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Châtenay-Malabry (FR - 92290), 8 February, 2021

EFITA newsletter / 971 - European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment


Do not miss the Virus Jokes in English and French

> Coronavirus 4 Coronavirus 3 Coronavirus 2 Ant joke Coronavirus 1

> Virus et autres sujets Virus 6 Virus 5 Virus 4 Virus 3 Virus 2 Virus 1

> Les dernières histoire de l'oncle Paul (Jamet) (mostly in French)

> Les dernières histoires de Georges Larroque (mostly in French)

> Les dernières histoires de Michel Gil-Antoli (mostly in French)

> Les dernières histoires de Jean Pinon et Luc Becker (mostly in French)

> Et encore... et encore, encore


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Weekly newsletters about ICT in Agriculture in English and French
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A thought for today

Everybody knows if you are too careful you are so occupied in being careful that you are sure to stumble over something.
Gertrude STEIN, novelist, poet, and playwright (1874-1946)


Excess deaths since country or city’s first 50 covid deaths - Last updated on February 2nd

  Time period

Covid-19 Deaths

Excess deaths

Excess deaths
for 100 K people

Bulgaria

Apr 20th-Jan 17th

8,440

18,740

270

Peru

Apr 1st-Dec 31st

37,650

85,530

261

Lithuania

May 4th-Jan 10th

2,150

6,360

228

Mexico

Mar 29th-Dec 12th

113,690

270,980

227

Bolivia

May 1st-Aug 31st

4,960

23,620

203

Ecuador

Mar 1st-Sep 30th

11,360

34,340

199

South Africa

Apr 12th-Jan 23rd

40,550

110,840

189

Russia

Apr 1st-Nov 30th

39,470

271,020

185

Poland

Mar 30th-Jan 10th

31,170

70,700

184

Belgium

Mar 16th-Jan 10th

20,070

20,190

177

Britain

Mar 14th-Jan 22nd

112,760

106,110

160

Spain

Mar 4th-Jan 21st

56,680

74,300

159

Czech Republic

Mar 30th-Dec 20th

10,320

15,570

146

Slovenia

Apr 6th-Dec 20th

2,320

2,940

140

United States

Mar 8th-Jan 9th

360,370

448,550

138

Portugal

Mar 23rd-Jan 10th

7,790

13,540

132

Hungary

Apr 6th-Dec 27th

9,010

12,240

125

Netherlands

Mar 16th-Jan 24th

13,630

19,410

111

Italy

Feb 26th-Oct 27th

36,960

63,650

107

Brazil

Mar 22nd-Dec 26th

190,780

217,670

104

Austria

Mar 23rd-Jan 17th

7,070

8,950

101

France

Mar 11th-Jan 14th

69,420

65,460

101

Sweden

Mar 23rd-Jan 17th

11,190

9,780

94

Chile

Apr 8th-Jan 14th

17,250

14,810

84

Latvia

Oct 19th-Jan 17th

930

1,540

81

Switzerland

Mar 16th-Dec 13th

5,970

6,900

80

See The Economist


Natural


 

The Science of Reasoning With Unreasonable People By Adam Grant

Don’t try to change someone else’s mind. Instead, help them find their own motivation to change.

When we try to change someone’s mind, Grant explains, we often end up accusing our opponent of being wrong. “Yet experiments show that preaching and prosecuting typically backfire — and what doesn’t sway people may strengthen their beliefs,” he writes.

The problem is to not activate what Grant describes as antibodies “against future attempts at influence.”

A better approach, he says, is to interview someone about the beliefs that differ from yours, “asking open-ended questions and listening carefully — and holding up a mirror so they can see their own thoughts more clearly.”
See NTY


How to Argue on the Internet Without Losing Your Mind

Avoid the murky waters of trolldom.
.../...
Stop if you’re in a bad mood
Before you hit send, take a second to check your emotional state.

“When in a bad mood, refrain from posting,” Dr. Leskovec suggested. “Breathe in and breathe out.” He added that it’s important to stop when you can see that the argument has become toxic, because it will only get worse from there. “Prevent downward spirals. Don’t participate in toxic discussions. Nothing good will come out of it,” he said.
See NYT


Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: Le Semeur au soleil couchant par Vincent Van Gogh, Arles, juin 1888, Kröller-Müller Museum (NL)

1
 

Legal framework for autonomous cropping equipment – Status quo and economic analysis

17 February 2021 - 15:00-16:00 CET - Virtual
To start off the new year, we would like to invite you to an English-language lecture as part of our “digital workshop talks“-series.

