond the lawmakers and
regulators who write them in Washington. Agri-Pulse provides you with
a weekly update of how these decisions will affect your productivity,
your pocketbook, and your livelihood. Whether it be new developments in
international trade, organic foods, farm credit and loan policies or climate
change legislation, we keep you abreast of the information you need to
stay on the cutting edge.
See: http://www.agri-pulse.com/AboutUs.asp
Food industry wants common science principles to boost trust
The EU's food and drinks industry has developed a set of principles
for research conduct that will apply to the sector.
The new principles for science presented by FoodDrinkEurope at an event
in Brussels on Wednesday (18 November), are meant to set a common basis
on which issues such as health claims about food products, can be discussed.
FoodDrinkEurope wants the principles to be applied to any research, funded
by industry or not.
Some of these principles specify that research should be conducted following
analyses that state the limitations to the outcome of the final publication.
Scientific criteria, such as methodology, data quality and statistical
analysis, should be applied equally to all research, irrespective of industry
support.
FoodDrinkEurope is also calling for more transparency on research collaborations
with partners, such as universities.
Ian Macdonald, a professor of Metabolic Physiology at the University of
Nottingham, whose research work is often sponsored by the private sector,
highlighted that as of late, nutrional science has focused on how to prevent
maladies such as diabetes, heart disease and malnutrition through better
diets.
This is where scientists are adding novel foods and ingredients which
need proper prior research.
The science that has made an "enormous contribution" and benefitted
public health in both developed and developing countries over the last
half-century came from research paid for by both governments, foundations,
charities, universities, health services as well as industry.
"The accusation that we are biased is insulting. Just because we
talk to the industry we suddenly have no integrity, honesty and we just
tell governments what the industry wants us to. I will tell you what the
evidence says and not what you want to hear. Trusting the scientist's
integrity is an important element," he stated.
Macdonald admitted, however, that there are historical examples of the
industry doing things that in retrospect were unforgiveable. For example,
it was revealed that the sugar industry had a profound effect in the 1970s
on the activities of national health institutes in the US and their programmes,
including making sure that certain research outcomes were never published.
Ilaria Passarani, head of the food and health department at the European
Consumer Organisation (BEUC), said that her organisation wants the industry
to contribute to science as well as industry-funded research.
"Unfortunately, evidence shows that industry-sponsored research often
favours the interest of the sponsor and in the pharmaceutical sector,
industry-sponsored clinical trials tend to support those who want market
access. I think the mistrust is linked to this," Passarani said.
See: http://www.euractiv.com/sections/agriculture-food/food-industry-wants-common-science-principles-boost-trust-319665
Coming
obviously from a (narrow minded!) Republican guy but funny: The Butterfly
Effect
In Chaos Theory class, we learn the “Butterfly Effect” is the sensitive
dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state
of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in
a larger state. In simpler terms, a butterfly flapping its wings in Texas
can later result in a typhoon in the Japanese Sea.
Think about it: in mid-20th century America, an 18-year-old hippie freshman
at a Honolulu college had sex with an older Kenyan politician on a student
visa, who already had a wife and child back in Africa. And from this simple
"roll in the hay" come the collapse and dissolution of America
in the 21st century.
That is a perfect example of the Butterfly Effect.
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Contact: Guy WAKSMAN
E-mail: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net
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Jokes, Quotes and Anecdotes... an Anatomy of Wit
Mick Harkin, ex Secretary of EFITA, who has kept us amused with his
Friday Jokes over the years, has published a book on Amazon entitled "Jokes,
Quotes and Anecdotes... an Anatomy of Wit".
See: http://www.jokesquotesandanecdotes.com
Contact: Mick HARKIN
E-mail: mickjharkin(a)gmail.com
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