Under the direction of Prof. James Lowenberg-DeBoer (Harper-Adams University, United Kingdom) and as part of a European team of authors, the Digitilization division of the Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Animal Husbandry at the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture contributed to a paper about the legal background of field crop robots. The paper further presents the economic, farm level consequences of such regulation. During the “digital workshop talks“ on 17 February 2021 (time: 15:00-16:00 CET), Professor Lowenberg-DeBoer will provide first insights into the findings

You can register until February 15 by sending an e-mail.

We look forward to your participation!

Contacts: Olivia SPYKMAN and Markus GANDORFER

Digital Farming Group
Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Animal Husbandry,
Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture
E-mail: Markus.Gandorfer(a)lfl.bayern.de


Biopesticides Europe 2021 conference

9 - 10 June 2021 - russels, Belgium
See biopesticides-europe

En 1899, 1900, 1901 et 1910, un groupe d'artistes, dont notamment Jean-Marc Côté, a réalisé une série de cartes et de dessins d'anticipation sur le thème de l'an 2000 (Bibliothèque Nationale de France).


La station de taxis aériens / Aero-Cab Station
In 1899, 1900, 1901 and 1910, a group of artists, including notably Jean-Marc Côté, produced a series of anticipatory drawings on the theme of the year 2000 (BNF).

Yield+: The future of corporate agriculture is digital

- Sensing+ is an end-to-end system for large-scale growing operations, combining sensors, data analytics and apps.
- The Yield is your partner in digital transformation. Leverage the power of our platform to put your data to work, and create insights that drive better commercial outcomes.
See theyield.com


New in Sensing+ (The Yield Technological Solutions – Australia)

> Change to ETo Calculation in Sensing+

> Rain Likelihood Notifications

> 14-Day Gridded Weather Forecasts Enhancement

> PAR, EC & Soil Moisture

> Block Selector


Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: Semeur au soleil couchant, 1888, par Vincent Van Gogh, Collection Emil Bührle, Zurich

2
 

How did we the future yesterday??

See the incredible collection developed by Alain Fraval


Archives of our newsletters in French and English
Voir Afia
Voir Efita



Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: Hiver : les Fagoteuses, ca. 1868-1875, par Jean-François Millet,

3  


Efita 2021 Conference

25 -26 May 2021 - Digital Agriculture Web Conference
The European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment (EFITA) would like to invite you at the first EFITA International online Conference in 2021. As a way to keep the momentum and engagement of our society, while maintaining the plans for the 2022 physical EFITA conference, this conference and its format are planned as a response to the unpredictable situation created by the COVID-19.
This event is an opportunity to bring together engineers, scientists, technicians, aca-demics and industry people in a new way to exchange knowledge, ideas, to present innovations and to discuss the state-of-the-art and future use of ICT in the agri-food sector and bio-resources production sectors.
See efita2021.com
Contact: Dionysis BOCHTIS
E-mail: d.bochtis(a)certh.gr


Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: The Sower by Vincent van Gogh, Van Gogh Museum

4  

Israeli start-up launches artificial pollination technology

Israeli agri-tech startup Edete Precision Technologies for Agriculture is due to begin commercial scale field trials of its artificial pollination technology in almond orchards covering dozens of hectares in the Australian state of Victoria.
See futurefarming.com


Drone harvesting: Kubota invests in fruit picking drones company Tevel

Kubota participates in a Series B venture funding investment round totalling $20 million for Tevel.
See futurefarming.com


Carbon storage: AGCO launches studies on cover crops for carbon management

Best practices for regenerative agriculture to optimise soil health and carbon capture determined.
See futurefarming.com




Data: AEF and AgGateway to enable seamless data flow for growers

Growers to rapidly access and use information to improve on-farm productivity and sustainability.
See futurefarming.com


Weed control systems: crop.zone electric weeding available in Switzerland

Swiss farmers will have the opportunity to try out the new technology under real conditions.
See futurefarming.com


Business: Farmers Edge partners with Google Cloud

Farmers Edge and Google Cloud to deliver next generation of high-tech tools to farmers.
See futurefarming.com


Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: Sower by Vincent van Gogh

5  

Controlled environment agriculture. We’re farming for the future.
See appharvest.com


AppHarvest completes SPAC merger to go public at $1bn+ valuation, AFN, by Jack Ellis

- Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) startup AppHarvest has gone public after completing a reverse merger with Novus Capital, a NASDAQ-traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
- The Kentucky-based indoor farming firm’s shares began trading on New York’s NASDAQ on February 1 under the ‘APPH’ ticker.
- AppHarvest’s stock price soared 44% on the company’s debut, according to MarketWatch.
See agfundernews.com


Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory (?????): Semeur par Vincent Van Gogh, Van Gogh Museum

6  

Solinftec & IBM partner to raise standards of agriculture digitalization AgFunder portfolio co! Farm Journal (feat. Britaldo Hernandez & Daniel Padrão)

IBM and Solinftec, a leading agricultural platform, are bringing new precision solutions to agriculture around the world. IBM’s unparalleled climate-based insights are now being paired with Solinftec’s sophisticated algorithms and artificial intelligence to provide real-time decision-making solutions for agriculture.

Through this partnership, Solinftec utilizes local weather data and forecasting from The Weather Company, an IBM Business, to deliver digital agricultural solutions that leverage operational efficiency, use of inputs and agriculture compliance, ultimately reducing environmental impacts.

See thedailyscoop.com


Organic Valley pilots satellite-backed grazing management to improve pasture management, AFN, by Lauren Manning

- Farmer-owned US dairy cooperative Organic Valley is piloting a new satellite photography tool to provide real-time feedback about pasture health and nutrition on its farms.
- If successful, the tool will be scaled to all Organic Valley operations during 2022. The co-op says its farmers have over 189,000 acres of pasture under management.
- Organic Valley — which describes itself as a champion of regenerative agriculture — markets its cows as spending more time outside grazing than 95% of dairy animals in the US, making pasture health a priority.
See agfundernews.com


Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: Campesimos plantando patatas, 1885, Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890)

7  

How Australian agriculture can continue to succeed in 2021, AFN, by guest contributor: Justin Webb

Without exception 2020 has thrown unique challenges at Australian agriculture. Admirably, and equally without exception, our farming communities have proven to be remarkably resilient.

Faced with catastrophic bushfires at the beginning of the year, the myriad disruptions caused by Covid-19, collateral damage from international geopolitical events, and the ever present threat of drought – time and time again, Aussie farmers have kept our nation fed and maintained Australia’s position as a leading global exporter of premium produce.
…/…
See agfundernews.com


CSIRO, Woolworths unveil FutureFeed, a seaweed supplement that cuts cow methane by 80% (AFN)
See agfundernews.com


DR. Rattan Lal on soil health, plant science and food security
See croplife.org


Virginia Tech researchers find that removal of dairy cows would have minimal impact on greenhouse emissions

The removal of dairy cows from the United States would only slightly reduce greenhouse gas emissions while reducing essential nutrient supply, Virginia Tech researchers say.
See vtnews.vt.edu

 
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Two Biden priorities, climate & inequality, meet on black-owned farms, The New York Times, by Hiroko Tabuchi & Nadja Popovich (source AFN)
See NHT


Agriculture may be ‘first & best place’ for climate gains, says nominee Vilsack, Successful Farming, by Chuck Abbott (source AFN)

The Biden administration will work with farmers, ranchers, and forest owners “to create new sources of revenue tied to their good climate practices,” said agriculture secretary-nominee Tom Vilsack on Tuesday. With USDA’s broad authority to aid farmers, he said he could launch carbon sequestration initiatives that soon would become a standard part of the federal farm program.

“I think agriculture is probably the first and best place to begin getting some wins in this climate area,” said Vilsack during a confirmation hearing. “Farmers are prepared for it. Farmers are anxious to do it. If it’s voluntary, if it’s market-based, if it’s incentive-based, I think you will see farmers, ranchers, and producers cooperate extensively.”
See agriculture.com


Why do academics in the Global North focus on Burkina Faso’s problems with GMOs? By Joseph Opoku Gakpo
See allianceforscience.cornell.edu


European Soil Data Centre Newsletter No.127 (Jan-Feb. 2021)
See jrc.ec.europa.eu


US: Corn and soybean production up in 2020
See agdaily.com


We have more land for forests than we did 30 years ago! (I am not that sure. Have you an idea about this subject? – GW)

This episode is an excerpt from the book Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know.
See reforestation


Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: Gleaners by George Clausen

8  

Multilateral Cooperation for Global Recovery, by Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Macky Sall, António Guterres, Charles Michel, Ursula von der Leyen

We should not be afraid of a post-pandemic world that will not be the same as the status quo ante. We should embrace it and use all appropriate fora and available opportunities to make it a better world by advancing the cause of international cooperation.

We need to ensure that the global recovery reaches everybody. That means stepping up our support to developing countries, particularly in Africa, by building on and going beyond existing partnerships such as the G20’s Compact with Africa and its joint effort with the Paris Club within the Debt Service Suspension Initiative. It is crucial to further support those countries in reducing their debt burden and ensure sustainable financing for their economies, using the full scope of international financial instruments such as the International Monetary Fund’s reserve asset, the special drawing rights (SDRs).

The rise of new technologies has been a great asset for progress and inclusion, contributing to the openness and resilience of societies, economies, and states, while proving lifesaving during the pandemic. Yet, almost half the world’s population – and more than half the world’s women and girls – remain offline and unable to access their benefits.
See project-syndicate.org

 

Mueller: Two Modest Predictions from 1997, By John Mueller

In 1997, John Mueller predicted that the world would soon experience massive gains in economic growth and well-being, but that the general public would be unimpressed.
See humanprogress.org


Heroes of Progress

(8) William Wilberforce: The Man Who Helped to End Slavery
See video

(9) Richard Cobden: The Man Who Helped Turn Britain into a Free-trading Nation
See video

(10) Barré-Sinoussi & Montagnier: The Scientists Who Discovered That HIV Is the Cause of AIDS
See video

(11) Maurice Hilleman: The Man Who Developed Over 40 Vaccines
See video


An interesting info about different “Stuffs of progress”

1: Nitrogen
2: Iron
3: Tungsten
4. Silicon
5: Chemical Pesticides
6: Rubber
GE Foods
8: Disinfectants
9: Aluminum
10: Synthetic Pharmaceuticals
11: Crude Oils
12: Uranium
13: Sand


150 US Highly Successful Companies Started During a Recession

With unemployment claims at historic highs and consumer confidence at historic lows, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused untold damage to the global economy. The current economic downturn may discourage some would-be entrepreneurs from starting their own businesses, but history shows that a great business concept can succeed in any environment.

Using data from SEC filings, Fortune magazine, and the National Bureau of Economic Research, we found that many of the largest, and most successful companies in the world were started during times of recession.
See businessfinancing.co.uk


Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory:
A Frosty March Morning', Sir George Clausen, 1904, Tate Gallery

9  

Hungarian doctors can’t recommend Russian, Chinese jabs, By Vlagyiszlav Makszimov / euractiv.com

Without making public the documents related to the authorisation of the Russian Sputnik-V and Chinese Sinopharm vaccines – especially the summary of product characteristics – the leadership of the Hungarian Medical Chamber “cannot recommend the use of these products to its colleagues in good conscience,” the doctors wrote to the Hungarian National Institute of Pharmacy and Food and Health (OGYÉI) on Tuesday.
See euractiv.com


The left’s vaccine problem (is it because the left is afraid by anti-vax people in a context where some leftist people are anti-vax as well as "anti-system" ? - GW)

Early in the pandemic, countries with populist, right-wing governments were suffering some of the worst outbreaks. These countries had big differences from one another — the list included Brazil, Britain, Russia and the U.S. — but their problems all stemmed partly from leaders who rejected scientific expertise.

More progressive and technocratic countries — with both center-left and center-right leaders, like Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea — were doing a better job containing the pandemic. The pattern seemed to make sense: Politicians who believed in the ability of bureaucracies to accomplish complex jobs were succeeding at precisely that.

But over the last few weeks, as vaccination has become a top priority, the pattern has changed. Progressive leaders in much of the world are now struggling to distribute coronavirus vaccines quickly and efficiently.

.../...
Why? A common problem seems to be a focus on process rather than on getting shots into arms. Some progressive leaders are effectively sacrificing efficiency for what they consider to be equity.

The European Union has taken a ponderous, risk-averse approach that tries to avoid upsetting its member countries.

See NYT


Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: A Gleaner by Sir George Clausen, 1901

10  

Make me a sandwich

My husband and I were daydreaming about what we would do if we won the lottery.

I started: “I’d hire a cook so that I could just say, ‘Hey, make me a sandwich!’”

Thomas shook his head.

“Not me. I already have one of those.”


The distribution of this efita newsletter is sponsored by vitisphere.com

Please, contribute to the content of your efita newsletter, and advertise your events, new publications, new products and new project in this newsletter. Without your support, it will not survive!
Contact: Guy WAKSMAN
E-mail: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net


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